Dancing Matt

Dancing Matt first received his notoriety dancing on a home video created for friends and family as he traveled abroad. Today, he is an Internet sensation with corporate sponsors and an impressive fan base that continues to grow. Like the phenomenon of putting your face on a dancing body, Matt's dancing quickly became a popular online attraction.

Matt is self-described as a “32 year old deadbeat from Connecticut," but any visitor to his site knows that he really is a creative internet presence who knows how to keep the clicks coming. After experiencing somewhat of a quarter life crisis, Matt quit his job in Australia and used his savings to tour Asia. While he was there, he started his website to update his friends and family on his adventures. After a traveling companion suggested Matt “perform” a signature goofy dance with Hanoi as his backdrop, he videotaped it and included it on the website. The rest is history.

Matt went on to dance at different locations throughout his journeys, and his website videos went viral on the Internet. In other words, someone probably discovered Matt while procrastinating in their cubicle one day, and passed on the dancing to a friend. This chain of forwarding continued onward until Matt became an online sensation.

Stride Gum then discovered now-popular Matt and invited him to take a second trip around the world on their dollar. Matt obliged, dancing in 39 countries on all seven continents during a six month time period. Matt went on the following year to request another trip around the world with a twist – inviting others to dance on video with him. Stride Gum agreed, and Matt with his inferior dancing entourage is now viewable on his website as well.

Matt is still dancing, although sometimes it takes on different forms. Recently he was a guest speaker at Entertainment Gathering (EG). There, he got the audience to dance with him, including Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple Computers. Matt keeps up a semi-regular blog on his website, and like any good media presence, he knows the key to drawing in readers is to pack his entries full of photos and video feeds. It’s a fun read and inspirational at the same time for those of us who are currently forced to wake up and do the same thing every day.

If you decide to pay a visit to Matt’s website, you’ll find a fun and complex homepage that includes several sections. The above mentioned blog is one portion, as is the video page that made Matt famous online in the first place.

There is also a Google maps section showing Matt’s location from 2003-2008.

Finally, there is a place for viewers to comment, an impressively extensive FAQ section, and contact information for those who wish to send an email to Matt. He does warn, however, that a chance of response is slim – the likelihood is about 1-5 percent. But if you aren’t necessarily wanting an answer and would just like to encourage Matt and his innovative choice of lifestyle, you can check out his contact page.

YouTube users and other popular video sites featuring Matt have found countless ways to accuse him of being a fake. Comments have included statements about using a “green screen” to simulate the different international locales, and photoshopping still photographs. Matt himself humors his skeptics at a recent conference in this clip, which obviously shows that (despite the opinion of the writer’s article surrounding it) Matt is not only for real, he has a great sense of humor as well.

Skeptical Internet users will always doubt the authenticity of Matt’s travels, but they are very much real and well sponsored by a gum company. Perhaps we just do not want to admit to ourselves we were unable to think of such an easy and successful idea! Whatever the reason and skepticism aside, Matt has made a great impact on the Internet generation, and continues to do so with his speaking engagements and enduring online charm.

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