No stopping the Harlem Shake, now fake-out videos proliferate

By Salvador Rodriguez

Feb. 20, 2013 12 AM PT

While a lot of people say they’re growing tired of the Harlem Shake, the meme isn’t showing any signs of slowing down just yet.

It seems more and more Harlem Shake videos are being uploaded every day and now it appears they are evolving. The funniest videos are showing up with a creative twist at the end: They’re Harlem Shake fake-outs, if you will.

Here are some of our favorites.

The Just Stop Harlem Shake

In this version, popular YouTube video maker Freddie Wong encapsulates how many people are starting to feel about the Harlem Shake. As one guy starts to dance, Wong springs out of nowhere and beats him up with his own helmet, yelling “You don’t do this anymore!” That’s followed by text at the end of the video that says, “Friends don’t let friend make Harlem Shake videos.”

The Change-the-Station Harlem Shake

Joining Wong is Steve Kardynal, another widely followed YouTube user, who also expresses his fatigue with the Harlem Shake meme in his own version, titled “Harlem Shake (Cereal Edition).” Kardynal leads viewers to believe he’s about to dance, but instead, he just changes the station on his radio. The viewer is then treated to a silly commercial about loud cats and Kitten Mittens.

Grumpy Cat Harlem Shake

Who doesn’t love Grumpy Cat? The Internet’s angriest cat did her own version of the Harlem Shake, and just as you would expect, she wasn’t happy about it. In this version, Grumpy Cat sleeps during the first half of the song, but when it comes time to dance, the music stops and a caption is placed in front of her that says, “NO.”

Classic Internet Prank Harlem Shake

I won’t reveal what classic Internet prank is in this video as to not ruin the fun, but if you’ve been on the Internet for more than a year, then you’ve likely already been a victim of this at least once.