The antic landing people in hospital... or prison
NEWDELHI: It begins with the front seat passenger jumping out of a moving car and dancing on the road to Drake’s single In My Feelings, all while the driver films the moves. This slightly dangerous, and frankly ridiculous, stunt has gone viral, with hundreds attempting it globally .
The jury’s out on whether it’s “Keke Challenge” or “Kiki Challenge”, but it all began with an Instagram video posted by American comedian Shiggy on June 30. He appears to be dancing on a busy street to the lyrics: “Kiki, do you love me? Are you riding? Say you’ll never ever leave from beside me.”
Other personalities started posting their version of the challenge — using different spellings — but one rendition stood out: The one involving dancing next to a moving car.
To the frustration of police officials around the world, the Keke Challenge has spread like wildfire, with some of the most popular videos coming from the US, India, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Malaysia and the UK. Animals have been filmed with the song playing in the backdrop, with some featuring dogs, cows, camels, and even a rhino.
Even politicians joined in — Israeli finance minister Moshe Kahlon posted a video on Monday, which he deleted after coming under fire for “setting a bad example”.
But such a risky antic has an obvious downside — there have been several accidents and mishaps. A woman had her purse stolen while dancing. A man in Florida was hit by a car and a woman in Iowa was left with a fractured skull.
Police forces in India and abroad have been less than amused. Florida drivers have been told jumping out of a moving car and dancing alongside it could be punished with a $1000 fine and possible criminal charges.
In Egypt, those found doing the challenge and obstructing traffic can be jailed for up to a year. Three Abu Dhabi social media personalities were detained for endangering others and themselves during a performance.