David Harbour did his Hopper dance with a bunch of penguins, and it may just be the internet’s finest creation
David Harbour is officially our most favorite person in the history of ever.
The world already recognizes David Harbour as a phenomenal dancer (Chief Hopper’s signature moves, anyone?), a brilliant actor — he won a SAG Award and was nominated for an Emmy — and a Twitter fairy godfather, after fulfilling wishes of yearbook appearances and, even better, officiating weddings. But from now on, everyone will know him as the man who traveled to Antarctica to dance with penguins.
For context: Back in January, roles were reversed when it was Harbour’s turn to urge the good people of the internet to award him some retweets. The Stranger Things star asked Greenpeace how many retweets he needed for the environmental organization to send him to a place where he can “hone the Hopper dance” with some emperor penguins.
Greenpeace replied that if David Harbour collected over 200,000 retweets, it would “ask the Captain if you can join our expedition to the Antarctic.”
Less than five hours later, the internet granted his wish! Because 1) who wouldn’t want to see Harbour do the Hopper amongst some v. cute animals, and 2) sometimes, the internet truly is the most magical place.
Hey @Greenpeace , how many retweets to send me someplace to tell emperor penguin couples I think they have terrific parenting ideologies? Perhaps hone the Hopper dance with the males…
— David Harbour (@DavidKHarbour) January 21, 2018
Hmm, if you get over 200k we’ll ask the Captain if you can join our expedition to the Antarctic and dance with the penguins. #StrangerThings have happened https://t.co/qT78aIcKOw pic.twitter.com/LmmLceE17J
— Greenpeace (@Greenpeace) January 22, 2018
Internet, listen…
I’m a giver. I give and I give.
But now I need you.
I need 200k retweets to go dance with penguins.
Please internet.
Please retweet THIS TWEET.
Please.
A man needs his ‘guins. https://t.co/YN1XRrPGhp— David Harbour (@DavidKHarbour) January 22, 2018
Internet…
It took ya less than 5hrs.
I’m a little shaky n sweaty,
Heart pounding.
I’ve never said this to a multi-user weblike platform of tons of computers connected worldwide, but…
Internet…
I think I love you
❤️
Hey @Greenpeace , your move…— David Harbour (@DavidKHarbour) January 22, 2018
Well, @DavidKHarbour, chief mate Fernando just made it official. Get your dancing shoes on, because you'll be heading to the Antarctic in no time.
The 'guins are here waiting for you.
🐧💙🐧 pic.twitter.com/0FSJedAG0m— Greenpeace (@Greenpeace) January 23, 2018
Fast forward to yesterday, February 19th, Harbour finally gave everyone the pleasure of watching him boogie with the penguins, or ‘guins as he would call them.
https://t.co/29mTHvLYOA
here's a petition to create the largest protected area in the world.@Greenpeace has 1M sigs.
let's give them 1.8.
1.8 million.
1 for every proposed square km
for the 'guins.
here's me dancing with them,
as promised.
they don't have netflix.@Greenpeace ? pic.twitter.com/jjLBk2XOIr— David Harbour (@DavidKHarbour) February 20, 2018
Is it the cutest thing ever, or the cutest thing ever??
Before doing the Hopper with the penguins, Harbour posted a video with the caption “stagefright,” saying that he didn’t want to go through with the dance at first after learning about the state of the region.
“I thought this was gonna be like a silly thing, and I thought I was just gonna dance with penguins, he said. “It’s turned into kind of another thing, about protecting the Antarctic waters, this huge conservation movement that’s going on.
stagefright…#ProtectAntarctic pic.twitter.com/QHrREzotHD
— David Harbour (@DavidKHarbour) February 19, 2018
Of course, David Harbour being David Harbour, he still fulfilled his promise and danced with the ‘guins.
He also used it an opportunity to put the spotlight on ProtectTheAntarctic.org, a Greenpeace initiative created to help protect the Antarctic ocean.
“When I first got on this trip I didn’t really care that much about it. It was kind of a joke to me," Harbour admitted in an interview with Greenpeace. "And the more I’m here the more I understand and sense and feel the majesty and the primal-ness of a place like this, that should be protected and kept pristine, so that it can ripple through to the rest of the world."
“It would be a shame if industry came in here and tapped it of its resources. I think there are places in the world that are meant to be left untouched, that can help in things like climate change and can help keep the world in balance.
Thank you, David Harbour, for protecting the people of Hawkins and for saving the world, one shimmy at a time.
