March 6, 2013. At its peak, the video meme that exploded around Baauer’s unexpected No. 1 smash “Harlem Shake” turned into a seemingly ubiquitous sensation, with 4,000 of the viral clips being added to YouTube on a daily basis as of early February.
But as the immensely popular meme continued to grow, a bizarre phenomenon began to emerge.
Where “Harlem Shake” videos were once solely about fun and games, a trend towards serious repercussions (like people getting fired for creating “Harlem Shake” videos on the clock) and even politically-charged versions of the popular dance craze have taken hold.