An attempt to embarrass newly elected U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a nine-year-old video showing her dancing while in college backfired when it drew a wave of support for the liberal lawmaker on social media.
An attempt to embarrass newly elected U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez with a nine-year-old video showing her dancing while in college backfired when it drew a wave of support for the liberal lawmaker on social media.
The widely-shared video shows the 29-year-old Democrat, the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress, dancing on a roof with other students at Boston University as they recreate dance scenes from famous 1980's films like "The Breakfast Club."
In response, Cortez put a dance video of hers as a Congresswoman shaking a leg to Edwin Star's War (What is it good for?)
She also wrote: "I hear the GOP thinks women dancing are scandalous. Wait till they find out Congresswomen dance too! Have a great weekend everyone :)"
I hear the GOP thinks women dancing are scandalous.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 4, 2019
Wait till they find out Congresswomen dance too!
Have a great weekend everyone :) pic.twitter.com/9y6ALOw4F6
1. America's favourite 'commie'
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The caption under the original Twitter post, which was reported to be uploaded by the now deactivated account @AnonymousQ1776, read: "Here is America's favorite commie know-it-all acting like the clueless nitwit she is....".
Ocasio-Cortez graduated from the university in 2011 with degrees in international relations and economics.
2. She beat a 10-term incumbent
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A representative of the New York lawmaker, who rose to prominence last year after beating a 10-term incumbent in a Democratic primary, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
3. New look Congress
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Ocasio-Cortez was part of a wave of Democratic women congressional candidates elected in November aiming to put more support behind the liberal progressive wing of the party.
4. Twitter divided
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Twitter comments broke down along partisan lines, with opponents describing the dance video as showing immaturity while supporters saw it as cute.
"Hey @AOC, just wanted to say that I thought the high school video of you dancing was awesome," wrote Twitter user David Weissman, a New York-born columnist now living in Israel on Thursday, referring to Ocasio-Cortez by her Twitter handle. "It also shows your haters are desperate and pathetic, keep being you."
5. Hits across the world
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The original posting meant to demean Ocasio-Cortez incorrectly said she was in high school at the time the video was recorded.
"The video of @AOC dancing is so well done. And she's all joy in it. I can't believe they thought that was going to be some scandal," wrote DeRay McKesson, a U.S. civil rights activist who was a leader of the Black Lives Matter wave of protests against police violence that swept U.S. cities including Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore in 2014 and 2015.
The four-minute, 20-second mashup video was posted on YouTube in 2010 and was filmed at Boston University. University officials at the time said in a statement that about 20 students gathered to create a "high-spirited music video" to pay homage.
