From Edgy Meme to Billion-Dollar Brand: the Complete Blippi Harlem Shake Timeline
By Sarah Jenkins
Did the creator of Blippi actually make a vulgar Harlem Shake video?
Yes. In 2013, Stevin John performed under the comedic pseudonym Steezy Grossman and uploaded a Harlem Shake parody that culminated in him defecating on a naked collaborator. The video was created prior to the launch of his children's brand.
Is the original 2013 Harlem Shake video still online?
The video was wiped from mainstream platforms. Stevin John and his legal teams used aggressive DMCA copyright takedowns to purge re-uploads. While archival mirrors surface sporadically on unindexed shock sites, the clip remains largely inaccessible on standard search networks.
Did Moonbug Entertainment cancel Blippi after learning of the past controversy?
No. Moonbug acquired the intellectual property in July 2020, nearly a year and a half after the Newsweek investigation was published. Rather than canceling the brand, Moonbug expanded it globally, introducing additional actors to play the character alongside John.
Why didn't the controversy ruin the Blippi brand?
The end users of Blippi are toddlers who have zero awareness of celebrity news or web history. John never repeated the shock material, issued an unequivocal apology, and successfully transitioned the character into mainstream retail and SVOD platforms that shield viewers from user-generated controversies.
Sarah Jenkins is a veteran tech journalist with over 12 years of experience covering artificial intelligence, mobile innovations, and digital ethics. Her insights have appeared in leading technology publications worldwide.
