Expression is a basic human right. Unfortunately, to project any creative art form – whether onto a canvas, a dance floor, or into the air as a musical tune – is to subject oneself to the possibility of being criticized. That’s what happened when a man at a concert was laughed at for dancing, and then tagged in a post on site 4chan where the user shared their demoralizing commentary on his self expression.
They wrote, “Spotted this specimen trying to dance the other week. He stopped when he saw us laughing,” accompanied by two photos of the concern goer.
Outraged by such shaming, many internet users were quick to offer their support to the dancing man. One individual shared the photo on Reddit, and later on image hosting site Imgur with the caption, “I find this behavior f**cking despicable. If you’re out there big man, F**k those kids. Keep dancing.”
The photo went viral as people shared their support for the yet-to-be-named dancing man. Soon, writer Cassandra Fairbanks came across it. Just as put off by what had been shared, she launched an online campaign to find the man in the picture and arrange ‘something special’ for him.
Part of a group based in L.A. that contains nearly 2,000 of Los Angeles’ ‘most inspiring and wonderful ladies’, Cassandra shared the image with the group and quickly rallied support to welcome the once-shamed man to a dancing party of his own. They hoped to bring positivity to the situation – and boy, did they succeed.
They tweeted a formal invitation and kept their fingers crossed.
And at 2:32 AM PST had their first sighting.
By 3:11, the dancing man – whose name is Sean – accepted their invitation.
Now the ladies – 1,727 to be exact (and likely growing) – have a huge party to throw. And that’s not all, Pharrell Williams has shared his support and invited himself to the party. You can bet the gathering will be a blast.
Living in a world where cruel attempts to shame others is a casually accepted ‘norm’ of society, it is difficult to see the positivity that exists in everyday situations. But this incredible story goes to show that there are a lot of good-hearted people out there, and it is the minority who stoop so low to shame others in effort to make themselves feel better.
Stated by Sean himself, “Big-hearted people far outweigh the small minded, every day of the week.”
You go, Sean! As well as every other supporter that has stood against online bullying and public shaming. Your voice and expression does matter.
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