The single greatest video ever made in the history of the world

Forgive me, I can't remember whether we've posted this or not. Never mind, it deserves a second look...

A tip

Rather than clicking "Play" here, double-click on the image to go to the source page. Click "Watch in high quality", and the single greatest video ever made in the history of the world (which it is, you're not wrong) becomes even greater.

Archie Valparaiso | 9 July 2008 - 10:41am

And. . .

It's in even hi-er hi-def on his own site, here.

Archie Valparaiso | 9 July 2008 - 10:59am

one great idea...

is all you need, eh? had me grinning from ear to ear..
thanks for that, made me feel all good about the world. sure it'll pass..

but seriously nice one..

a friend sent me this the other day which i thought was really lovely too...

Carwash Casteneda | 9 July 2008 - 10:45am

Thank you for that

it has hit a spot that loves being hit.

Lee Rimmer | 9 July 2008 - 10:50am
Commoner | 9 July 2008 - 11:17am

The Origins of Breakdancing

That's a great film,

So is this,


Niks | 9 July 2008 - 11:29am

I'm clearly a terrible person...

I loved the idea, but after about a minute of it I felt I'd sucked all the juice out of it, and was waiting for something different to happen. Clearly I'm a sadly jaded person who needs an influx of continual novelty, and can't just enjoy a joyful piece of footage as it unfolds. Don't know what made me that way - music videos, perhaps?

Paul Vincent | 9 July 2008 - 11:30am

I thought it was brilliantly constructed

every 30 seconds or so there's an extra-cool one (the Papua New Guinea tribespeople, the weightless plane, suddenly syncing his dance to the Indian dancers' moves...) to keep your interest up.

Archie Valparaiso | 9 July 2008 - 11:37am

Read the who is Matt bit on his website

Its a good story and he seems a fine fella. Link here -> http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/about.shtml

Lee Rimmer | 9 July 2008 - 11:40am

I Love Life Again

God, It´s restored my faith in humanity. That man, Matt Harding, should be given a prize.
I actually saw a troupe of Dancing Cossacks once , and it was just like that, except with crappier music.

On The Fence | 10 July 2008 - 8:23am

Tune's

a bit crap though isn't it?

eddie g | 9 July 2008 - 11:52am

Jeez

*Sigh*.

David Hepworth | 9 July 2008 - 11:57am

I now want to hug someone

But I'm home alone and the builders next door look a bit sweaty.

I shall just bask in the warm glow.

Hannah | 9 July 2008 - 11:58am

Love the bit at

1:54 in the DMZ!!

Great bit in India with the synchronised dancing.

Fair made me day!

Oeufman | 9 July 2008 - 12:07pm

Yes!

The Indian bit gave me goosebumps.

Fraser Lewry | 9 July 2008 - 12:11pm

While we're all feeling the love

I like this ad for the Discovery Channel very much.

Fraser Lewry | 9 July 2008 - 12:11pm

....and the discovery channel from the animal pov

(secure headphones if at work)

plimsoul | 10 July 2008 - 5:28am

Pass it on

Make someone's day.

I would like to travel to different warm locations around the globe and be photographed in exotic bars surrounded by attentive beauties and reading a magazine. Any chance of sponsorship from The Word? It's either you or Bella magazine. Don't miss your chance.

Beany | 9 July 2008 - 12:12pm

Dog - Kuwait City

At 43 secs - terrific

Diz | 9 July 2008 - 12:54pm

Thank you, David,

for instilling a warm glow. And thanks to Diz for pointing out the Kuwaiti dog - I'd missed it.
I, too, loved the Indian dancers in synch. And godnose what the North Korean border guards will have made of it.... (although as Sting reminded us, the Russians love their children. Perhaps the same principle applies.)

nigelthebald | 9 July 2008 - 1:34pm

Cross-generational

Showed it to my ten year old grand-daughter, the Bean, after school today. She loved it too. We tried to share it with her Mum, but their PC wasn't co-operating. (To misquote Homer S : "Computers - the solution to, and cause of, all life's problems...")

nigelthebald | 9 July 2008 - 8:23pm

Matt

But he's never been to Wales? Or did he get to Merthyr and someone pinched his camera?

Crowdedmouse | 9 July 2008 - 2:14pm

It was him was it?

Dancing beside me to Salsa Celtica at Cornbury. Talk about manic!! Hope I'm in the new video.

Gordon Kerr | 9 July 2008 - 4:25pm

Out-chews them all

It's got a wonderful uplifting innocence to it hasn't it? While watching it it struck me that this is exactly the kind of thing that gets picked up by advertisers and adapted for some sickly commercial. But it seems that Cadbury's "Stride Gum" got there already.

Nick White | 9 July 2008 - 7:56pm

To be fair...

....it's a follow-up to an earlier one called "Where's Matt?" where he danced on his own all over the world. It was only afterwards that the chewing gum people gave him some money to have their name on it. Which I'm saying is one of the smartest advertising decisions I've ever seen.

David Hepworth | 9 July 2008 - 8:46pm

Four and a half minutes in search of a punchline...

Validated by commerce apparently. Ho hum.

Stan Halen | 10 July 2008 - 1:05am

I'm surprised...

...by my reaction.

It made me weep little tears of joy. People doing something pointless for the shear joy of doing something pointless.

Mind you when I saw the sponsor tag line I did feel like crying...

Bob the dog | 10 July 2008 - 3:11am

I actually

had goosebumps at one point.
Even on my second & third viewing it had the same effect.

Scott Wilkinson | 10 July 2008 - 5:34am

Sorry

to poke a stick into this whirling bicycle wheel of manly blubbering but can I humbly suggest, once more, that it's just a grinning goon doing a rubbish dance to some sub-Eurovision drivel? And it goes on and on and ( yawn ) on.
And on.

eddie g | 10 July 2008 - 6:50am

There's also

something disturbingly ob-com about someone spending so much time and effort to do it. Considering true joy is spontaneous, I don't really think, on reflection, it's all that joyful, either. I'll stick with the Small Acts Of Random Kindness approach, I think.

Paul Vincent | 10 July 2008 - 8:28am

Glad I'm...

... not alone in finding the whole thing pretty resistible. Then again, maybe I really am just the heartless bastard I always suspected…

David Rothon | 10 July 2008 - 9:34am

I

quote: 'Considering true joy is spontaneous...'

Really?

Can I enter this in a future thread; 'Sweeping generalisations I have made without really thinking.'?

Can I further suggest that, whilst the naysayers are perfectly entitled to their view, they do it on www.grumpymale.com?

I'm off to dance around the office. Wa-hey!

Oeufman | 10 July 2008 - 12:25pm

Without really thinking?

You reckon? I'm dazzled by your insight into, and detailed knowledge of my thought processes, Eggbloke. So how many times have YOU experienced joy as a result of careful planning and premeditation, as opposed to suddenly encountering it unexpectedly, from the proverbial Clear Blue Sky?

Can I further suggest that, whilst the naysayers are perfectly entitled to their view, they do it right here, in full view of the Eggy Thought Police?

Paul Vincent | 10 July 2008 - 12:44pm

Not married then, Paul?

My point being, of course, that joy can be derived both spontaneously AND via careful planning and pre-meditation. Mr. Dancer planned, carried out said plan, brought a lot of us joy. 'Nuff said.

Oeufman | 10 July 2008 - 1:25pm

Just to tie up

the loose end: yup, I'm married. And scratching my head wondering what assumptions underlay that question!

Paul Vincent | 10 July 2008 - 1:51pm

I'm

assuming, unless you shot off to Vegas dressed as Elvis, that your decision to pop the question was pre-meditated, the joyous day was planned and both events gave you great joy.

All flippancy aside, I just don't buy it that all joy is spontaneous - the best joy may well occur that way and I'd be easier to convince if that was your argument, but a life where joy only arrives unannounced? Feels like the bits in-between would be fairly dull...

Anyway, the dance made me smile.

Oeufman | 10 July 2008 - 3:53pm

Hey

www.grumpymale.com is available. Am sorely tempted.....

Lee Rimmer | 10 July 2008 - 12:44pm

Know what you mean

I like reading about people handing out vast amounts of money to complete strangers. Never happened to me yet so I will derive pleasure from watching others having fun doing silly things.

Beany | 10 July 2008 - 8:56am
Springer Bell | 10 July 2008 - 2:47pm

Made me smile

and I liked the music, and I thought that in the Zambia clip (1:18) he suddenly turned into Mark Ellen.

joyneski | 10 July 2008 - 9:31pm

For all you nature/discovery channel people out there...

This is the greatest video of all time. Some crazy fool took a balloon to the edge of space, tied a camera to his helmet and then leapt off, freefalling for a good twelve minutes, filming the experience from his point of view. Boards Of Canada incorporated some of the footage for this rather splendid video which never fails to amaze me.

ganglesprocket | 15 July 2008 - 11:55am