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A guy named Matt inspires us to think about how we’re all connected–one earth, one humanity–through YouTube and a goofy dance.
We’ve written many times that social media has the power to change the world. That it is a tremendous force for good. In fact, it is the people who use social media that make it what it is and give it this potential.
The following video is profound, funny, and inspiring. It moved us to tears and gives us hope. Uploaded on June 20th, it’s received more than three million views already. Thanks to @mobienthusiast for the Tweet. If you go to the YouTube page, you can also view in higher quality.
“[Matt] realized his bad dancing wasn’t actually all that interesting, and that other people were much better at being bad at it. He showed them his inbox, which, as a result of his semi-famousness, was overflowing with emails from all over the planet. He told them he wanted to travel around the world one more time and invite the people who’d written him to come out and dance too.
The Stride people thought that sounded like yet another very good idea, so they let him do it. And he did. And now it’s done. And he hopes you like it.
Matt lives in Seattle, Washington with his girlfriend, Melissa, and dog, Sydney. He hasn’t had a real job since Stride called him up. Matt doesn’t mind working, but he doesn’t much care for having to show up at the same place every day.
Matt is not rich. Matt also doesn’t have some magical secret for traveling cheaply. He does it pretty much the same way everybody else does.
Matt thinks Americans need to travel abroad more.”
33 responses so far ↓
1 Max Gladwell // Jun 29, 2008 at 10:40 am
This is our email to Matt:
So inspiring. Well done. We live in Santa Monica, CA, and traveled quite a bit before settling down and picking SM as the place for us. We were psyched to see you dancing in front of the pier.
We just can’t watch the video without being brought to tears. It starts out very funny and interesting, but when you start bringing in all of those people, it becomes tremendously visceral, tapping into some type of human quality that unites us all, and the music is perfect. Have no idea where you go from here and how you top that.
Let us know if you ever come to SM for an encore. Would love to join the dance.
2 Louise Abitbol // Jul 10, 2008 at 7:59 am
Matt,
Joyful is what I felt as your video played on. What an incredible world intervention you brought to all of us. Especially, in a time, when the planet seems to be speeding past the human experience.
Thanks for bringing to all of us the simple pleasures of life which you have proven are infectious and a universal human quality. I
I live in New York City and enjoyed the folks partying in Central Park.
Next time your around town, let me know where to “join the dance.”
Blessings to you and Melissa. And, thanks for giving me such a wonderful gift.
Viva la dance!!
3 christophergriffen // Jul 10, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Viva la dance!! absolutely!
“when the planet seems to be speeding past the human experience.” Well put Louise!
Perspective: a larger view of who and what and where we are.
Look up at the sky at night and marvel at our place in this vast universe.(if you’re lucky eough to see the stars, otherwise imagine what lies beyond the dome of the sky)
We all come from one source, dancing together to continue our joy, and sorrow around the world. Dancing makes thing better.
WE are ALL ONE.
Thank you Matt.
4 Cutter G. // Jul 30, 2008 at 1:42 am
Duuude!
As a cynical, sarcastic guy I was expecting this to be another, “Kumbaya” piece of hippie weirdness.
But you know what? It made me smile.
Truth be told, that dance is probably the worst thing I’ve ever seen (short of watching myself dance, of course) but that’s what makes it magical.
With no pretense or posturing it just looked like fun. And that, in and of itself, is a magnet for others.
Sometimes we forget how much a smile translates.
And now, I guess, we can add dancing to that too.
Good job, dude. Good job.
5 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media : Sustainablog // May 12, 2009 at 10:01 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
6 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | Your Daily Thread // May 12, 2009 at 11:01 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
7 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | Modern Eco Homes // May 12, 2009 at 11:04 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
8 Green Grown and Sexy » Blog Archive » 10 Ways To Change The World Through Social Media // May 12, 2009 at 11:11 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
9 10 ways to change the world through social media | The Pop!Tech Blog | Accelerating the Positive Impact of Worldchanging People and Ideas // May 12, 2009 at 11:26 am
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10 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | NowSourcing // May 12, 2009 at 11:32 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
11 fashion loves people » Blog Archive » 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media // May 12, 2009 at 11:45 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
12 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media : Ecopreneurist // May 12, 2009 at 12:02 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
13 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | Twilight Earth // May 12, 2009 at 1:18 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
14 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | Social Media Mom // May 12, 2009 at 1:43 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
15 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media // May 12, 2009 at 3:41 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
16 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media « My Green Side // May 12, 2009 at 3:59 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
17 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | Organic-Life.co.cc // May 12, 2009 at 4:59 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
18 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | Chris Baskind dot com // May 12, 2009 at 5:44 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
19 Social Venture News from Yale SOM » 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | Organic-Life.co.cc // May 12, 2009 at 6:51 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
20 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media : Eco Child’s Play // May 12, 2009 at 8:47 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
21 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media « NurtureNature! // May 13, 2009 at 12:09 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
22 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media by @MaxGladwell // May 13, 2009 at 3:43 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
23 10 Ways to Change the World through Social Media « VIVA GREEN! // May 14, 2009 at 12:20 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
24 SuperCute! » 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media // May 15, 2009 at 7:08 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
25 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media « mcmilkergroup // May 16, 2009 at 6:33 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
26 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media — Global Patriot // May 16, 2009 at 12:27 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
27 10 ways to change the world through social media « STREET KNOWLEDGE MEDIA // May 18, 2009 at 10:09 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
28 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | Max Gladwell // May 19, 2009 at 8:53 am
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29 Guest Post: Citizen journalism, open government, status updates, community building, information sharing, crowdsourcing, and the election of a President « CauseWired Communications // May 19, 2009 at 5:52 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
30 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | It's Good to be Brown // Jun 5, 2009 at 4:59 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
31 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | social media | MuseGreen - five women, a blog and some chocolate... // Jul 13, 2009 at 9:54 am
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
32 Guest Post: Max Gladwell on 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media | EcoSalon // Aug 24, 2009 at 8:47 pm
[...] Unite the World Through Video: Matt’s dancing around the world video inspired many to tears. Today, more than 20 million people have viewed his YouTube [...]
33 10 Ways to Change the World Through Social Media : s0cialmedia.com // Dec 10, 2009 at 10:37 am
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