Where the Hell is Matt?
Matt Harding’s been dancing his way around the world (as seen below) for a while now.
And for a time there was something undeniably heartwarming about Matt and his funny little dance. Innocent. Charming, even. So what happened? Why the ‘was’?
On the surface, nothing. He looks like a really likeable fella. And he hasn’t traded in his homely, on-the-spot jig for a sleeker, sexier model - a tango, say. But there was a subtle shift, in the form of two little words: corporate sponsorship.
The market’s become increasingly good at identifying internet trends and squeezing them in its anaconda-like grip. And so it was with Dancing Matt. One moment he was dancing for the love; the next, it seemed, he was dancing for the money.
Don’t get us wrong - we’ve all got jobs to do. HostelBloggers, after all, is the naughty little brother of HostelBookers. It’s arguably a little different, though, selling a part of a personal project to a manufacturer of chewing gum.
Alright, so it’s not like he’s videoing himself on a seal-clubbing, kitten-drowning world tour sponsored by Exxon. You’d still have to ask yourself, perhaps: is this what I set out to do?
And in the meantime, it remains to be asked: would HostelBloggers do the same thing in his position? Well, we’d have to be left in a darkened room with a monkey suit, some dancing shoes, a sack of chewing gum, a large cheque and our consciences to find out!
