Spreading Like Fire with Social Media

Jimmy Kimmel is sick of twerking and he wants to put an end to it. The pop culture created word was introduced to the Oxford dictionary last month, then Miley Cyrus displayed her own definition of the word on the MTV Video Music Awards two weeks ago.

In retaliation, Kimmel set out to prank cyber space, with social media as his weapon of choice. Kimmel got the attention of over 9 million people with his own definition in the form of a twerker gone wrong. Directed by the talk show host, the home video started with “Caitlin Heller” twerking against a bedroom door, of which opens about 15 seconds into the video, causing the girl to fall into some lit candles on the coffee table behind her. The fall causes her yoga pants to catch fire, and screaming ensues.

But little do viewers know, “Caitlin” is actually a stuntwoman hired by Kimmel and his staff, and the whole disaster was staged. Without any announcement, the video was secretly uploaded to YouTube, with the intent the video would catch fire. Within a week of the upload, the viral sensation was being shared countlessly across email and social media networks, with almost 9 million views.

An antsy Kimmel couldn’t let the spectacle go on any longer without his name all over it, and decided to reveal the real full-length video Monday night on his talk show. His version of the video shows the same twerking scenario, but right after the screaming starts, Kimmel comes running in the room in the same matching outfit as his damsel in distress, armed with a fire extinguisher.

After he puts out the flames and “Caitlin” thanks him, he simply replies, “it’s all part of the job ma’am,” with a revenge filled grin and a thumbs up to the camera.

With all this effort from the host, to the camera crews, to the retardant covered twerker, did this put an end to twerking? Probably not, but what it did do is highlight the power of social media. Social platforms allow us to post, comment, and share with just the click of our mouse. This ease of technology allows content, good and bad, positive or negative, to spread like wild fire, much like the candle fire in the video. The power of social media is there, and this social fad turned Internet prank simply proved so. Since the video’s pseudo reveal, the number of views has skyrocketed to almost 12 million.

Thank you Jimmy Kimmel for further proving the firepower of social media.

Jimmy Kimmel: 1, Twerking: 0.

Did you fall for the prank like we did? We want to know! Comment below or tweet us @Rocket_Post.