Men Without Hats, "The Safety Dance" video

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Upon watching the video again, though it occurs to me maybe the reason it was so successful is it didn't make any attempt to mirror the fashion of the time.

― Am I laughing or crying? Am I ripping or burning? (Bimble...), Sunday, 29 October 2006 08:37 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't believe there was really an actual dance move called The Safety Dance, though. Nor do I recall anyone using that term in conversation in any context, unless they were referring to the song. I think the common myth is it must have been a response to the kind of dancing folks did in the punk days, slam dancing, violent dancing. But the singer, Stefan Doroschuk says:

"Safety Dance is about non-conforming, about how you don't have to blindly follow the crowd, that you "leave your friends behind" and strike out on your own, even if no one else agrees with you."

link is here:

http://matadorlounge.com/features/mwh.shtml

― Am I laughing or crying? Am I ripping or burning? (Bimble...), Sunday, 29 October 2006 08:57 (seventeen years ago) link

Re the song, I loved the 12" version, and have never understood why that keyboard riff, which surely made the song, was left off the 7". I also remember Alphaville completely cashing in on the song with Big in Japan.

― Jez (Jez), Monday, 30 October 2006 09:42 (seventeen years ago) link

This being the song with Margaret Trudeau's backing vocal, right? (Role taken by the blonde one in the video..)

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 30 October 2006 10:34 (seventeen years ago) link

holy shit, that is brilliant. the last few frames - the b/w missile stills etc - totally make it for me. thank you, ned!

― grimly fiendish (grimlord), Monday, 30 October 2006 12:31 (seventeen years ago) link

There's a piece in this month's Mojo (One Hit Wonders), the one with the Who on the front.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 30 October 2006 14:33 (seventeen years ago) link

In high school, we used to request this song at school dances and then get a large number of people to do the ren-faire arm-swing-and-knee-kick move from the video. Good times.

― The Android Cat (Dan Perry), Monday, 30 October 2006 14:37 (seventeen years ago) link

Short Youtube Futurama clip of Eighties guy's tribute to the Safety Dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hKyqiuP1IE&mode=related&search=

― Neil Stewart (Neil Stewart), Monday, 30 October 2006 14:51 (seventeen years ago) link

Is the "Where Do The Boys Go" video there?
I remember that one mostly for the appearance of M. Bonhomme, Quebec's winter carnival mascot. (Looks a bit like that marshmallow-guy from "Ghostbusters".)

― M. Agony Von Bontee (M. Agony Von Bontee), Monday, 30 October 2006 18:34 (seventeen years ago) link

EVERYBODY LOOK AT YOUR HANDS

― An evening of fun in the metropolis of your dream (Bimble...), Monday, 30 October 2006 23:02 (seventeen years ago) link

The awesomist thing about this song is the way he says embuhseal.

― Rodney... (R. J. Greene), Tuesday, 31 October 2006 05:43 (seventeen years ago) link

sixteen years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SEafqmwWdQ

― MaresNest, Friday, 18 November 2022 19:31 (one year ago) link

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