Peculiar times

A shocking disruption that called an end to a comedy show, two furry animals playing havoc with Tyra Banks at an NBA game, and a very public art heist. All of these incidents occurred over the past eight days, and they are all linked to one name – Hi-Hi.

a woman smashed a glass case to steal custom Goodman shoes

It all began last week at an exhibition by renowned artist Timothy Goodman in New York City. When the lights went out part way through, a woman smashed a glass case to steal custom Goodman shoes made in collaboration with fashion house Alexander McQueen. Security then ushered out confused attendees.

Just days later, a couple of people dressed as furry animals strolled into an NBA game. They sat down next to bemused-looking model Tyra Banks, proceeding to caress each other while Banks grew increasingly frustrated. Security eventually removed the pair, but not before they had made it onto the Jumbotron several times.

The most recent incident occurred on Thursday night when a Mark Normand comedy gig was disrupted by an audience member stepping on stage. Security immediately dragged him out of the room before swiftly calling an end to the show and ordering the audience out. The drastic action caused a lot of speculation, with some suggesting the man was tasered.

Solving the puzzle

All of these incidents were caught on camera and shared widely on social media. It seems that this was the goal of the group that orchestrated the strange events, which is asking people to gamble it all for a better life.

The hi_hi_ Instagram page has pinned stories for each of the incidents

The link to Hi-Hi first became apparent when famous musician and film star Donald Glover shared footage of the three incidents on Instagram, reposted from an account called hi_hi_. He captioned these with the phrase: “Hi-Hi available now.” The hi_hi_ Instagram page has pinned stories for each of the incidents, labeled “Heist,” “Courtside,” and “Comedy Club.”

According to its page, which already has more than 5,000 followers, HiHi is asking people to DM it with applications. It is asking them how far they are willing to go to live a life they have always dreamed off, what is the biggest risk they have ever taken, and what is something they would do if they would never get caught. A number of applicant videos are pinned to the page in which people answer the questions.

Meanwhile, HiHi’s actual posts include images of a helicopter, a mountain landscape, a piece of artwork, and a Range Rover car – all with mysterious captions, such as “Let’s roll.”

A Glover promotion?

Glover, who goes by the moniker Childish Gambino when making music, is undoubtedly the key to how this all fits together. He is known for thinking outside of the box creatively, and he has an upcoming show to promote that most probably provides an answer to the mystery.

a reboot of the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith, this time made for TV through Amazon Prime

Glover is starring alongside Maya Erskine in a reboot of the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs. Smith, this time made for TV through Amazon Prime. Cocreated by Glover and Francesca Sloane, who worked together on Glover’s highly-acclaimed Atlanta, the new series reimagines the original starring Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

Most importantly, the series coincidentally features a mysterious entity nicknamed “Hihi,” named after the way the group greets Glover’s character in messages. The show will be released on February 2, making now the perfect time to create a little bit of hype and mystery surrounding it. Glover is certainly doing just that.