[GameMaster]

Dancing Feat

The identity of the Six Flags ad mascot remains a mystery, but he's got the whole country at his feet

Saturday, June 26, 2004
Chris Rose

Who is the dancing man?

It's the question on a million lips.

You'd have to have been sleeping in Osama bin Laden's cave for the past two months not to have witnessed by now the advertising sensation that is sweeping the nation: The Six Flags dancing man, that ubiquitous freaked-out, crazy-legs geezer in a tux and oversize glasses beckoning us to America's theme parks for summer fun.

He has become a bona fide pop culture icon. The talk of the town. A rock star! But, who is this guy? Or is it a guy? Maybe it's a girl. Is he (or she) really old, or is it actually a young person in makeup? Or is it a computer-generated image?

Old people can't really move like that, can they?

Internet chat rooms and cocktail parties across the land are aflame with speculation as to the identity of the hottest corporate pitchman since Seth Green lit up the airwaves for Rally's with his "Cha-Ching" routine.

Some folks say it's Jaleel White, the guy who played Urkel on the old sitcom "Family Matters."

Some say it's Uncle Junior from "The Sopranos," and there certainly is more than a passing resemblance. And, for reasons that defy all logic but point up the curious charms of the Internet, there is a persistent rumor that it's Paris Hilton, but I'm pretty sure that's not the case.

His name is Mr. Six and the ad campaign brings together elements of the dancing baby in Ally McBeal, the Macarena and "Who shot J.R?" -- for never has such an annoying sound, paired with such a disturbing image, shrouded in such mystery, captured the imagination of our culture like this.

Kids are absolutely bonkers over this guy and adults are mesmerized or annoyed in equal measure. Internet forums abound -- Google "six flags" and "dancing man" together -- where women are professing their romantic inklings for this guy. I'm pretty sure if the presidential election were held today, we'd elect Mr. Six.

After all, optimism is back, isn't it?

Mr. Six is everywhere. He danced on "Good Morning America" and Telemundo this week, and "Inside Edition" taped a segment with him for next week and the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal are on the story. (I'm not making this up.)

There are fascinating collateral effects to social phenomena like this: Sales of CDs for the Vengaboys -- whose "We Like to Party" club anthem is Mr. Six's dance number -- are spiking.

Naturally, Six Flags has been bombarded by callers since the spots began; the theme park titan has 31 properties, so the ad is basically national in scope.

"Everybody wants to know who the dancing man is," says Six Flags New Orleans public relations director Ann Wills. "It's a trade secret. If I tell you, then I have to kill you."

Six Flags headquarters in Oklahoma City was no more forthcoming. When I asked corporate vice president Deborah Nauser if she could arrange a phone interview for me with Mr. Six, I was told, flatly: "He doesn't speak."

I asked her if the company was surprised at the ad campaign's reception.

"We did focus groups, so we knew it was popular and appealing," she said. "But did we think he'd end up dancing on 'Good Morning America?' No."

But they're losing no time cashing in on it all; Six Flags' hottest selling gift shop merchandise this summer is Mr. Six T-shirts, watches and glasses. Bobblehead dolls are currently in production.

Nauser said one woman sent her a video of her grade school son's talent show this spring. The kid had shaved his head, put on a tux, glasses and red bow tie, plugged the Vengaboys into a boom box and then DANCED!

Really, it's a beautiful story, all of it. Six Flags pumps the music twice an hour over the sound systems at its parks and everybody starts doing that weird Mr. Six dance. In fact, there is a Mr. Six dance contest at Six Flags New Orleans today.

In the end, we are all Mr. Six. Or can be, if we only dream hard enough.

For the final word on all this, I turned to Robbie Vitrano, the creative juice behind the tony Trumpet ad agency in New Orleans and a man I've always trusted to clear a path through the clutter of popular culture and show me the way to the truth.

This is his take on Mr. Six and the Ad Campaign for the Ages:

"As a parent, I'm frankly a bit frightened (by the) creepy cabbage patch dance come-on. However, as a marketer, I can appreciate the fact that he's clearly differentiated himself from the garden variety 'Hey kid, you want some candy?' predator.

"I'm sure the creative team came across this guy in some comedy club (not unlike the "Whassup!" campaign for Bud and "sponge monkeys" for Quizno's) and recognized the car crash effect -- we know we shouldn't watch, but we can't keep our eyes off of it."

So what's the Big Picture?

Says Vitrano: "In general, all advertising has a Chinese food quality; it's just that this one might leave you hungry just a little sooner."

And that's the story. Anybody for takeout?

Who else here has witnessed the crazy, hypnotic effects of Mr. Six and his trance dance?!! It's insane!

It's so weird. This one part of me hates him and his dancing and I just want to rip him apart and kill him. But then that damn music starts up and suddenly I unwillingly submit to his commercials and stare in wonder! The craziness!

And he's so mysterious! Is he really old? Is he really a male? Why doesn't he talk? Why does Six Flags refuse to identify him? Mr. Six is becoming the talk of the entire country.

I was able to find some pictures. Also, don't forget to download his crazy music so you can listen to it 24/7, lol. The song is "We Like To Party" by the Venga Boys.