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Business News/ Mint-lounge / Weekday Lounge Exclusive | Why the dancing condoms video is a rage on YouTube
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Weekday Lounge Exclusive | Why the dancing condoms video is a rage on YouTube

Weekday Lounge Exclusive | Why the dancing condoms video is a rage on YouTube

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A clip of four dancing condoms extolling Andhra villagers in Telugu to have safe sex has become a rage on YouTube. The “Really Weird Indian Condom Commercial has me singing" has got a five-star rating and has had an incredible 6 lakh views in five months—very high for an Indian video—which compares favourably with Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes at T20 World Cup in September, which got 25 lakh views.

aade229e-afbe-11dc-92ae-000b5dabf636.flvThe 6.58 minute video-clip, made by International HIV/AIDS Alliance in India along with artists from the Nrityanjali Academi to promote safe sex, brings in new dimension to condom use. It features four men dressed up in colourful teletubby-like condom outfits singing and dancing about the benefits of condom use as they go down village streets.

The four singing condoms—in blue, yellow, pink and red—dance to lyrics that go “I am good-natured and provide satisfaction… I am for you, do not neglect me," and “I am made in different colours with fragrance."

a9a63aba-afbe-11dc-92ae-000b5dabf636.flv“I am amazed it has made it to YouTube and has netizens hooked. It was actually made to promote condom use among male and female sex workers and their clients as part of a health project in Andhra villages. It really went down well with the 60,000 to 70,000 sex workers we work with in 13 districts in the state," says Nagendra Varaba, senior programme officer (advocacy), International HIV/AIDS Alliance in India, which commissioned the song.

The video, he said, has been very effective in promoting condom use in villages because it has an earthy, local flavour that the villagers identify with.

It’s this very rustic flavour that has made it a hit among young, urban YouTubers, who don’t really care for the message. “It’s like a bad, bad Bollywood song from the 1960s where the lead actor—in this case, a condom—sings with a chorus of dancers energetically jumping in support. It’s so ridiculous, that it’s funny," says Anand Jain, 18. The chorus has been identified as a “dancing karate team" in one of the posted comments.

Sanchita Sharma is the Health Editor at Hindustan Times.

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Published: 24 Dec 2007, 12:44 AM IST
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