Footage of dancing pallbearers from the African nation of Ghana has been repurposed into what could be one of the best memes of 2020.
The dancers first gained notoriety in 2015 when a YouTuber known as Travelin Sister posted footage of the group, who lifts the mood at funerals by carrying caskets to a choreographed dance. The men, who are popular among families wishing “to send their loved ones off in style,” were also the subject of a 2017 report from BBC News Africa.
But it wasn’t until this year when someone decided to add the EDM song “Astronomia” by Tony Igy to the footage and turn it into a meme for showcasing epic failures of life-threatening proportions.
While the origin of the meme isn’t exactly known, one of the first popular uses came in February, according to Know Your Meme. Since then, the dancing pallbearers have been lurking in the shadows, waiting to joyously carry away the deceased.
A recent thread on Twitter highlights the meme’s versatility. In one example, a motorcycle rider who appears to drive off a cliff is met by the dancers moments before impact.
If falling into shark-infested water wasn’t bad enough, getting caught filming another woman by your significant other could be worse.
Longer versions of the meme can be even funnier, as the group of men stand in wait for the epic fail to arrive.
Even something as simple as… eating a banana can result in the pallbearers knocking on your door.
With gallows humor at an all-time high due to fears over the coronavirus, the meme has also been used to highlight the dangers of something as simple as sneezing.
Some can be downright terrifying. Let’s hope, of course, that everyone in these videos is all right.
With tensions high as millions sit at home with one another under quarantine, the dancing pallbearers are probably working overtime.
Entire compilations of such videos are now all over YouTube, and new videos are being made every day.
Despite the meme’s somewhat morbid subject matter, the videos appear to be bringing joy to everyone during these uncertain times.
As awesome as Ghana’s dancing pallbearers are, you know you messed up if you hear them coming. The group for many has become a stark reminder to just stay home.
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