A Texas woman is taking an apartment-flooding pole dancing accident in stride by using the moment to highlight misconceptions about the art form.
Asha Gilbert, of Houston, was attempting to get some practice in earlier this month when, in her words, the pole “accidentally hit my apartment sprinkler and flooded my apartment.” Incredibly, the unfortunate moment was caught on video.
In the video, the top portion of the pole is seen slipping from the roof, at which point it does indeed strike a sprinkler. Virality, as expected, quickly followed.
Gilbert later joked about the incident by hopping on the Netflix documentary TikTok trend (“Not how I planned to go viral but here we are,” she captioned that one), as well as opened up about how the experience of going viral turned out to be “much harder” than might be assumed.
“No one prepares you for what it really means to go viral and everything that comes with it,” she said. “There’s, like, some negative things that definitely have come with this video.”
In response to speculation, she also clarified that she was not evicted as a result of the incident, but is moving into a new place. Additionally, she advised those who might be looking to take up this practice on their own to ensure that their pole is properly installed.
While Gilbert is looking forward to “the end of the sprinkler saga,” she made sure to close out with a message that’s personally important to her.
“Going on TV gave me the chance to share something that’s been on my mind,” she said in another post. “Pole is often misunderstood, but for so many people it’s about strength, discipline, confidence, and an incredible workout. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to be part of a bigger conversation despite the viral incident.”
