The video of prison inmates in Cebu (Philippines) performing their version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller has landed in Time Magazine’s list of Top 10 Viral Videos For 2007. The entry at position #5 in Time magazine reads:

“The only thing certain is that Vincent Price was right when he said, “No mere mortal can resist the evil of the Thriller”: The video has been downloaded more than 9 million times.”

The prison dance routine was the brainchild of Byron Garcia, Cebu provincial consultant on security, who said the dance was part of the prisoners’ daily exercise under the jail’s rehabilitation program. The program started in April last year when Garcia devised a plan to convince prisoners to attend the daily grind. Since the more conventional exercises were considered boring and dull, Garcia said he thought of introducing a new routine that would be entertaining and therapeutic.

A video of the Thriller dance routine made it to YouTube and became one of user`s most favourite videos.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, Time Magazine