Police Pursuit of Happiness

So there’s this Internet meme of people posting their own homemade videos of themselves dancing to or otherwise enjoying Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy,” and there were six young Iranians who made a video and put it up on YouTube.  In part they did it to counter negative stereotypes about their country. “To tell the world that Iran is a better place than what they think it is,” in the words of one of the participants.

Do we sense that this story doesn’t have a happy ending?

Of course it doesn’t, because Iran is a far worse place than we probably think it is.  All six of the participants received a phone call that a friend had been hurt, and that they should bring help to a certain location— which was, of course, full of cops and other officials.  All six were arrested and forced to repent on state TV.

This was not only bad, but embarrassing, because it occurred only days after President Hassan Rouhani made a speech saying that Iran should embrace the Internet rather than view it as a threat.   “Why are we so shaky?” he said. “Why have we cowered in a corner, grabbing onto a shield and a wooden sword, lest we take a bullet in this culture war?”

(The answer “because we’re a bunch of fanatical nutbags” apparently did not appear on the multiple-choice exam following the speech.)

The pursuit of happiness is permitted in Iran, but only if it’s a police pursuit.

Here’s the video in question, in which the hot, horny hand of the Great Satan is clearly visible.

(WARNING: Amateur video.  WARNING: contains foreigners.  WARNING: contains pop hooks.  WARNING: may corrupt soul.)