Gangnam fever is coming to LivingSocial’s building 918 F Street. (Original photo by Benjamin R. Freed)
As you’ve probably been reminded at some point in the last 15 minutes, the South Korean pop artist Psy’s “Gangnam Style” is basically the biggest thing in the world right now.
Since the original video appeared on YouTube on July 15, the Internet has been under a steady avalanche of lip-synchs, amateur versions and parodies. It’s become a mainstay at sporting events—I heard it last month at a Los Angeles Dodgers game, after it beat out two other songs voted upon by the crowd in attendance. Psy himself even popped up on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live for a well-placed cameo in which the portly, never-smiling phenomenon mocked an underwhelming impersonator.
So, what’s next for the “Gangnam Style” craze? Monetizing the damn thing, of course. LivingSocial, fresh off the publicity high of fronting the money to keep Metro open late during the Washington Nationals’ playoff games, will attempt to cash in on “Gangnam Style” this month with a series of Psy-themed happy hours at its storefront at 918 F Street NW.
The Gangnam Happy Hours on October 4, 9 and 12 will feature drink specials, dance contests and oh, yeah, a whole lot of Psy on repeat. LivingSocial is even concocting a special “Gangnam Style” cocktail, the recipe for which—gin punch mixed with Cherry Heering, cognac, pineapple juice, lime juice, grenadine and ginger bitters—sounds about as infectious as the song.
First drink is covered by the $5 entrance fee, and bartenders will knock 10 percent off the cost of subsequent drinks provided you dance for them.
In the mean time, here is the best “Gangnam Style” video so far—the Klingon version: