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Home » Donors Choose and Contests

Tomato Dance: The Video

Submitted by on November 5, 2007 – 12:21 AM74 Comments

Woo hoo!

Super-thanks to my bro for cutting the footage so fast. Super-non-thanks to my chins for…being myriad, and to myself for not wearing makeup in the morning. Man is that hat unflattering.

The dance itself is far from a step-perfect rendition of the Angela version; it seemed more important not to kick/head-whap/bowl over innocent civilians. I practiced, I learned the whole thing, I did the best I could, and for a hundred grand I probably should have just gone ahead and kicked some tourists in the slats “by accident,” but it didn’t work out. I hope you will enjoy my adventures anyway.

Oh, and that beer I’m drinking at the end there? Free. Thanks, tomato costume! (And Kevin at Loki Lounge.)

Music courtesy of the Henhouse Prowlers (“Homegrown Tomatoes”), Duke Ellington And His Orchestra (“Black and Tan Fantasie”), and Nerf Herder (“New Jersey Girl”). Please support these artists by purchasing their work on iTunes, or via the legal-download service of your choice.

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74 Comments »

  • Kat says:

    Am I the only one who follows the link and sees a young boy dancing in a tomato costume instead of sars?

  • Sars says:

    Sorry! It’s fixed now.

  • LynzM says:

    Dude, OMG, that video is Teh Awesomez. Sars, you totally friggin’ rock, dude. I love it. :D

  • A^3 Amie says:

    That so rocks. I’m so sorry I missed the actual dance. I must have gotten down there right after you relocated, and was fixated on NOT missing you come out so I didn’t see where you’d gone to! But you are such a good sport for indulging my dorkiness and doing a mini-reenactment.
    Wish I could have made it to the happy hour, too. I’d liked to have met some more of your groupies and entourage.

    That, my friends, is a class act.

  • Phoenix_B says:

    FANTASTIC. You rock.

  • Phoenix_B says:

    Also, the little red shorts reveal when you pirouette? Loving it.

  • Sharon says:

    Awesome! No other word but awesome!

  • alsion says:

    I’ve never seen “My So-Called Life”, I’ve only seen the Angela dance on YouTube. But your version was still one of the funniest things I’ve seen. Thanks!

  • Colleen says:

    Super awesome. I giggled like a mental patient through the whole thing.

    Also, did Mr. S spell his own name wrong? Little brothers, man.

  • Stephanie says:

    Fucking hysterical. Perfect music choices, too, Mr. Stupidhead.

  • liz_isabella says:

    I am…without words…

  • Dee says:

    Oh Sars… It’s just so wrong, isn’t it? Also so inspiring. Well done for helping to raise all that money for such a good cause.

  • Allie says:

    After we watched it, we watched the beginning of the head-shaving video as well. My ten-year-old daughter, watching the screen in horror, commented, “The things she does…” Hee.

  • Kate says:

    Heee! Of course, I had two main thoughts:
    1) I miss NYC so much–practically no one even bothered to look twice on the subway, etc.
    2) “Why did she get off at Bryant Park? She works 8 blocks north!”

  • DT says:

    Hee! Wicked awesome!

  • Jenny says:

    Too fabulous! Wish I lived in NY so I could have seen it live!!

  • Sars says:

    @Kate: Two reasons — 1) wanted to get sidewalk footage; 2) construction on the BDFV platform at 47-50 Sts. makes it kind of tight to maneuver in the costume, especially near the platform edge.

  • E. says:

    This made me very, very happy. Thanks, Sars!

  • Drew says:

    Awesome. Of course, now that Nerf Herder song is going to be stuck in my head for the better part of 5 years. Curse you, Mr. S and your wonderfully catchy music selection!!

  • upstairs girl says:

    Hee, so awesome. The music was especially well chosen. And the dance was so adorable. Love!

  • autiger23 says:

    AWESOME! LOL! That was great- thanks so much to you and Mr Stupidhead for taping the dance and the subway, sidewalk scenes, etc. Very cool for those of us who had no chance to make it to NYC to see it in person.

    “Also, the little red shorts reveal when you pirouette? Loving it.”

    TOTALLY! My co-workers are now wondering what the hell was so funny. HEE!

  • Chris says:

    Love that video! I know it was for a good cause, but how happy were you to get that thing off by the end of the day?

  • Jennifer says:

    Love the costume, love the dance, love YOU. Most of all, love NY because where else would a tomato on the street receive so little attention? AWESOME!!! ;-)

  • Meg says:

    That was great. I appreciate that you seemed to be making the best of it and enjoying yourself. This has been in my head since the beginning of the challenge, so I think it is only fair to infect everyone else while I still have the chance.

    A-W-E (clap,clap) S-O-M-E (clap, clap)
    Awesome, Awesome
    Awesome Are We

    (See, this is what one awful, tedious fall of cheerleading, a million years ago, will do to a person.)

  • Jenn C. says:

    Awesome!

    Thanks for sharing this with all of us who couldn’t be there in person!

  • lg says:

    Am I the only one who teared up at the end when the $101,280 flashed on the screen? Didn’t think so.

    Good work, Sars.

  • Sars says:

    @Chris: The body part of the costume wasn’t really that bad; the hat, however, drove me nuts all day. It didn’t quite hood my entire head, I don’t have the kind of hairstyle that looks cute peeking out of it, the neck part was binding, and I could stand to lose 10 pounds, but I was like late-’80s Delta Burke around the face in that thing.

  • Foder says:

    You rock my world, Sars. I was already having a great day (weird for a Monday, but I’ll take it where I can find it), but that kind of tomatoey dancey twirley money-raisey awesomeness just put this Monday into a whole new category. Class act, indeed.

  • Foder says:

    Sars, you so rock. I was already having a great day (bizarre for a Monday, but I’ll take it where I find it), but that kind of tomatoey dancey twirly money-raisey little-green-hatty awesomeness just raised my Monday to a whole new level. A class act, indeed.

  • RJ says:

    First: Sars – you were the most amazing tomato ever. Not only did I NOT see myriad chins, but you have awesome legs, and I’m totally jealous.

    Second: Had I known you were going to get off the subway ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY OFFICE, I would have been out there so fast it would have made your stem spin. I couldn’t come see you in person because of an office event; I’ve been raving about your awesome money-raising success for a couple of weeks to my office buddy, and I would have loved for both of us to see you in person.

    Third: Thank goodness for YouTube & Mr. Stupidhead! Best video ever!

  • Emerson says:

    Well done. Truly.

  • Cij says:

    Sars, every time you folded up and turned into a complete tomato I nearly died laughing. Especially when your eyes would dart around suspiciously. Hee! I’m only sorry that you didn’t get more double takes on the street.

  • Tina says:

    Sars!

    Loved it, thanks so much for getting it up right away. The camera work and editing are superb, especially the sidewalk stuff, I’m glad you decided to adjust your commute to include it.

    Glad to see I’m not the only one who cried at the end.

    Congrats, you’re a great tomato.

  • Duff says:

    What I love is that throughout the video, no one seems to even blink when you walk/dance/sashay past. I know it’s NYC, but come on! It’s a woman in a tomato costume! Sars, you are ten kinds of awesome.

  • grandefille says:

    Mag. Ni. Fi. Cent.

    You are indeed wicked awesome, madam. Thank you and your donors for the good works and the good spirits. (And to Mr. S. for the video.)

    Was I the only one who was hoping for a little cloche/stem toss there mid-dance when all the pigeons flew up? Yes? Well, then. I am trying to change perfection, and I am so wrong for it.

    Hugs and kisses to all affiliated. Including Da Boyz.

  • Kristina says:

    That was awesome, and I loved all the gratuitous twirling, but really, all I noticed was your purse/bag. I wants one.

  • Margaret in CO says:

    Ig & Tina – me too. *sniffle*

    Sars, you are a tomato ROCK STAR!!! Thanks for being who you are, sweetiekins! AWESOME!!!!

  • Kimy says:

    My favorite is the girl that you walk past, mid-dance, and she doesn’t even notice until you brush past her and then you can almost hear her think “Giant tomato!? Where?” This made the start of my work week so much better.

  • daki says:

    Okay, the peeping tomato is the second-best thing ever. Best thing ever? Tomato in a turnstile. LOVE!

    Sars, awesome job, awesome legs (yowza – I’d never be able to pull off a tomato costume with my legs) awesome fundraising, just brilliant. Thanks for the video, Mr. S.

  • Kate says:

    @Sars
    Ah, both very good reasons. I was sort of looking forward to a Tomato Trot along the marble corridors of the concourse, but the produce stand more than made up for it.

    And I’m with the reader who died whenever you folded into the costume. Hysterical.

  • krissa says:

    It was all wonderfulness and light, but I think my favorite part was you walking down the street with your bag all “nothin’ to see, nothin’ to do, just headin’ to work here, people” on your commute. Awesome.

    2nd fav – the little power shout you gave yourself for getting through the turny thingy leaving the subway.

  • sarahK says:

    omigod i think i just peed my pants at my desk. so f’n awesome! the montage was fabulous as was the soundtrack. i need to get my paws on that jersey girl song. you make all jersey tomatoes damn proud!

  • Toni says:

    I agree with Cij, you popping in and out of the costume was the best part.

  • cayenne says:

    Have to echo all the “awesome” comments from everyone; adding mine may be repetitive, but no less sincerely meant. Thanks to you, Sars, for doing this, and to Mr. S for the vid (& perfect music selection). I’m one of the ones who teared up at the total $ – my sucky moments are few, but that was one.

    My fave part – the “what-you-lookin-at-loser” glare on the train platform. Patented subway-rider. Also adore the argyle tights – tres chic!

  • Ro says:

    For me it was the queen wave in the elevator. And add me to the list of people who got all sniffy at the end.

    15,953 students impacted by Tomato Nation donors. Just unbelievable.

    Sars, you are the Queen of Awesome!

  • Cindi in CO says:

    AWESOME!!

  • Jen S says:

    The best donation I ever made! Har har har!

    And also? Great legs, yes, but great butt, too! You should wear those shorts every day!

  • Cathy says:

    I got there too late for the dance, so thanks for clipping that together so fast. Echoing the awesome here… that was just terrific. That subway platform in Brooklyn gave me heart failure though–there was serious danger of squish tomato there.

    And hey, the cranberry bog was bad, but at least you aren’t dancing next to Tina Fey today during the Writer’s Strike protests. Yikes!

  • baggage says:

    Add me to the list of big crybabies. I thought the film itself was great, and it was made even more awesome by knowing what you were doing it for.

  • Michelle says:

    Very nicely done, Sars and all who whipped out your wallets to make this happen.

    Don’t know about the rest of you but I am already looking forward to next October in a big, big way.

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