TikTok could've saved my teenage dignity 🤦♂️
When Brazilian beats exposed my two left feet 🕺🏻🇧🇷
I wish I had TikTok back in high school.
In 2002, Chile faced an unprecedented cultural invasion from Brazil: AXÉ music.
Picture this: I'm 17, having somehow sweet-talked past the bouncer. I step into the club and...
The Horror.
The entire crowd is dancing AXÉ.
Hundreds. In sync.
They know it. I don't.
AXÉ demanded Shakira-level hip prowess, occasional samba flair, and coordination that baby-faced me didn’t have.
It made me think I was bad at dancing. Which I wasn't, thanks to The Black Eyed Peas.
AXÉ, TikTok, or "The Harlem Shake" thrived because of two things:
Our brains are wired to mirror and learn from others. See someone nail a dance move? Your neurons fire as if you're doing it yourself. It's your brain saying, “Bro, we should try that”
Dancing in sync is a shared experience that releases endorphins and boosts social connections. It's tribal bonding.
If I had TikTok back then, I would've locked myself in the bathroom, practiced until my hips got sore, and emerged a changed man.
I'd have stomped into that club bare-chested, riding a white tiger, ready to blend seamlessly into the AXÉ-crazed crowd.
Instead, I stood there, a rhythmically challenged statue, watching as my peers transformed into Brazilian dancing ambassadors.
At least now I know it wasn't just me – it was my mirror neurons still stuck with Will.i.am.
See you on the next one! 🫶
Matias.
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