The Mannequin Challenge

November 30, 2016

There was the Ice Bucket Challenge, the Harlem Shake, Planking, and now there is the Mannequin Challenge. It is the latest and greatest in the viral video genre where groups of people simply gather and freeze. It is as simple as that! The memes are staged in extravagant poses and are mostly filmed with smartphones. No surprise it’s the teens leading the way on this trend once again, but others are quickly following suit. The Mannequin Challenge began in late October when Jacksonville high school students filmed themselves pretending to be motionless and mid-pose, as if they were modeling slacks at Macy’s (hence where this meme got its name). The viral video gained attention and immediately other people started creating their own versions. Majority of the videos are staged to the song “Black Beatles” by Rae Sremmurd, making the song the unofficial anthem. The challenge, like many others before it, originated from a simple idea, making its way into politics, sports, and advertising markets. In doing so, it may have started to take on some significance for anyone wanting to hit the pause button on today. Creating and watching the videos is like pretending there’s nothing to worry about. It’s a fun, innocent, and joyful moment happening and sometimes that’s all we really need.

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