White People Can't Dance
My oldest friend got married about a week ago:
Isn't she beautiful? They both are... on the inside and out. I was one of her bridesmaids. She is Baha'i and in their religion the bride and groom marry each other-- no middleman. Just when you thought you were safe, new media has infiltrated the wedding process... well, no, not really... the Baha'i faith is a couple hundred years old... but, I like to think of it that way. It was a very intense ceremony to watch, and certainly the most moving wedding that I've ever been to by far.
Then there was the reception later on...
Oh my lord. This video is incriminating. It's of me dancing with my dad, white person style. I thought I'd put it out there before it somehow gets leaked. ;)
WARNING: white people on the internet are closer than they appear on television...
ipod version
Isn't she beautiful? They both are... on the inside and out. I was one of her bridesmaids. She is Baha'i and in their religion the bride and groom marry each other-- no middleman. Just when you thought you were safe, new media has infiltrated the wedding process... well, no, not really... the Baha'i faith is a couple hundred years old... but, I like to think of it that way. It was a very intense ceremony to watch, and certainly the most moving wedding that I've ever been to by far.
Then there was the reception later on...
Oh my lord. This video is incriminating. It's of me dancing with my dad, white person style. I thought I'd put it out there before it somehow gets leaked. ;)
WARNING: white people on the internet are closer than they appear on television...
ipod version
posted by Amanda @ 1:52 AM
49 Comments:
At 6:55 PM,
Long Nguyen said…
you remind me of a quote by Johnny Depp "France and the whole of Europe have a great culture and an amazing history. Most important thing though is that people there know how to live! In America they've forgotten all about it. I'm afraid that the American culture is a disaster."
When it comes to dancing, dance lessons are great. You and your dad look fine though, not the best, but not ridiculous, so it's all right.
At 7:13 PM,
Dan said…
Hmm. Makes me wonder who was leading that dance. And did you change out of your bridesmaid's dress? Didn't seem too bad for a bridemaid's dress.
At 7:22 PM,
BionicBuddha said…
Just a quick 'Ode' that I wrote the other day, hopefully it will brighten yours.
"Ode to Unboomed"
Amanda 'Manhattan' Congdon
You are always so much fun
Your rise to the top
Will never ever stop
As long as there is breath in your lungs
Never a bad word for those that call you a Barbie doll
Never listen to the gossip in the hall
You are more than an Internet star
Known to people near and far
You are the fairest of them all
What is next for the media sweetie?
The seriousness of the theatre or the Hollywood action movie?
Or will you be like the 80's video we saw
From the band call 'Ah-ha'
And find that the 'Sun Always Shines on TV'.
What will we do without you?
When your tenure of Internet vlogging is through
The days will seem so dull and grey
Missing your witty repartee
Without you here, life will stink like pooh (or will be so blue, depending on the rating)
For now, regrouping at her Connecticut home
With ice cream, mini-putt and sans mobile phone
To sleep peacefully on a dream
Of TV, Theatre or the Silver Screen
With fans like us, Amanda you will never be alone.
www.bionicbuddha.com
At 7:38 PM,
Teresa said…
I'm happy to see with a huge smile!
At 7:40 PM,
Amanda said…
Dear Bionic Buddha,
Thank you for your beautiful/funny poem. Know this: my *face* may have been replaced on RB, but this lady won't stop videoblogging. No sir. All the plans I'm cooking up involve me continuing to videoblog. I couldn't stop if I wanted to! It's that freaking addictive. I love my internet family way, way too much to leave 'em high and dry. For serious. ;) My offline friends make fun of me because this shit is like a religion.
At 7:55 PM,
Amanda said…
Oh and Dan, yes, that was my bridesmaid dress. The bride has great taste. She designed the entire wedding which was absolutely fabulous—besides the little figurines on the cake. I still take issue with those.
At 8:00 PM,
CitizenX said…
"WARNING: white people on the internet are closer than they appear on television."
..... laughing uncontrollably
Wonderful sense of humor.
Nice to see you dancing and smiling.
To Run-Around Sue?
LOL. Well you did that well!
At 8:01 PM,
Guy Ellis said…
There go any chances of you getting invited to an audition for the remake of Fame.
At 8:22 PM,
Brandon Whitesell said…
congratulations to the happy couple!
your dad looks like a hoot.
At 9:00 PM,
Michael Krolczyk said…
Hey...
I recognize that dancing!!! I've seen it in Austin, St. Petersburg, NYC...
At 9:04 PM,
Poetslife said…
http://poetslife.blogspot.com/2006/06/robert-scoble-podtech-rocketboom.html
http://poetslife.blogspot.com/2006/02/business-blog-how-to-successfully.html
I agree with you, Amanda, about Robert Scoble's genius. As he introduced me to you and your show, you might enjoy the links above...written before your recent move on, obviously.
At 9:43 PM,
xorrox said…
okay, so the maid position is closed; I just decided to clean up. But I hate to take an opportunity away from you like that. It just isn't fair to you in this time of need.
I know you're going through a tough time, so I won't even ask you to submit a resume!
And to sweeten the pot, I am willing to throw in tango classes.
At 11:20 PM,
Hi said…
That was better than today's rocketboom.
At 12:51 AM,
Cage said…
Amanda, Good to see your enjoying life. My favorite quotes for you at this stage of your life are.
1. Life is not a dress rehearsal
2. For those that fight for it, life has flavor. The sheltered never know.
Treasure your dad. I wish my dad could have been at my wedding.
At 12:51 AM,
Conrad Quilty-Harper said…
You thought you'd leak it so it doesn't leak? Now that's Web 2.0!
At 1:10 AM,
V J.D. said…
Baha'i marriages are performed by merely the bride and groom? Is there anyone presiding over the ceremony at all? That's interesting. Typically a valid marriage must be presided over by a judge, ordained minister, or ship captain. Your friends might want to check with the state to see if their marriage is valid.
At 4:09 AM,
Ricardo said…
“Marriage is a wonderful institution...but who wants to live in an institution?”
Groucho Marx
Rich
http://www.garagedoorsupply.com
At 6:03 AM,
Unknown said…
Many years ago I returned to my ancestral home in Connecticut for a cousin's wedding. There I witnessed such acts of 'white people dancing' as would make Don Cornelius weep. Yet you manage to make it work. Must be the smile. You rock, Amanda! :-)
At 6:07 AM,
LeperColony said…
Of course, it's no accident that most occasions for dancing in our culture also ensure the availability of alcohol. It makes for a smoother event, not because it improves your coordination so much as it whipes the memory.
At 6:27 AM,
Bob del Grosso said…
Hmm...after careful observation of the photograph of the marrying couple, I concluded that the one you identified as your "oldest friend" is probably not more than 26/27 years of age.
In other words, she is not very old at all!
Developing...
At 6:35 AM,
Amanda said…
By "oldest friend" I meant that I've known her the longest. Our mothers were pregnant at the same time so we've known each other since we were babies. She's only 24! My personal position on age is that it is pretty irrelevant to friendship... what does everyone else think?
At 6:59 AM,
Grub the Raper said…
Silly crackers.
At 7:18 AM,
t. said…
"Carlton" from the Fresh Prince, thinks the dancing was AAAAYYYY OK!
At 7:25 AM,
Brandon Whitesell said…
oldest friends are very good at living in different cities and seeming like they still live next door. I thank the internet for that sort of "connectivity."
urg. that was cheesey!
At 7:28 AM,
Mitch said…
In Hollywood, Bollywood, and the rest of not-America, maybe everyone has breathtaking dance moves. For the rest of us, weddings are about celebrating our friends, free rubber chicken (minus the cost of the gift registry), an open bar, and trying not too look drunk on the dancefloor. Besides, only the bride needs to look good. Had you danced too well, Martha Stewart and her goon squad of soccer mom's would have pulled you out to the parkinglot and beat you down with (cinnamon scented) sticks.
At 8:14 AM,
welcome to wallyworld said…
Amanda, yeah I have "friends" of all ages but the babes in their twenties flick me when they find out I'm 104.
Look what I did to your mate Andrew - rocketboom goes Pagan Island
Are you joining Scoble at his new vlog? 100 bucks says you are. Love your work, Lambe, Paris (aka Les Miserable)
At 8:28 AM,
HomeImprovementNinja said…
As if anyone could doubt your whiteness after seeing that?
Interesting historical factoid. In WWII Germany, if a persons racial makeup could not be discerned from birth records they would send them to the TanzenBureau (The Dance Bureau) and make them dance to a popular german song "meine leibe hut habt drei ecken", while a panel of specially trained judges would determine their whiteness.
At 8:45 AM,
Unknown said…
Physical age is totally irrelevent to friendship. My youngest friend is about to turn 20, my oldest friend is in her 70's, and I'm in my 40's. Now of the two friends I've known the longest, and thus could be called my oldest friends in that sense, one I went to high school with and is the same age, and the other is 17 years my senior. Love is deaf, blind, and doesn't need to check ID's...well, at least friendship love doesn't.
;-)
At 9:11 AM,
Chris Daniel said…
Great video. It was so candid. I can't dance worth anything.. and I definitely don't have guts to show it on my vlog. I give you props :)
At 10:05 AM,
Johnny O said…
Too bad you weren't dancing to the boom vs unboom mixtape that I made. See here.
At 10:53 AM,
Lisa Ours said…
Amanda,
Highly cool. Bahai Ceremonies are always a lovely experience.
If everyone had a blast the quality of dance is a pittance. After all it's not like people were trying out for American Bandstand or anything right? (Dear Lord did I just totally date myself or what?)
At 12:03 PM,
n/a said…
Spaz Dance!
At 12:48 PM,
Woosang said…
Very funny! Oh and congrats to your friends on their wedding!
My personal position on age is that it is pretty irrelevant to friendship... what does everyone else think?
I agree with you on this one. Although most of us have friends that are in our ages and you can't really ignore generation gaps.
Miss you on Rocket Boom.
At 2:12 PM,
Andy Carvin said…
What fun! I wish I'd videoblogged my wedding (or more like had friends videoblog it for me.) We ended up doing an online photo gallery, which I guess is better than nothing.
Bahai is such a fascinating religion.... I love the Bahai Temple just north of Northwestern - haven't been back there in years. One of our friends at NU was Bahai as well. His dad was Jewish, the mom was Catholic, and both families disapproved of each other. So they converted to Bahai and raised him that way....
At 3:40 PM,
Bob del Grosso said…
Amanda wrote: By "oldest friend" I meant that I've known her the longest.
Oh sorry Amanda. I knew what you meant and was waxing dopey and maybe a little bit thinking about a dear and old (82 years) friend of mine who was recently -and forever it appears- laid low by a stroke.
Coincidentally, I met her 26 years ago when I was 24.
Fugit inreparabile tempus!
At 5:08 PM,
Amanda said…
moreinu haadmor! Thank YOU for this honor. I will get on that!
At 7:03 PM,
Unknown said…
Wow, I guess when you get fired, people stop telling you the truth. Not I, my dear. Epilepsy is not funny! But it is apparently contagious. Kiva away, baby!
At 8:25 PM,
Bryan said…
Amanda, Im about to start video blogging with a friend of mine. It'd be much appreciated if you'd check out our first actual post which should be tommorow. Keep on trucking!
At 8:40 PM,
Paige said…
You're going to BlogHer!!! You HAVE to take a picture with MissZoot! :) She's going to be there the first day. We're in the Huntsville Webloggers group together. I wish I was going so much!! I hope you have so much fun there and learn a lot.
At 1:10 AM,
Sean said…
What song is that in the video?
At 1:30 AM,
Jesse said…
Beautifully hypnotic.
At 12:24 PM,
Brian said…
Amanda,
Is that really your comment in today's RB thread?
If so, it really seems like Andrew is showing his ass voer this whole situation....
At 1:13 PM,
PAI said…
Very nice, quite the cutting of the rug. So happy to see you smile. Can't wait to see what you've got cooking.
At 1:29 PM,
Kiltak said…
Amanda: Who said you coudln't dance? You? I don't agree..
It'S not the dancing that counts, it's the fun you have while doing it, and you really look to be enjoying yourself.
Cheers,
Kiltak [GAS]
At 3:51 PM,
nycdesigner said…
Uma...Amanda; Amanda...Uma!
Reminds me a bit of the ol' Pulp Fiction.
At 7:14 PM,
danielmcvicar said…
You are amazing. Keep up the dancing. Made me think of dancing with my daughter. She is 15 now, and won't dance with me. This video made me hopeful that one day she will dance with me again.
You have incredible instincts...keep following them.
I did an interview with Steve and Zadi....they were great. You could tell how much they care about you.
You might see my version of their wedding video at danielmcvicar.blogspot.com
All the best
At 11:09 PM,
Carl Weaver said…
You got soul, sister. Not just anybody can rock out to "Runaround Sue" the way you do. Dion had mad sick tunes, or whatever you young people say about good music.
At 8:22 PM,
Steven said…
Go Mr. Congdon Go! ! !
I read that Andrew said because you left (got fired) from Rocketboom that you forfeit you 49% share. His opinion and the law sound very different. Does the contract back him up?
At 5:50 PM,
SMK said…
For those concerned with the legitimacy of the marriage....
Baha'i Local Spiritual Assemblies, our smallest administrative unit, can be licenced by state governments to perform marriages. The rules are that the Assembly approves of the marriage (similar to making sure the couple are serious - note you cannot coerce the instution to perform a marriage,) that there are two witnesses who sign an affidavit that the marriage in fact took place, and at least one Assembly member also signs. The "vow" required is as descibed "We will all, verily, abide by the will of God." The program is entirely at the wishes of the couple otherwise.
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