Fake News: Media Manufactures Controversy over Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Dancing Video

The video appears to be an edited version of the “Boston University Brat Pack Mashup,”
YouTube / Julian Jensen
Kristina Wong

When a video clip of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) as a college student dancing on a rooftop went viral on Thursday, journalists and leftists immediately accused conservatives of being “outraged” and leapt to her defense.

Yet there appeared to be little actual outrage coming from any conservatives over the video, as some noted on social media.

Nonetheless, Newsweek ran a story titled, “CONSERVATIVES MOCK ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ FOR COLLEGE DANCING VIDEO, EVERYONE ELSE THINKS IT’S ADORABLE.”

The story did not list any examples of conservatives attacking her and only journalists defending her, prompting calls for Newsweek to correct its story.

The video with Ocasio-Cortez dancing was actually first published on YouTube on September 30, 2010, and featured Boston University students dancing in an apparent homage to scenes in the movie Breakfast Club. The credits list her as “Sandy Ocasio-Cortez.”

The clip of Ocasio-Cortez went viral after an anonymous Twitter account with the handle “@AnonymousQ1776” tweeted a mash-up of her dancing, along with the comment, “Here is “America’s favorite commie know-it-all acting like the clueless nitwit she is…High School video of “Sandy” Ocasio-Cortez.”

The account was deactivated shortly after, and it is not clear who compiled the mash-up.

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez — who is now widely known by her full name, or “AOC”  — herself jumped on the faux controversy, telling the Hill that it was unsurprising that “Republicans would think having fun should be disqualifying or illegal.” She did not reference which Republicans she was talking about.

She later posted another video — albeit much more subdued — of herself dancing in front of her congressional office, tweeting:

I hear the GOP thinks women dancing are scandalous. Wait till they find out Congresswomen dance too! Have a great weekend everyone :)

Judicial Watch’s Jerry Dunleavy mocked the whole faux controversy over her dancing — and proved that Republicans also let loose — by dredging up the clip of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie:

Meanwhile, conservatives did scrutinize Ocasio-Cortez’s recent remarks on CBS’s 60 Minutes, including wanting 70 percent tax on the “tippy-tops” of wage earners and comparing herself to Republican President Abraham Lincoln:

 

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