Jimmy Kimmel returns to the air and talks about all of the
people who have reached out over the last six days including fellow late night
talk show hosts, fans of the show, and those who don’t support what he believes
but support his right to share those beliefs anyway, and he expresses that it
was never his intention to make light of the murder of a young man, how
important it is to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this,
the Chairman of the FCC Brendan Carr telling an American company that “We can
do this the easy way or the hard way,” Trump saying he has no talent and no
ratings, being fortunate to work at a company that has allowed us to do the
show we want to do for almost 23 years, not agreeing with the decision to have
our show pulled off the air last Wednesday, Trump making it very clear he wants
to see Jimmy and other late night hosts fired, and solidarity from the right,
left and those in the middle. Then Jimmy talks to the new FCC Chairman (Robert
De Niro), and gets into Trump’s day addressing the United Nations, the
escalator breaking, having trouble with the teleprompter, and the headache he’s
creating with his buddy RFK over Tylenol. -snip- Statistics as of September 26, 2025 at 3:44 PM EDT Total # of views - 21,908,099
Total # of comments- 85,870
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases two YouTube videos of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" monologues from his United States comedic television series after that series was suspended from being broadcasted on September 17, 2025.
The videos that are showcased in this pancocojams post are from September 23, 2025 and from September 25, 2025.
This post also features a small number of comments from the discussion thread of that September 25, 2025 show. These selected examples are a small sub-set of the comments that were posted on that discussion thread from people living outside of the United States.
The content of that post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, political, and inspirational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Jimmy Kimmel and all those who are associated with the "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" television series. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post. -snip- For those who may ask why a blog that focuses on Black culture in the United States and throughout the world would include a post about the world's reaction to the Jimmy Kimmel suspension and return of that American series, my response is that the attempted cancellation of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" was a direct assault of free speech and an action directed by the United States government-a government whose actions affects the entire world. And Black people are a part of the world. i ****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUSPENSION OF JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suspension_of_Jimmy_Kimmel_Live! for the Wikipedia article "Suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!", "From September 17 through September 22, 2025, the American
Broadcasting Company (ABC) and its corporate parent, the Walt Disney Company,
suspended production of the late-night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live!, following
criticism from conservatives and public pressure from Trump administration
officials over Jimmy Kimmel's monologue commentary about President Donald Trump
and his supporters' reaction to the assassination of conservative activist and
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
The network's suspension of Kimmel created widespread
backlash from political leaders and commentators, entertainers, entertainment
industry unions, constitutional scholars, and the public as well, boycotts
against Disney/ABC and broadcast station owners Nexstar Media Group and
Sinclair Broadcast Group (whose respective decisions to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live!
from their ABC-affiliated stations over his monologue remarks prompted the
network's own decision to suspend the program), and sparked debate about the erosion
of freedom of speech in the United States amid calls by prominent conservatives
to impose retaliatory and disciplinary actions against people celebrating,
justifying, or trivializing Kirk's death or encourage further political
violence."... -snip- UPDATE- Sinclair’s 38 Stations Will Air ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ After
Boycott After Charlie Kirk Monologue
Forbes Breaking News, Sep 26, 2025 [afternoon] "The conservative-leaning Sinclair Broadcast Group, which
owns 38 ABC affiliates (roughly 15% of the total nationwide), said it would
bring “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” back to the air Friday night—including major markets
Washington D.C. and Seattle—after pre-empting the late-night host’s show over
Kimmel’s comments on the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO -Trump Distracts from Epstein Files withEscalator Drama and Wages War on Tylenol & TikTok
Jimmy Kimmel Live, Sept 25, 2025 #Kimmel
On Monday we are heading to Brooklyn for a week of shows at
the Brooklyn Academy of Music with big time guests including Ryan Reynolds,
Emily Blunt, Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, Spike Lee, and Stephen Colbert,
Trump has been trying to distract us all from the Epstein files with Escalator
drama, he told fellow world leaders at the UN that America is the “hottest
country anywhere,” today Trump signed an executive order that would allow a
group of investors to buy TikTok from the Chinese, our monologue from Tuesday
has over 21 million views so far on YouTube alone, other shows on Television
are taking shots a Trump too, Actor Randy Quaid wasn’t all that happy to see us
back on air, there were a flood of fake A.I. videos designed to look like real
recordings of Jimmy, Guillermo and Matt Damon, and with Trump telling us not to
take Tylenol - the FDA is listening and help is on the way. -snip- Statistics as of September 26, 2025 at 3:40 PM EDT Total # of views - 3,046,806 Total # of comments- 5,175
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE JIMMY KIMMEL SHOW YOUTUBE VIDEO (SEPT, 26, 2025)
These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only.
Except for a few comments, these comments are written by people who represent nations except for the United States.
All of these comments are from September 25, 2025 and September 26, 2025
I tried to showcase at least one comment in this pancocojams compilation from a person representing a nation that is outside of the United States. My apologies if I missed any nation whose commenter/s participated in this discussion thread.
These comments are given without any geographical information besides the name of the nation. Readers are encouraged to learn more geographic information about these nations online and off-line.
1. @ashhopteach2939 "Reading all the comments from other countries supporting us
in the United States is the therapy I never knew I needed ππππ"
** 2. @najmamohamed7306 "I canceled from Africa I have never been in to USA but the
world stands with the people of United States of America ❤️❤️❤️"
** Reply 3. @MynameIsmud-y1u "Thank you, we appreciate you. ππππ―π«΅π"
** Reply 4. @biancajade728 "Thank you. A lot of times some of us feel alone and
exhausted here. But then hearing from our friends around the world π
means a lot. Especially in joining this boycott. ❤ you all."
** Reply 5. @ajadrew "This is how it should be, every minute
of every day! England agrees with this message π―π"
** 6. @poolmilethirty2859 "People from other countries who had never heard of Jimmy are
watching him every day now π"
** 7. @saraveronika7540 "Io lo guardo da anni, sono italiana come i parenti di Jimmy π" -snip- Google translate from Italian to English: "I've been watching it for years, I'm Italian like Jimmy's
relatives π"
** 8. @msjc7799 "Yes, thanks to Mr Trump I‘m watching this in Germany now. Thank you Mr Orange."
**
9. @twoladiesabroomandabucket5254 "Thanks Jimmy from Canada π¨π¦"
** 10. @μ΄μ°μ-m6u "From Seoul, Korea. I'm more grateful for
Jimmy's show than ever before since I've experienced deep sadness during the
short days it was cancelled. Thanks Jimmy and the crew for making me laugh at
least once a day."
** 11. @elzbietagiebartowska6251 "From Australia, applauding your
return. So happy you are back on air."
** 12. @markpearson8721 "I'm in the UK and had never heard of Jimmy Kimmel, or
Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart before all this blew up. Now I've started
watching them every day."
** 13. @birgittaruthberg8343 "Sweden here, welcome back Jimmy!! ❤"
** 14. @MikeFleming007 "Go Jimmy! Another new follower from the
'wild west coast' of New Zealand!!"
** 15. @marshalphillips "From Brazil, we love Jimmy"
** 16. @timjohnun4297 "Watching him as much as I can, from Australia"
** 17. @wadeburrell "Jimmy. Wade here from New Zealand, so
what you do in the future will effect us. Please run from President."
** 18. @SiriFluffy "watching from Germany, following Jimmy for so long, same
with Colbert, Seth and Dollymore and more. They keep us sane! Though you never
know if you should laugh or cry. This effects the whole world"
** 19. @erviram5494 "Bro I'm from Albania π¦π±and
I have been watching USA late shows for 14 years"
** Reply 20. @marekpales58 "Yeah also from Eastern Europe :D we love
you"
** Reply 21. @cheesecoole "Amen to that, I am in Joburg South
Africa πΏπ¦ and now I have
started watching every episode."
** 22. @dolcevita8996 "Greetings from Ukraine πΊπ¦
We love Jimmy!
Thank you for your kind support, everyone! ππ½"
** 23. @tiinajohansson9020 "Watching from Finland ππ"
** 24. @Ramon73 "Good morning America from the Netherlands!"
**
25. @luisa9501 "Italy here, welcome back Jimmy, you are
the best and the whole of Europe loves you."
** 27. @monikaantosz289 "Greatings from Ireland Jimmy. You make my days brighter.
Cheers"
** 28. @jenniferlindsey2015 "CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
News went on for days about your loss, the outrage and your much anticipated
return. They’re still talking about how you choked up during your monologue. We
love you, Jimmy. And all of the hard-working folks that make you look great. Hi
Guillermo!"
** 29. @cappal "Watching this from the distance (Austria), just imagine any
other world leaders would talk about
escalator, telepromter or anything ridiculous like this? Just imagine the
response of the USA and the world"
** 30. @miriamkronenberg8950 "Groetjes uit Nederland (Europa), het
gaat goed met de show en dat doet me goed...! -snip- Google translate from Dutch to English: "Greetings from the Netherlands (Europe),
the show is going well and that makes me happy...!"
** 31. @Radler-kb4kj "Mr. Kimmel, you don't just broadcast in
America only.. we also watch your excellent show in Germany. I think the whole
world adores your show. Thank you very much."
** 32. @ mvasilog "nice to have you back jimmy.from greece..."
**
33. @dem entedavenger74 " "Aw ra best" from Scotland. π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ✌π»"
** 34. @veroniquemaes2575 "Kisses from Belgium, we love you Jimmy Kimmel"
** 35. @mothebarakuoane363 "I have never loved Jimmy more than I do
now. Sending him warm hugs from Turks and Caicos Islands πΉπ¨"
** 36. @nuratiqahabdulmutalib5820 "Jimmy you gave those outside US hope
that the fight still strong! Keep calm and carry on from Malaysia π²πΎ"
** 37. @candidaprout560 "The best to Mr Jimmy Kimmel and
Guillermo from Europe, πͺπΊ"
** 38. @Viola3311-o9i "Watching from Canada. Free speech is so
important and I'm glad it has so many advocates. Stay safe in America ❤"
** 39. @Jean-Dupas "full support from France"
** 40. @leannea.8281 "As we say in Canada: Elbows Up, Jimmy!
Don't give up."
** 41. @randysalvador6598 "From the Philippines π"
** 42. emmellj7133 "Love from Sweden, Scandinavia, Europe,
Earthπ"
** 43. @franktiesteel7868 "Morocco here keep it up!!!!"
** 44. @tamasdmmolnar9450 "Watching from Hungary on youtube! Good
luck Jimmy!"
** 45. @BrunUgle "I live in Norway and I never used to
watch this show, but I’ve watched every episode since Trump tried to cancel
you."
** 46. @amathgueye302 "It's because of Donald Trump that I
found out about this show and I've been watching it ever since.π I'm
from Senegal❤"
** 47. @j.d.445 "So glad, you're back, Jimmy π.
Greetings from Scandinavia π"
** 48. @Corne2Plum3 "Thanks Trump for letting me discover
this gem
(from France)"
** 49. @kanchanarathnayake6348 "I'm from Sri Lanka π±π°
love this."
** 56. @MeJoKa123 "Long time fan from Finland here for the fight for freedom of
speech"
** 57. @MikeZiegel-g9z "keep fighting Jimmy - best from Germany"
** 58. @AEsco-d6y "Greetings and blessings from Kazakhstan"
** 59. @mercedesgonzalez4581 Desde Colombia te saludo. Aunque no entiendo la mitad de tus
bromas, amo el humor inteligente π -snip- Google translate from Spanish to English: "Greetings from Colombia. Even though I
don't understand half of your jokes, I love intelligent humor."
** 60. @GMWTravels "Great show. We watch it from the
UK. Keep it up."
** 61. @alantaylor353 "π π
π
π
π
Love from the Scottish Highlands π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ π
❤️
π¬π§"
** 62. @rodrummer15 "I am from India but now I am avidly following you!"
** 63. @Shentao83 "Watching you from Germany. Keeping fingers
crossed for the US citizens. USA is now at a turning point like Germany in the
30s"
** 64. @janicewhite-waters8755 "To the people of the world, please know that all Americans are not like the current administration. We are determined to fight for our democracy and appreciate the support we have gotten from you all."
** 65. @shanta-x5y "From d Caribbean keep on keeping on Jimmy"
** 66. @Shifterfloxx "I canceled from Sweden. I have never been in to USA but the
world stands with the people of United States of America"
** 67. @ingscharum "GENIAL JIMMY!!!!! DESDE COLOMBIA!!!" -snip- Google translate from Spanish to English: "GREAT, JIMMY!
FROM COLOMBIA!!!"
** 68.@marcelagranados2813 "I listen to you Jimmy, from Costa Rica!"
** 69. @omsi-fanmark "Streisand Effect: Taken off-air, back on-air, now known
world-wide. Greetings from Germany."
** 70. @shereens1463 "Greetings from South Africa. Keep on fighting to save your
democracy. ❤"
** 71. @diasah123 "We love you, regards from the middle east."
** 72. @kimnapier8387 "I'm grateful to all the countries showing their support for us π. It's inspirational. Thank you Jimmy and team π!"
** 73@asbisi "Supporting Jimmy Kimmel from Denmark. Not a new viewer
- I have watched the show almost daily for a couple of years. π"
** 74. @jamietrev "Watching from Oxford, England; so glad you’re back on air"
** 75.@kimberleeaverywilkins8089 "Love
my Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo from Nova
Scotia Canada πππ" **** Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
East Money, Jul 10, 2025 #labubu
#PopMart #Documentry
…”Discover the truth behind the Labubu doll craze that has
swept the globe. This video dives deep into the phenomenon, exploring how Pop
Mart's clever use of scarcity, blind boxes, and social pressure has turned
these cute toys into a worldwide obsession. We'll uncover the psychological
tactics that fuel the frenzy, from the fear of missing out (FOMO) to the thrill
of a rare find.
Join us as we examine the impact of social media trends,
influencer marketing (like BLACKPINK's Lisa), and the dark side of the resale
market. Is it just a harmless collecting hobby, or are there hidden costs to
this craze? We'll explore the financial and emotional toll on collectors.”
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision - September 5, 2025
This is Part I of a three part pancocojams series on Labubu dolls.
This post showcases two YouTube videos about the Labubu doll craze and provides information about that craze prior to September 3, 2025 when those dolls became the main plot of Season 27, Episode 4 of the American [adult] animated series South Park. *
Selected comments from the discussion threads for these two showcase videos are included in that post. That pancocojams post also includes a few comments from a reddit forum discussion thread hosted by a collector of Labubu dolls.
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Kasing Lung, the creator of "Labubu" fictional characters and dolls. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube. -snip- *Some information about the South Park television series is included in the discussion thread for this post.
WARNING- South Park includes profanity and material that isn't suitable for children.
**** PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE This post departs from the core mission of pancocojams of sharing information about and examples of music, dance, and other cultural indices that originate/d in African American culture and other Black cultures throughout the world.
Instead of that focus, this post presents information about a world wide trend or craze that Black people as citizens of the world along with all other peoplemay be aware of or may be involved in.
"It's a plush doll. It's a bag charm. It's a collectible that
recently sold for six figures. But no, this wildly popular creature isn't a
Gremlin or one of the monsters in Maurice Sendak's children's classic Where the
Wild Things Are.
Meet Labubu.
Labubus come in a range of sizes as figurines and plushies,
but the most popular come in blind boxes (more on that below) and are beloved
among young adults and considered a popular fashion trend — often clipped to
bags or belt loops.
[…]
Whether or not these toys are in fact "cute" is up
for debate. But there's no denying that their toothy, mischievous grins and
furry bodies have become a global sensation — sparking long lines outside toy
stores, selling out online within minutes, and listing for double or triple
their original price on resale markets.
[…]
Where does the name 'Labubu' come from?
Before they became highly sought-after collectibles, Labubus
were storybook characters created by the artist Kasing Lung.
Born in Hong Kong, Lung moved to the Netherlands at age 7,
where he quickly fell in love with Nordic fairy tales — especially those about
elves. Inspired by the whimsical folklore, Lung launched an illustrated book
series called The Monsters in 2015, featuring a playful tribe of female elves
known as Labubus.
[…]
Labubus are described as kind-hearted and eager to help —
though their good intentions can sometimes lead to chaos. According to Lung,
there are about 100 different Labubus in the series. One of the storylines
involves a Labubu who's dating a shy skeleton named Tycoco and often playfully
teases him.
How Labubu became a global sensation
Lung released an artistic toy series inspired by the
characters not long after The Monsters trilogy came out.
But the toy collection did not cause a global craze until he
teamed up with Chinese toy company POP MART in 2019.
According to POP MART, the revenue generated from the first
Monsters series launch "broke the sales record in the art toy
category." Over the years, it has been spotted on the bags of pop singers
like Dua Lipa, Rihanna, and Lisa from the K-pop group BLACKPINK.
Labubu dolls come in various colors and are sold in
"blind boxes," meaning the figure inside is a mystery until opened.
Part of the appeal is the surprise element, and the chance to unbox a rare
"secret" doll.”…
**** Source #2 From AI Overview [I received this write-up as a result of my September 4, 2025 Google question "What are Labubu dolls and what are Lafufu dolls?" ]
"Labubu dolls are official designer plush toy figures by Pop
Mart, featuring a mischievous, pointed-ear character with a signature grin and
nine teeth, originating from artist Kasing Lung's "The Monsters"
series. "Lafufu" dolls are counterfeit versions of Labubu dolls,
often smaller, poorly made, and potentially hazardous due to faulty parts and
materials, posing choking risks to children.
What are Labubu Dolls?
Official Product:
Labubu is a character created by Hong Kong-born artist
Kasing Lung, known for "The Monsters" series of collectible toys
produced by the company Pop Mart.
Character Design:
Labubu is an elf-like character with pointy ears, large
eyes, and a distinctive grin that shows exactly nine teeth.
Quality & Authenticity:
Authentic Labubu dolls are characterized by high-quality
finishes, official Pop Mart branding and packaging, and a holographic sticker
with a scannable QR code.
Origin:
The character was inspired by Nordic fairy tales.
What are Lafufu Dolls?
Counterfeit:
"Lafufu" is a term used to describe fake or
knockoff Labubu dolls.
Safety Hazard:
Lafufu dolls pose a serious risk because they are often
small enough for children to put in their mouths and can block their airway.
Poor Quality:
These fakes are noted for their poor quality, including
breaking apart easily and releasing small pieces."...
**** WHAT DO THE WORDS "BOBO" [PRONOUNCED "BOO BOO"] AND FUFU [PRONOUNCED "FOO FOO" MEAN? DISCLAIMER- Considering the meanings of the word "bobo" in English and in other languages don't mean that those definitions are the complete or partial reason why Kasing Lung, the creator of "Labubu" fictional characters and dolls used those names for those characters.
Also, these definitions for the word "fufu" don't mean that was the complete oroartial reason why Kasing Lung or whoever used the coined "Lafufu" as a referent for fake Labubus.
Write-Up #1 From AI Overview [This Ai overview write-up for the meaning of the word "bobo" is a result of my September 5, 2025 Google question "What does the word "bobo" mean?]
"The slang term "bobo" can have multiple meanings
depending on the context and region, most commonly referring to a fool,
simpleton, or stupid person. It can also be a term of endearment for a best
friend, a socioeconomic descriptor, or an insult for knockoff or cheap
products.
Spanish and Tagalog Contexts
Fool or Stupid:
In Spanish-speaking countries, as well as in the
Philippines, "bobo" is used to call someone stupid or a fool.
Best Friend:
In some contexts, especially as a term of endearment among
friends, it can have a positive meaning.
English Slang
Knockoff or Cheap Product:
"Bobo" can describe inferior, knockoff, or cheap
versions of something, such as shoes.
Hassle or Problem:
In some regions, like the Dominican Republic, a
"bobo" can be used to refer to a problem or a complicated situation."... -snip- It seems very likely to me that the word "Labubu" was coined to mean "the bobo".
It also seems very likely to me that the word "Lafufu" was coined because of its similarity with the word "Labubu". "Lafufu" = the fufu. Here's part of AI Overview's write-up for the meaning of the word "fufu"
**** Write-Up #2 From AI Overview [This Ai Overview write-up for the meaning of the word "bobo" is a result of my September 5, 2025 Google question "Does "bobo" mean mistake?] "The term "bobo" does not directly mean
"mistake" in common English usage; rather, it is a term for a
"boo-boo", which can refer to a small physical injury or, informally,
a silly mistake. However, the spelling "bobo" can have different
meanings in other languages, such as in Spanish-speaking countries where it can
refer to a dummy, a buffoon, or a foolish person.
In English:
Boo-boo: is the common English term.
It is used for a silly or careless mistake.
It is also a child's informal word for a small injury, like
a cut or bruise.
In other languages:
Spanish: "Bobo" can mean foolish, silly, or a
buffoon.
French: "Bobo" can refer to a small wound.
Therefore, if you heard "bobo" and thought it
meant "mistake," you likely heard the term "boo-boo" and
are thinking of it in the context of a blunder."
**** Write-up #3 [This Ai overview write-up for the meaning of the word "fufu" is a result of my September 5, 2025 Google question "What does the word "fufu" mean?]
AI Overview - Fufu ..."Ethnic/Cultural slang:
Effeminate or Gay: The term "fufu person" can be
used as slang to describe someone as gay or having behaviors traditionally
considered feminine or inappropriate for a man.
Original meaning:
African Dish: The original meaning of "fufu" comes
from West African cuisine, particularly the Twi language where it means
"mash" or "mix". It refers to the mashed dish itself, made
from ingredients like cassava, yams, or plantains.
How to understand the meaning:
Consider the context: The meaning of "fufu"
depends heavily on where you encounter it. If it's in a conversation about
Japanese media, it's likely the snickering laugh. If it's a derogatory term in
a cultural discussion, it could refer to a person. If it's in a discussion
about food, it's the West African dish."
**** COMMENTS FROM SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 This video is found at the top of this pancocojams post. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only
This post doesn't include any information about previous trends that are mentioned in some of these comments.
The dates that are given for these comments refer to when these comments were published on YouTube i.e. "one month means "August 2025- prior to September 3, 2025" and "two weeks ago" means "around mid August 2025."
** 2. @tangleslong499 "Reminds me of The Cabbage Patch Kids craze back in the 80s
where people fight for dolls. If the creator of the CPK had modern technology, he would have been
very very rich. Like all fads,
eventually people will grow out of interest in them. Big mistake to set up too
many pop mart stores. You dont need that many when you have the online store
using the internet. Smilarly, Blythe
dolls became a sensation in the year 2000 and people buy old used Kenner Blythe
dolls for over $1000- $2000+ but the community has now slowed down. Collecting
and buying is not a bad thing. As long as they are happy and passionate about
it we shouldnt really judge what other people do."
** 3. @EunkyungKim-x5h "please correct the voice recording around 0:45, 1:57 second
as it shows China but it explains like it is happening in South Korea, which
mislead misunderstanding."
** Reply 4. @kchabangu "in the grand scheme of things what difference would it make?
This is not to sound insensitive or to suggest Asian all look alike but
updating the images within that segment wont change the message of the video.
These dolls are popular, the hype started in Asia but have spread all over the
world."
** 5. @Oriental-perspective "δ½δΈΊδΈε½δΊΊ,ζ们δΉδΈη解θΏδΈͺδΈθ₯ΏδΈΊδ»δΉθ½η«。π" -snip- Google translate from Chinese to English: "As Chinese people, we don’t understand why this thing is so popular. π"
** 6. @gary_tms "δ½δΈΊδ½ε¨ζ³°ε½ηζ°ε ε‘εδΊΊ，ζδΉδΈη解θΏδΈθ₯ΏδΈΊδ½ι£δΉη« π€£" -snip- Google translate from Chinese to English: "As a Singaporean Chinese living in Thailand, I don’t
understand why this thing is so popular π€£"
** 7. @ulrich-tonmoy "it became trend so to be on social media hype and trend they
do everything
so as long as you can market correctly and create the hype
you can sell sh-t* at the price of gold" -snip- *This word is fully spelled out in this comment.
** Reply 8. @YSKWatch "but it's interesting to learn why it's so
popular, maybe the knowledge can be useful."
** 9. @TrendyChinese "in Chinese,we'd say that LABUBU is a "ι‘Άζ΅"(dΗng
liΓΊ) toy , a Chinese slang term says someone or something is the ultimate
trendsetter.Anything goes viral is "ι‘Άζ΅"(dΗng
liΓΊ)eyes-pink-heart-shape"
** 10. @nelidahernandez6158 "Y do ppl act so inhumane is insane & ridiculous. Jus bc
of an ugly stuff doll made in China, Korea, or anywhere else. Who cares. Jus
like the cabbage dolls that every adult wanted for their child, ppl standing n
lines & sleeping outside the stores jus to get another ugly fat doll. For
wat? Jus to trash them after Christmas. To each its own."
** 11. @nabeel1450 "I never buy that toy"
** 12. @cac1504 "Disney toys have been doing the same thing for decades yet
no one ever complain."
** Reply 13.@Goddess130 "They were cute at least this is evel like"
** Reply 14. @arod6boro "Same as the value of diamonds n other precious stones n
metals smh. Scarcity is the excuse for Rarity lmfaoπ"
** 15. @kennethjyden "like pokemon"
** 16. @marcuss5s5 "I want one. I think they're cute. But wth these people.
Crazy!"
**** 4 weeks ago [retrieved September 4, 2025]
17. @klardfarkus3891 "Marketing people make a pact with the Devil."
** 18. klardfarkus3891 "There is always some stupid money wasting fad."
**** 3 weeks ago [retrieved September 4, 2025]
19. @ThisismeThahan "I live in Thailand and there are no drama"
** 20. @melvinharris-h8x "At least furbies talked"
** 21. @Randomperson-f1g "Id rather buy a lafufu then waiking up at 3 am just to wait
at a Store with real labubus just to see that after the Store opend just After
a few minutes Theyre all gone"
**** 2 weeks ago [retrieved September 4, 2025]
22. @nyancatvr "according to google. Are Labubus bad or good?
In the books, Labubus are female elf-like creatures with
mischievous looks but good hearts. Lung partnered with China-based Pop Mart in
2019 to turn them into toys. Pop Mart says the toys may look “mischievous,” but
they are actually “kind” and helpful."
** 23. @Disneylover024 "In the 70's they came out with the Cabbage Patch Dolls and
the same thing as with Labubu happened with Cabbage Patch Dolls.
My mother was looking
for a doll from my child as she was holding it other lady who tried to grab it
out of her hands. Then a pull fight started until my dad came along. Both my
children has the doll and I kept them all these years and gave them back to my
adult children a year ago."
**** August 24, 2025
24. @Pathos312 "I WANT MY LABUBU REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE"
****
September 1, 2025
25. @Rwithme2 "Lmao I just bought the one design I actually liked on eBay.
I don't understand why people are still buying these blind boxes."
**** SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Why has Labubu Doll blown Up Recently?
@3DGarageworks, published one month ago -snip- Here are some comments from the discussion thread for this YouTube video short.
1. @austinblake-bp2fj "Naa the reason it is so loved is Because Lisa from Blackpink
made it famous don't believe Popmart said it themselves thanking Lisa"
** 2. @Soyaa123-m7g "Not worth the money"
** Reply 3. @Hot_Dawgs22 "Fr"
** Reply 4. @ALJ4Z1_DR4WS, 4 weeks ago "YEAH THEY LOOK LIKE THEYRE POSSESSED BY TELETUBBIES"
****
3 weeks ago [retrieved September 4, 2025]
5. @BequerGonzalez-c5h "Bro they are creepy"
** 6. @Rock_Like_Lisa "I ain't buying some toy which is not gonna tremd next week π"
** 7. @shumailasabir7923 "Bro, the boo-boo’s are cursedπ€¬π±"
** 8. @gegangen2008 "Voodoo doll"
**** 9. @Brentdanielbalintucas "not worth getting look at and getting
bad luck"
*** 2 weeks ago *[retrieved September 4, 2025]
10. @DavidGangteDG " don't want it even for free."
**** COMMENTS FROM A LABUBU COLLECTORS DISCUSSION THREAD ON REDDIT FORUM Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
I think Labubu is a fashion star as she can hold all kinds
of clothes with own style. Really amazing. π"
** Reply 2. Express-Kangaroo-265, August 15, 2025 "It’s my happy place too! Might be the only thing keeping me
sane lol I π❤️ π all of these outfits,
but the ski ensemble and the Chanel boots are my faves!"
** Reply 3. MYDollwardrobe [OP], August 15, 2025 "Thanks for liking, it is so happy to meet so many people who
love Labubu and we share ideas, full of love for Labubu. It is great! And I am
so happy to discuss and share with all of you about Labubu's OOTD, she is
amazing. π"
**** This concludes Part I of this three part pancocojams series.
Kenny J and his soul line dancers bring the energy to "GMA" with "Boots on the Ground" as we explore the rich history and resurgence of soul line dancing.
-snip- total # of YouTube views as of August 25, 2025 at 1:28 PM EDT= 807,588
total # of YouTube comments as of August 25, 2025 at 1:29 PM EDT
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents some comments from the discussion thread of Good Morning America's video entitled "Celebrating The Legacy Of Soul Line Dancing".
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/kenny-j-shares-soul-line-dance-history.html for a August 24, 2025 pancocojams post entitled "Kenny J Shares Soul Line Dance History In A 2025 Online Interview & Also Shares His Opinions About "Good Morning America"'s Showcasing The "Boots On The Ground" Line Dance Rather Than An Older Soul Line Dance)."
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/comments-from-discussion-thread-of.html for some comments from the discussion thread of the A. Y.E. team video that is the focus of the pancocojams post entitled "Kenny J Shares Soul Line Dance History In A 2025 Online Interview & Also Shares His Opinions About "Good Morning America"'s Showcasing The "Boots On The Ground" Line Dance Rather Than An Older Soul Line Dance)."
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to 803 Fresh for composing "Boots On The Ground" ("Where Them Fans At") and Tre Little for choreographing the "Boots On The Ground" line dance. Thanks also to Good Morning America for its episode about legacy of soul line dancing. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
**** SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD (with numbers added for referencing purposes only.)
March 2025
1. @ResumePrep "Thanks for highlighting this art and sharing these stories!!"
** 2. @user-lirtd7j9 "803 Fresh. I'm so proud of you for such
a great song. Boots on the ground. South Carolina got it going on"
** 3. @TaySaidSo "In Detroit we call is Hustling!!! I love how the diaspora has a name in each city! I love us"
** 4. @kathyw.3146 "I wish they would
have had Kountry Smooth on there and some of the younger people who made that
line dance up on there."
** 5. @Spooky_pookie "Can’t they come up with something on their own instead of
taking from the’70’s and country dancing?"
** Reply 6. @tavellcoops "Country music originated from us...."
** Reply 8. @tavellcoops, April 2025 "@Spooky_pookie go ahead, Google is your friend. The banjo is
literally a black made instrument
**** 9. @Spooky_pookie "Thank you!! They are trying to claim
that they invented it and it’s “something new”. Lmaoπππππ
this type of dancing has been around forget!!! But hey culture appropriation At
its finest."
** Reply 10. @LadyTTennessee "they are not the original line dances"
** Reply 11. @LadyTTennessee "@Spooky_pookie
how are they saying they created
it? Soul line dancing is a culture. The electric slide and bus stop are not the
original line dances"
** 12. @LUX_8 "@LadyTTennessee This is what happens when we
"share." π"
**
13. @LDFFTV "Dave Bush is actually the creator of the
dance now known as the Wobble. Vic took the exact same steps and just changed
the music. Fast forward to today and the same steps are being used for other
dances, with very slight variations to the steps and/cadence."
** 14. @dborahrehn93 "They didn’t mention frat bros stepping in this video. Goes
way back B4 2003! Say at least 1978 yeah! Kappa
Steppin’ steps ππΌ is a form that
predated soul line dancing . And Cupid Don’t miss cupid"
** 15. @ms.clarkslearninghangout1253 "Back in the day Bus Stopping to Frankie Beverly!!!"
** 16. @JeweleneKirkland "Not just Black History month, but every weddings, parties,
& favorite outing (picnics) or just making one up. That's done everyday.
All cultures have their own online dancing group. We do it for health, fun &
creativity. π❤π"
** 17. @omggiiirl2077 "Line dance tradition goes back to our days back in Africa.
If you go and look at the dance of tge tiv people called the swange, you will
see that we as African people have been dancing as a group since time
immemorial! Its a part of us and as natural to us as breathing! We took dances
such as the swinger and adapted it to our surroundings here in America! Now we
call it line dancing."
** Reply 18. @OhDatsJaVion "Everybody in the world dances !! as a group however ! each
lineage does a unique specific dance
What black Americans
do in the south is not the equivalent of what Africans do in Africa. It’s a
different lineage. Not everything black Americans do is linked to Africa."
** Reply 19. @seann54 "What about twerking? π€£π€£"
** Reply 20. @Spooky_pookie "@seann54 lol that’s
specific to one culture πππππ"
** Reply 21. @omggiiirl2077 "@seann54 tweaking
also is seen in Africa, so never let Africans try to shame us about that either
because many tribes do that too. Its something we been doing since time
immemorial. But the difference is context. The difference is also what is being
worn, and who is being shown, and how we defend it, and display our culture. We
should talk about these things openly. And understand that Our identity as
African people is WAY long her than the few centuries we have existed here,
segregated mind you."
** Reply 22. @omggiiirl2077 "@OhDatsJaVion oh
okay. We're so different. Yet dna says a
whole different story. And not just that, and mountain of historical
documentation, botanical evidence,
linguistic evidence, cultural,
and now with YouTube you can see the similarities without having to travel to
Nigeria or Africa. Is our line dance special yes it is. But my point is valid.
It did not come from thin air. We have an ancestry and lineage that goes much
deeper that just slave ships, it goes back to the birth of humanity. I find it
hilarious how people want to claim that Black people are tgat first people and
Black Women carry the Eve gene, but then want to disassociate ourselves from
the very continent Eve comes from. You can't have it both ways. I don't
understand what all this aversion to being Africans in Amerikkka is. It stinks of
self hatred. You do know that more than one thing can be true at one time
right? You really have to get your mind to stop thinking like like the white
man."
** 23. @Mr.Know.It_All "Foundational Black American culture πΊπ²."
** 24. @corrinrausch1399 "I had a smile on my face this whole segment. Can this white
girl join? I can do the boot scootin' boogie as an audition."
** 25. @ehall0616 "Yall need to stop...this line dance originated from the
south side of Chicago not New Jersey π€
And who and where did this man come from...????not hating
just truths....remember R Kelly boat video π"
** Reply 26. @LDFFTV "This segment isn't about where line dancing started. This is
about line dancing in the New Jersey, Philly, and Delaware area. This man is
someone well known among those in the soul line dance community."
** Reply 27. @chrisnichols8582 "But...but, trump said we can't celebrate Black History
Month!π€£"
** 28. @evonza4858 "Because SSSOOOUUULLL TTTRRRAAAlllNNN is part of Black
History and Black Excellence π₯°❤️π€π✊πΎ❤️π€π"
** 29. @jacquelinefulton5226 "Wonderful to see such happiness! Line dancing archived and
acknowledged ~it’s a wonderful thang!!!!π❤️"
** 30. @kamurray8 "Thank you for showcasing soul line dancing with Kenny
J. Here in Jacksonville, Fl we are the
Young & Relentless soul line dance and fitness group. Line dancing is such
a stress reliever, it's alternate form of exercise, a way to meet people, it's
FUN, and it's for EVERYONE. You better
pop that fan Robyn. Thank you for representing us well Kenny J."
** 31. @missbhavin4philly "Line dancer from Philly here. It's truly therapy, a whole community!!Made history with a whole line dance exhibit in the Library of Congress that day, the celebration was wonderful!!"
**
32.@dtimms "Robyn killed me with that fan..π
she was ready" -snip- African American female Robyn Roberts is one of the host of the Good Morning America television series.
** Reply 33. @sashamatamoros2365 "Robyn got the assignment"
** Reply 34.@msgemsgems "πππ❤❤❤
She was!"
** Reply 35. @JPC629 "Ikr! ROBIN π"
** Reply 36. @Titinefer1129 "Robyn be snappin it."
** Reply 37. @nattydredka "I know right!!ππ"
** Reply 38. @MsChalaki "Baby!!!! Robyn was on it!!!! π❤
Yassssss"
** Reply 39. @jdjking "π❤
Me too! Even the Auntie hip movements π₯°"
** Reply 40. @josryder7841 "LITERALLY LOL and said the sameπ€£"
** Reply 41. @Rhonda-i7t, April 2025 "Okay you see her Face She meant Biddnessπππ"
** Reply 42. @SD-ji9th, April 2025 "π€£π―"
** Reply 43. @brandonrorie2267, April 2025 "Yes!!"
** Reply 44. @marianb2530, May 2025 "Yes she was! Get it
Robyn!" **** April 2025
45. @cynthiagardner7922 "I knew our stuff would be hijacked once it aired here"
ERRY DAMN THANG WE DO! π― π€
πππππππ
**** May 2025
**** June 2025
47. @rubymattox8954 "It started with a dance called The Madison,"
** 48. @ninared6816 "What happened to Cupid with his line dances from years ago?
No recognition! Shame. Fans were out over four years ago!"
** 49. @marcielottie6620 "I recall from the 50/60s Madison Time was one of the first
line dances? Ray Bryant trio?"
** 50. @yvonnecalvin2061 "Wobble was a good one"
** 51. @Nmelys "Have you heard of the Madison? My family did this with a
song called “It’s Madison Time” in the 1960s"
**** July 2025
52. @ninared6816 "I am 74 years young and did the line
dance Bus Stop in the 60s. Give everyone their due please. Also great exercise.
Taught many in a healthy living class in 2015."
The A.Y.E. Team, Premiered Mar 26, 2025
UNITED STATES
"This ain’t just another interview—this is a masterclass.
On this episode of Just A.Y.E. Conversation, we sat down
with Kenny J, and he brought the HEAT.
He gave us real history on the origin of Soul Line Dance,
shared his thoughts on Boots on the Ground, and spoke on his Good Morning
America moment."... -snip- total # of YouTube views as of August 25, 2025 at 9:03 AM EDT= 991
total # of YouTube comments as of August 25, 2025 at 9:03 AM EDT= 59
**** Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest update- August 1, 2026
This pancocojams post presents information about Soul line dance (African American line dancing) instructor Kenny J.
This post also presents three excerpts from the auto-generated transcrip of The A.Y..E. Team's online conversation about soul line dancing. That March 26, 2025 interview with Soul line dance instructor Kenny J ("I am Kenny J") is the third conversation in that series.
The Addendum to this post showcases the Feb. 27, 2025 Good Morning America video of "Boots On The Ground" with soul line dance pioneer instructor Kenny J.
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and entertainment purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Kenny J (Kenny Johnson) for his cultural legacy. Thanks to The A.Y.E Team) for this online interview. Thanks to 803 Fresh for composing "Boots On The Ground" ("Where Them Fans At") and Tre Little for choreographing the "Boots On The Ground" line dance. Thanks to Good Morning America for its episode on soul line dancing videos, and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
**** INFORMATION ABOUT KENNY J From http://www.iamkennyj.com/bio.html [complete reprint retrieved August 25, 2025] "You do you and I'll do me,
I am Kenny J!
Originally from Baltimore Maryland, Kenny J, now a
Burlington County NJ resident, is a retired Army First Sergeant and ex-drill
Sergeant. In 2004 he was called to serve in IRAQ under Operation Iraqi Freedom
and by the grace of God he has since returned and catapulted into becoming a
major entity in the R&B/Soul line dance world. He is a member of the Phi
Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated and the Founder and CEO of I am Kenny J
Productions, a dance organization that specializes in dance entertainment,
performance and instruction. His
organization is established as one of the most philanthropic organizations in
the dance community serving the entire Delaware Valley Region in its effort to
reach and promote the virtues of line dance.
“Footwork with a Purpose” is its creed and has become a very visible
presence in the lives of many.
A former member of the Dave Bush Dancers out of
Philadelphia, PA, his special style of dance and ability to connect with people
has provided him the opportunity to perform in various venues throughout the
country. His impact on others, however,
reaches far beyond his fancy footwork.
He is recognized by his peers as one of the most prominent instructors
in the line dance community with his ability to captivate audiences. In 2008, he was voted entertainer of the year
at the UC Awards, a Maryland line dance awards ceremony. Kenny J’s success has taken him throughout
the country to do workshops and performances, in places like Salina, Kansas at
the Smokey Hill River Festival; Columbia, Missouri at the Columbia Arts Festival,
Los Angeles, California and a host of others.
In many ways he and his organization are trailblazers doing whatever
they can to promote the Delaware-New Jersey-Philadelphia region. His
performance team “Sophisticated Funk” has performed throughout the country both
competitively and non-competitively in venues like the Virginia Tri State
SLYDE, The US Open swing dance competition in Anaheim, California, and the
United We Dance family reunion, held in various locations in the Midwest,
exciting audiences with their unique dance style. He has also appeared on the Dr. OZ show
teaching the good doctor a Soul Line dance.
While there are many people to credit for his success, Kenny
J gives credit first, to his Family and friends for being supportive and
willing to give him the opportunity to do all that he does. He also gives special thanks and credit to
Barbara Capaldi of the Atrium Dance Studio; his longtime mentor and friend Mr.
Dave Bush; the officers and members of his organization, I am Kenny J
Productions; and his many students and patrons that support his endeavors.
Hire Kenny J to bring the excitement to your next event!
Objective:
To provide interactive line dance instructional workshops,
choreography and dance performance presentations to both the adult community
and children."
**** EXCERPT OF THE AUTO-GENERATED TRANSCRIPTION OF THIS SHOWCASE VIDEO This partial transcription is divided into
- Part I from 1:54 and some portions of the discussion to 21:44] Part I also includes my summary of a portion of Kenny J's comments during that portion of that interview. That summary is written in italics and given in brackets.
-Part II from 33.21 to 44.39 [with some portions of that discussion not excerpted]
This excerpt includes a few spelling corrections and punctuation additions.
-Part III from 47.06 -53.55 In this portion I am Kenny J talks about the difference between the African American trail ride songs & dances (which he -and other people?- apparently considers "Boots On The Ground" to be a part) and soul line songs/ dances. I am Kenny J also provides some commentary about soul line dances and progressive line dances and more... .
....Markis C (Interviewer)- "Iwant to bring you on here because like I said, um a lot of
people in the community right now, new people that's coming to being
introduced to Soul Line Dancing and I've been introducing a lot of people to uh my channel as well too. So I wanted to give
them an opportunity because we talk about people throughout the nation that's
part of the solon dance community and they watch your videos, they watch, you know, the YouTube channels, the
instructionals and everything else, but they never get a chance to get
familiarized with the actual person if anything else. So for those who don't know
who you are, um I would like you to take this time to actually introduce
yourself and tell a little bit about who is I am Kenny J."
I am Kenny J - "I am Kenny J. just Kenny J. But look, I've been line
dancing since 2002. So, I'm from New Jersey. Line dancing since 2002. And um around
that time is when I met Dave Bush. We consider him the godfather of line
dancing. May he rest in peace. So, I'm in this what we call this tri-state area,
Philadelphia, Delaware, and and and New Jersey. So, it seemed like everybody was
doing this in Philadelphia. And I said, "Wow, we got to do this in New Jersey." So I
started learning some dances and started I brought it back to New Jersey and I started teaching and at that time it consumed my life
because I was teaching every day, every day, 247, line dance, line dance, line dance. And I fell in love with it.
And then I saw that um there was a lot more to it than just what met the eye because I thought we were the only
people doing it in the Philadelphia area.
But I would soon find out that other folks was doing it. I I met this brother and
I'll talk about him a little later on named Curtis Good and um Curtis Good was doing it in the in the Midwest. we were
doing in the Philadelphia area. At some point, we connected and in my opinion, this is an opinion, in my
opinion, between Curtis Good and myself, we took the already existing line dancing
to another level by introducing it to a whole lot more states that that were
not doing it and are doing it now.
So again, I consider myself um just a pioneer. I do consider myself a pioneer in this in this
industry, but there are a lot of other folks that that sit at the same table that that I sit at. But what I did was
I started my own little group, I am Kenny J Productions.
And then um I went to war. I went to Iraq and came back. Oh
wow. When I came back to Iraq, I I realized how good I had it. So then my
purpose and and my direction changed a little bit. I thought that wait you got
it so good. You have to give back to other folks. So we started "I am Kenny J Productions" with line dancing as the
basis for what we do in to in order to give back to the community."
[…]
[Kenny J talks about voluntarily disbanding his “I am
Kenny J” organization, but still keeping one foot in the door of the soul line
dance movement and now more actively coming back to that movement.]
Markis C - "Now you mentioned
earlier about how you guys uh started to take line dance and introduce it to different states. How easy was the transition of
presenting something of that on that level and aspect to these different states that
y'all was trying to introduce it to and follow-up question behind that uh How much of a comparison it is right now
towards what the trail ride is introducing and I know trail ride been around for a
minute but it just still seemed like it's being reintroduced to us in different cities and states like the
comparison from those two."
I am Kenny J - "Let let me first say this. I cannot speak on the trail riders because I do not know
enough about the trail riders to speak on the trail riders. But I can tell you for soul line dancing and and again my
opinion - back around 2004, 2003, 2004, maybe 2005- I was one of the probably one
of the first people to to post the volume of line dance videos on YouTube. So, a lot of folks started
looking at YouTube say, "Hey," and and and I will tell you, folks will
come to me and say, "Oh my god, Kenny Jay, I learned all of your dances. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have got into line
dancing." And I have to correct them to an extent. I say, "Wait, you learned all of the dances that I posted on
YouTube, right? If you look at the verbiage on there, the description, it'll tell
you this dance was choreographed by Ray Boyd or Brooklyn Ed, the song was such and such and such and such,
but yes, you may have learned the dances from me, but they're not necessarily my dancers.
So with with the evolution
of these dancers on YouTube, that coupled with me meeting Curtis Good and and I
gotta tell you, there was an event called "United We Dance", right? And if you
give in a weekend event now, if you're a line dance organization or a line dance host and
you give weekend events, you might not know this, but your event, the blueprint for your event was "United We
Dance". Wow. So, "United We Dance" had these weekend events. And when I met Curtis Good,
I took like two or three buses from the Philly, Jersey, Delaware area to
Detroit or to Ohio, to the Midwest, to wherever he was having this event. They were
the first ones, in my opinion, they were the first ones that were given these weekend
events. And one of the biggest weekend events in the Soul line dance community. Right now -it is the UC Star Awards. Well, I
will tell you this, again, my opinion. Even the UC Star Wars was modeled after "United We Dance". "I am Kenny J." began to give weekend events. I modeled mine
after "United We Dance".
Now, don't get me wrong, you see Star Wars, I am Kenny J,
and everyone else, we made some changes. is we did a little, some things a little different. But with all due respect,
weekend events came from "United We Dance." Wow.
And then Curtis Good was like the ambassador.
Now granted, there were a lot of other folks that worked with him, but he was
the face of "United We Dance". Curtis Good with the combination of people seeing line dancing on YouTube that I posted and Curtis Good doing
the leg work.
Curtis Good was going to to Atlanta. He was going to
California. He had called me Kenny J. I found out they got a line dance organization in Nebraska. I'm going to go there.
He goes to Nebraska and he pushed that "United We Dance" event. He goes to Texas and he pushed that. So now all these
different states were coming. Now they're seeing line dancing from the Philadelphia area that I posted on YouTube.
And now they're going somewhere and they get to see all these people that they saw in the videos. Curtis Good are
bringing all these people to "United We Dance" events. It eventually got up to like 1500 or
so people for a weekend event.
Now back then when you went to those events,
there was no sleeping. You pull up in there on Friday morning. They would have some workshops for you on Friday
morning. They have a dance on Friday night. And then they had the infamous afterparty. That was after the dance was over
after the hotel told us we had to shut the ballroom. There was a party somewhere where you dancing from 2:00 to 5:00 in
the morning and next thing you know it was time for breakfast. And then there's the workshops on Saturday and
then there's the entertainment Saturday evening and then the line dance party. And then after the line dance
party, there was the afterparty. And the after party was until it was time to get on the bus to go back to your
airport or whatever it was. So it was 24-7, three days of -three days and three nights of just line dancing, line
dancing and line dancing.
And people started meeting each other. So, I met the likes of Lewis Jenkins, Curtis Good, Nicole
Points, Jamie Gant, uh, Ziggy, Richard Phillips, and they met all of the the
quote unquote Philadelphia stars, Ray B Boyd, Brooklyn, Bernard Deette, Kenny J, all those people. And
then all of a sudden, people started coming from other place. Then here comes this
guy named Jerome Bentley, one of the greatest choreographers there in in the game today, right?
It's was Curtis Good's efforts running from state to state and telling them about his "United We
Dance" event and people seeing line dancing on YouTube. It took off and it and one state after another. I
get a call, hey, hey KDJ, guess who's coming? We got people from from
Mississippi. We got people from So, one state after another, one state after
another.
And I can tell you Atlanta is big in line dancing now. But I remember when Atlanta first started, there was I I I
remember I went to an event. Jerome Bentley was there and they were doing this dance. Um it's called "Good foot".
They call it "Super Bad". Okay. Okay. And they said to me, "Hey, Kenny J, we're
going to do um Super Bad." I'm like, "Okay." And we did it. Three
songs later, "Hey, Kenny J, we're gonna do "Super Bad" again." And it four songs later,
"Hey, Kenny Jay, we gonna do and they did it again." And and and today, if you go to a line dance event and you do the same
song, if a DJ plays the same song twice, he about to get hung. So So I'm- My point is, right, I recall going down to
Atlanta when it was like that. They they only knew the dances that were done at "United We Dance" or the dances that were posted on YouTube by me.
But now, okay, of course, that story is
different when you look at ... And that story is different for all of these states, right?
I believe everybody has something unique going on in their own state. Each state
has their quote unquote "line dance guru", their their stars, their, you know,
their top-notch line dancers and choreographers and instructors. So, I think
it's a beautiful thing. I think we've grown. We've grown to a place. But the one thing that as I
mentioned, even my events, I modeled after United We Dance, but I tried to do
something a little different. I saw something more in soul line dancing. I felt
like we were like the best kept secret. So then when I would have my weekend
events, I would bring quote unquote celebrities. I don't know if you're
familiar with Darren Henson from Soul Food. Yes, I saw the video from Soul Food. And he's also he's also a
choreographer. So, I had um May he rest in peace, Chuck Brown from Soul
Searches. Oh, wow. So, I brought these guys in with the And then I had this guy named
Steph Stewart from Broadway. The the whole... my whole idea was hopefully they would see what we were doing and then
they would help us to take it to the next level to get … national exposure"...
[pancocojams Excerpt Part II]
...I amKenny J "So, let me tell you what happened with Good Morning America.
They said, "Hey, Kenny J, can you give us a list of songs ,of some dances that you want to do?"
So, if they would have gotten the license, the okay to play
certain songs, I would have been doing what you know, what people in the world know
as a soul dance as opposed to Boots on the Ground. They didn't get that license.
I said, "Hey, this dance right
here is trending." They wanted us to do some dances to showcase and they wanted us to teach a dance. So the dancers, the
list of dancers that I gave to pick from to teach, they came back and said, "Hey, we got a license to do Boots on
the Ground." I said, "That's perfect. We'll do that." They
didn't get the license to do um "Can't Get Enough" by Tamia, so we
couldn't do that. And what people don't know, we did "Terminal Reaction" and we did "Go
Hard, Go Home". They didn't air that. They wanted to air the piece that we were teaching. So which which is fine.
But
again and again I I don't want Trey Little to take this the wrong way or 803
Fresh because I do appreciate what you guys did and I love your music and I love your dance, but if I had to accentuate
somebody in the soul line dance world, if this was about choreography, if
this was about a dance, if this was about a song, it would have been something from the Soul line dance world that
somebody had been busting their butt for the last 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years, I would have brought them on
instead."
Markis C-"So, I agree. I agree."
I am Kenny J - "I I want people to understand that again. It
was not about a particular dance. It was not about a particular song. It
was not about a particular choreographer. "Boots on the ground" would not have
been included at all if it was about any of those things. But while you ask other folks and
and Trey Little and said he was a little taken back, you know, I
I look at it and I say, "Well, wait a minute. You're taken back. Granted, Boots on the Ground is the
hottest trending dance out there right now, but you got to recognize that there is only
a select group of people that look at the internet, at line dancers on
the internet and and fall in love with it or go to it and do it. The
exposure from Good Morning America enhanced that group of people. Now all the
people that were looking at Boots on the ground that love it, you got people that would
never have looked at a line dance are looking at it. So yeah, quite honestly, in my opinion, my opinion only, I put
your dance out there for a little more exposure. So yeah, now I and let me step back.
I do
think there was one thing that I could have done and and as a matter of fact I
should have done but unfortunately while at the Good Morning in America segment
there was a thing we had rehearsals and says okay Kenny you're only going to have X amount of seconds you got to get
this in. You got to get that in. But what I should have done was I should have
at least said this song is from 803 Fresh and this dance was choreographed
by Trey Little.
I I apologize to you guys for not giving you that that due
respect, but right charge it to the head, not the heart. But I agree. At the
same time, at the same time, "Boots on the ground" is is not what soul line dancing is about. And that is not
what that segment is about.
Now, you look at the segment, you'll see clips from other people doing dances. And now
granted, when she pulled some dancers off, there were quite a few of the boots on the
ground. And that's because I confirmed with her that that would be the dance
that I would initially I was supposed to been teaching Robin and Michael. I said, "Okay, well, I need
a beginner's dance, right?" So, some of the dances that I considered was um uh bring them out, seno. So all there's um
the jump off there was again it was about giving them a list of songs
that the studio could then get the rights to play that music. And then they came
back said, "Okay, here are the songs." And the first song that they actually got the rights to was Boots on the
Ground. I said, "Oh, that's a no-brainer. We're gonna do "Boots on the ground".
Markis C- Oh, right. Honestly, I think I think um
you know, honestly the and and regardless of and I'm gonna speak for me and my
opinion and everything else cuz like I told you my initial reaction like
a man he chose that one. You know what I'm saying? That was my initial reaction. And they did have clips of videos
um for people doing dances and a lot of the clips wasn't people doing boots on
the ground. They were doing other dances. Just "Boots on the ground" was playing
in the background because I know my my my family over in Omaha. The video that
they was doing, I think it was it was a choreographed dance that they created. They had nothing to do with "Boots on
the ground".
But I'mma tell you this, for me, um, while even though I felt the way I felt in the moment, I
once again said I was happy to see you as the individual representing us cuz I
felt like while there are other people that could have, I know who you are.
Um, and I know that your personality was was necessary. you only the one you're
the only one with that personality that's attractive and and keep the energy and keep it fun and bring more
excitement and everything else.
And then the fact that you did "Boot on the ground", I think it really affected our city and
our community even ore, our local city. Why? Because now it made everyone try to find line dance classes to the point where
now you got people who can't find line dance classes creating line dance
classes. You got the clubs now, they trying to do line dance classes in the clubs and everything else. So what what I
feel like when even though that was not the agenda and the intent, the fact that
you end up doing it and the fact that it worked in that way still brought favor to a lot of people who are hosting
classes and parties. If they say they ain't, that mean they ain't doing
it right. because all you had to do was slap "Boots on the ground" on your flyer and I promise you your your party was
packed. You know what I mean? You got people who are searching for clash just to do that dance. So what you did
was still a blessing in my in my you know from my perspective because it
brought more awareness of what our mission is and what we're trying to do in our city at the end of the day.
So they give us the opportunity and the platform to educate them and introduce them to the Soul line dance community
because yeah, we'll teach you "Boots", but we going to teach you about the Soul line dance community.
So, all in all, I am still grateful that it went the way it
did at the end of the day. So regardless of what other people may feel and think
and it is what it is, but I still think what you did and how what was selected was still the best thing that happened to
our city at the same time."
I am Kenny J -"With that being said, at the end of the day, um, while I emphasize I would not have done Boots on the Ground if this was about a certain dance
or a certain choreographer, but at the end of the day, Boots on the Ground was the ultimate decision to teach...
So, now a lot of people did ask, "Well, how come you didn't call Trey Little? you should have brought him on.
Well, truth be told, I didn't know him, but I did do some research. I reached out
to him. I sent him a friend request on Facebook. He probably saw "Kenny Johnson. Who the hell is this? I don't
know this guy". I'm speculating now. I'm speculating. I don't know. I reached out to him, but he
didn't respond. So, I left it at that. So, yeah."
MarkisC - "Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's cool. Yeah. Because I know it's I know he
probably getting a lot of everything on his page and his channel and everything else. And one thing, and I'm not sure if you
caught the interview, but one thing he said was that um, at the end of the day, he was grateful that it was
us that represented that versus anybody else. You know what I mean? Like once he
he sit back and look, like it could have been worse. It could have been
somebody else. And the fact that it was us doing that in in the bestest light as possible, he was grateful to see that. You
know what I'm saying?"
I am Kenny J - "And so I will tell you this, if Good Morning Americawould have reached out to me and said,
"Hey, we want to do a segment on "Boots on the ground," I would have had no choice but to bring Trey Little on and 803
Fresh." Yeah. But that was not the agenda" Markis C- "Correct. Understandable. Understandable
"...
**** [pancocojams Excerpt Part III]
[I am Kenny J responds to Markis C's question about African American trail ride events and, in particular, to a video of one trail ride event that showed a lot of people fighting.]
...I am Kenny J- Again, let me first say this. I don't know enough about
Trail ride to speak on it, but what I do know is first of all, I think in Trail ride, Trail riders are getting a bad name. I I think they're
getting the blame for something that's from my understanding again I don't know this to be factual from my understanding there are the trail
riders and then there are the folks that are teaching dancers to that particular genre of so that particular genre of music
and they go to these trail rides but they are
not quote unquote “trail riders”. So again, I don't know that to be true, but
I'm my understanding that there's two separate things. But even so, who made us the the authorities on those
dances? Who told us that we can control what they do? Who told us that we need to regulate the dances they do, when they do it, how
they do it, and and so forth and so forth?
What you better remember in the Soul line dance world we started at a beginning
also we didn't use dance jargon also. You tell me where in the dance world is
the step called “Shayron” explained? It's not. It was created by us. You know
why? Because we had our own mindset and it was okay. This was our thing and and there were folks that wanted us to to mirror what's
done. And there's a world called “progressive line dance”.
And and and quite honestly, the difference between “progressive line dance” and
“soul line dance” is the majority of the folks doing progressive line dance are
white folk. And they have step sheets and they have music terminology. And, in
that world, a dancer could take the step sheet and
he or she would be able to learn the dance just by reading that step sheet. In our world, that was different in our world
because what I called a step in New Jersey, somebody else called something
different in Detroit. And then that same step in Florida was different.
And somebody said, "Hey, we need to be like them." And it was my
position that no, we don't. We can. if we want to call this “Shayron”. If we
want to call that whatever it is, then that's fine. All we need to be able to
do is translate it. We need to know that while we call it “Shayron”, in their
world, it's called “XYZ”. Just like if you were to go to France, yeah, you
would have to be able to- you don't have to learn that language. You just need
to know what what you call it over here in the United States and what they call
it in France. That's what you mean.
And so then how do we dare look at somebody else that's starting something and
having fun and doing what they do, minding their own damn business. How do we
dare put ourselves in a position to to tell them what they should, what they
could, and what they cannot do? We don't have that. Who do we think we are? M let them do them.
And then to your point about that video, I guarantee you to that one video of Terrimorial
or whatever it was was, I bet you there are 50,000 videos of trail rides or
trail ride parties or whatever it is where everybody's having fun. Why aren't
those videos posted and why aren't they getting a million views? Because we are
people that like to see turmoil. We if if we ain't in the forefront leading the
success, then we want to tear it down. Be
careful. Yeah. Who are you? Yeah. You don't know everything.
And and I I I've seen some of the comments. “Oh, they're
teaching the step and they don't even know what the step is called”. Oh, they
do this. And and I'll be honest, when I first started teaching It took me a
minute to learn the relationship between music and dance. It took me a minute
to learn about measures. Four beats and and and phrases and so forth and so
forth. I taught a dance and I counted
12. Ain't no such thing as 12 beats in it. “One, two, three, four, five, six,
seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12. Learn.” But my point is at some point we all
had to learn, right? And and then… but even though I know now when I teach that
dance, I'll still teach it with 12 steps. I say, "Look, this is not beats.
These are steps."
But here's what you have to recognize when you are an instructor. Are you
getting the message across? Is the message getting to the receiver? Is the
receiver understanding it? So if you use standard terminology and they
understand it, fine. If you don't use standard terminology and you
use your local community terminology, something you made up, if they understand
it, fine. So, right.
And and again, I'll relate to uh when there were folks that was trying to have
our agenda match the agenda of the progressive world where they
said, "We need to have step sheets. You need to learn and you need to
understand step sheets." Yes, I understand it. I can take that step sheet
and I guarantee you if I brought it back to my class, it would be like me speaking
Russian to them. So, why do I bring something to my audience? And and you know
people as an instructor or as a speaker as a motivational speaker you have to
understand your audience and you have to speak to your audience. So stop trying
to be like other people and stop trying to make other people be like you allow
them to do them. Now if you have some constructive criticism that can help them
by all means share that but don't deny them. Don't denounce them.
And I think there are a lot of people in the soul land line dance world, again,
self-proclaimed spokespersons that are so ready to ridicule and criticize what the
trail ride line dancers or whatever they're called, criticize what they're
doing, and you have no business criticizing them.
Go over there and offer them a word of wisdom. Offer them a helping hand. Show
if you if you so concerned about the step, show them. Tell them. I've seen so
many, oh my god, did you see her doing this? Did you god, did you see her doing
this? Did you see him doing that? Really? What's that about? I agree. So, let
me ask this question
Markis C- Do you think the soul dance uh community want to be commercialized
and put on the platform? Do you want…Do you think we're trying to we want to
remain secretive our our little hood secret to keep the authenticity and the
everything about you know the essence the puress of our thing together still
like what are your opinion on that?
I am Kenny J-“I think it depends on who you ask. Okay, for me, I want the exposure
because I want to be recognized. I want the soul line dance to be recognized.
So I think we can have that exposure. I think we can be recognized and still
have the authenticity. I think we can it still be authentic. So, a lot of folks
in the soul dance community don't even know this, but um I've attended several
and for a while I did it annually progressive um line dance events. And I I am
Kenny J was the link between the soul line dance world and the progressive line
dance world. And I will be honest with you, initially they did not accept us.
We were in a little room, you know, I taught a dance. But as they started learning
and seeing the the excitement that we bring, that audience grew and grew and
grew and they accepted us. And one of the most beautiful things attending that
thing, that event, as again, I'll use the dance “Come Dance With Me.”
So Joe Samanssky choreographed a dance called “Come Dance with Me” to a country
song “Come Dance With Me”. Okay. And I don't know who, but somebody in the soul line dance world put it to Tamia's “Can't
Get Enough”[line dance] and it just blew up. It took off in the soul [line
dance world]. They said it was South… Yeah, they said it was in South Carolina
from what I hear in the soul line dance world. It took off. So then when we
went to this [event]- Joe was someone that frequent this event- and then
there's another guy that um and forgive me forgetting his name. We do a dance
called UK soul stepping. Okay. He's from the United Kingdom. He was there. We
did his dance with a twist on it and and then but the the beauty of it is they
put us in this big old ballroom, black folk and white folk, and they played the
country and western song ”Come Dance with Me”. and they did [the “Come Dance With Me” [progressive line
dance]. And then they called me to the stage next to Joe
and said, "Hey, the soul line dance committee, they do it to this
song." And we did it side by side and black folk and white folk doing that
dance. That’s the link between [soul line dance and progressive line dance.]
And what people don't know, there are a lot of dancers in the soul line dance….
No, let me take that back. There's not a lot, but there are dances in the soul line
dance…. And this is my point that we dance to all genres of music. So there are
some folks the only difference between the progressive line dancers and the
soul line dancers is the predominance of the ethnicity of who's doing the
dances. So they dance to soul music, they dance to R&B, they dance to pop
and so on and so on. But the the point is I don't think we lose authenticity if
we expand, if we get recognized.
So, and again, when I go to those progressive line dance events, they want to
know, oh, let's can we do some soul line dancing? Can we do soul line dancing? Cuz people love it. And I think that's what
happened. That was that's what would happen as we expand. And there in lies the
reason why I went to Good Morning America. There in lies the reason why
I went to the Library of Communist. So I I would think that the majority of the
soul line dance world is all for “let's get that exposure” and and and quite
frankly-while it should not be the number one reason but there's also some
lucrative opportunities. I agree. As we
grow, as we get out into the public, and then I think it's when I talked about
the soul line dance world that we're talking about, the folks that know nothing
of that world. I think if you were to ask them, they would be the ones that
say, "Why we got this show with this? Let's keep it. Keep it for us for
what? What? And do what with it, right? ….
Look, I I named some people and and let
me say this, too. I named some folks and there are some other folks out there.
So, if I didn't say your name, I know I'm going to get that text or that email.
How come you didn't say my name? Charge it to the head, not the heart. But
listen, there are some folks out there that are good at what they do. Choreography,
good at what they do. Dance performance, good at what they do, instructing. But
if we don't take it to that next level, they'll never be recognized for the
talent that they bring to this industry. And they should be. But the only way
they can get recognized appropriately, now don't get me wrong, they're
recognized within the soul line dance community. Everybody knows [them in the
soul line dance community], but okay, they need to be out there in the eyes of
the world. And again, no disrespect to Big Mucci, to Cupid, when people say the
the world knows line dancers, line dance choreographers as Cupid and Big Mucci.
And also, let me say this. I want to give Big Mucci a big shout out because Big
Mucci is in that world that I talked about with Cupid, but he's also in our
international [line dance world] He's a contributor to to what we do as it
relates to soul line dancing as well.
So, I just want put that out there as well. Right. Right.
Right. Yeah.”…
**** ADDENDUM - Celebrating
the legacy of soul line dancing
Good Morning America, Feb 27, 2025
Kenny J and his soul line dancers bring the energy to "GMA" with "Boots on the Ground" as we explore the rich history and resurgence of soul line dancing.
-snip-
total # of YouTube views as of August 25, 2025 at 12:55 AM EDT= 807,510
total # of YouTube comments as of August 25, 2025 at 12:56 AM EDT= 480
