10RW: Henry's Got It

By Jim Shearer on 04/09/2009

Henry isn't a certified YouTube star (yet), but he's on his way. Logging six digits worth of views ain't a bad place to start, and once he goes seven (if you're good at math you'll know that's at least a million) lil' Henry will be on the same path as "Shoes" and "What What", and may even get a pork-and-beans related phone call from Weezer.

Listen up Henry, if you don't have an agent, get one now. I'm smelling local news interviews and even a trip to New York City where you can sit down with Regis and Kelly and show 'em what made you famous at the tender age of--hmm--maybe like, what, five, six, or seven?

(above: Shawty got low, low, low, low, low, low, low, low!)

That's the thing about most YouTube stars, you really don't find out much about them until they make the talk show rounds and eventually fade back into oblivion. I hope this kid's different though.

If you're not familiar with Henry, maybe you know him as the "Dancing Redhead," "Tomato Head," or can identify him by the title of his YouTube clip: "Dance Moves That Rock!" After innocently sitting on YouTube for the last three months, Henry's video hit YouTube gold, by recently being featured on Perez Hilton and Funny Or Die.

If you haven't seen his clip yet, Henry is a young child--I'm guessing around six years old--who has a wicked arsenal of dance moves (including the robot, a move I didn't learn until I was in high school). In his living room he furiously dances to vocodered-out, hip-hop club bangers. His repertoire is half hyperactive-little-kid mixed with an array of twists and turns he's apparently seen on TV. (He's a self-contained effects-the-media-has-upon-children case study.)

I usually don't pay much attention to mass video forwards, but Henry's spoke to me. Yes, my soul was touched. Right now, I give you 10 Reasons Why Henry's Got It:

10. Middle America's Great White Hope
Let's be honest, white people don't have a reputation for being good dancers. For every Justin Timberlake, we have about 20 Aunt Cindys or 30 cousin Billys that make wedding receptions a painful affair to watch. Straight outta Middle America, this stocky little redhead is poised to one day utter the words: You got served!

9. No Frills
I love the fact that Henry is just wearing what he probably wears to bed. I'd be a bit skeptical if he was sporting gold chains and a ball cap angled to the side.

8. He's a Redhead
My brother is a redhead, my sister is a redhead, and even one of my best friend's is a redhead. How many times do you think they've heard the redheaded-step-child putdown over the years? How many times have they been compared to Opie? Huh? Henry is going to change all that. He's gonna make being a redhead cool again.

7. Best Since Madonna
...and dare I say he's the best redheaded dancer since Madonna went ginger for her Confessions On A Dance Floor tour?

6. He's Already Got A Sidekick
Though Henry is clearly the star of the show, his young, giggling playmate keeps the party going with her non-stop bouncing. She brings out something in the living room dance party that's not present in Henry's solo clips.

5. To Parent? Or Not To Parent?
This video is a great reminder of the pros and cons of having children. On one hand, you think to yourself: How cute are these kids, I want a whole bunch just like 'em! On the other hand, the energy these lil' fireballs possess is mind-numbing. Imagine trying to corral them after an 8-hour day in an amusement park. And just envision what lil' Henry would be like on a bad day.

4. Raw Talent
It appears--and I hope this is really the case--that Henry has no formal training. In between actual dance moves it looks like he's just a little kid hopped up on sugar.

3. The Way He Move
When our redhead extraordinaire pulls off actual dance sequences, he's mighty, mighty impressive!

2. These Are The Breaks
It's one thing for a kid to hyperactively bounce around his living room, it's another for him to mimic dance moves he's seen on television, but if you pay attention, you'll see that Henry knows when the breaks occur in each song. The Rock Steady Crew would be proud.

1. He's Havin' Fun!
Isn't that what music's all about anyway? During his dance routines, Henry can't stop smiling or giggling. The fun he's having is highly contagious. If you got it, you got it, and--yes--Henry's got it!