Flash mob

"Flashmob" redirects here. For the Vitalic album, see Flashmob (album).

Flash mobs, like this pillow fight flash mob in downtown Toronto, are designed to surprise passers-by.

A flash mob (or flashmob)^[1] is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, or artistic expression.^[2][3][4] Flash mobs are organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

The term, coined in 2003, is generally not applied to events and performances organized for the purposes of politics (such as protests), commercial advertisement, publicity stunts that involve public relation firms, or paid professionals.^[7][11][12] In these cases of a planned purpose for the social activity in question, the term smart mobs is often applied instead.

Origins

First flash mob

One of the first flash mobs was created in Manhattan in May 2003, by Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper's Magazine.^[7][10] The first attempt was unsuccessful after the targeted retail store was tipped off about the plan for people to gather.^[13] Wasik avoided such problems during the second flash mob, which occurred on June 3, 2003, at Macy's department store, by sending participants to preliminary staging areas – in four prearranged Manhattan bars – where they received further instructions about the ultimate event and location just before the event began.^[14]

More than 130 people converged upon the ninth floor rug department of the store, gathering around an expensive rug. Anyone approached by a sales assistant was advised to say that the gatherers lived together in a warehouse on the outskirts of New York, that they were shopping for a "love rug", and that they made all their purchase decisions as a group.^[15] Subsequently, 200 people flooded the lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel in synchronized applause for about 15 seconds, and a shoe boutique in SoHo was invaded by participants pretending to be tourists on a bus trip.^[10]

Wasik claimed that he created flash mobs as a social experiment designed to poke fun at hipsters and to highlight the cultural atmosphere of conformity and of wanting to be an insider or part of "the next big thing".^[10] The Vancouver Sun wrote, "It may have backfired on him ... [Wasik] may instead have ended up giving conformity a vehicle that allowed it to appear nonconforming."^[16] In another interview he said "the mobs started as a kind of playful social experiment meant to encourage spontaneity and big gatherings to temporarily take over commercial and public areas simply to show that they could".^[17]

Precedents and precursors

In 19th-century Tasmania, the term flash mob was used to describe a subculture consisting of female prisoners, based on the term flash language for the jargon that these women used. The 19th-century Australian term flash mob referred to a segment of society, not an event, and showed no other similarities to the modern term flash mob or the events it describes.^[18]

In 1973, the story "Flash Crowd" by Larry Niven described a concept similar to flash mobs.^[19] With the invention of popular and very inexpensive teleportation, an argument at a shopping mall—which happens to be covered by a news crew—quickly swells into a riot. In the story, broadcast coverage attracts the attention of other people, who use the widely available technology of the teleportation booth to swarm first that event—thus intensifying the riot—and then other events as they happen. Commenting on the social impact of such mobs, one character (articulating the police view) says, "We call them flash crowds, and we watch for them." In related short stories, they are named as a prime location for illegal activities (such as pickpocketing and looting) to take place.

Flash mobs began as a form of performance art.^[13] While they started as an apolitical act, flash mobs may share superficial similarities to political demonstrations. Flash mobs can be seen as a specialized form of smart mob,^[7] a term and concept proposed by author Howard Rheingold in his 2002 book Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution.^[20]

Use of the term

The first documented use of the term flash mob as it is understood today was in 2003 in a blog entry posted in the aftermath of Wasik's event.^[14][21][22] The term was inspired by the earlier term smart mob.^[21]

Flash mob was added to the 11th edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary on 8 July 2004 where it noted it as an "unusual and pointless act" separating it from other forms of smart mobs such as types of performance, protests, and other gatherings.^[3][23] Also recognized noun derivatives are flash mobber and flash mobbing.^[3] Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English defines flash mob as "a group of people who organize on the Internet and then quickly assemble in a public place, do something bizarre, and disperse."^[24] This definition is consistent with the original use of the term; however, both news media and promoters have subsequently used the term to refer to any form of smart mob, including political protests;^[25] a collaborative Internet denial of service attack;^[26] a collaborative supercomputing demonstration;^[27] and promotional appearances by pop musicians.^[28] The press has also used the term flash mob to refer to a practice in China where groups of shoppers arrange online to meet at a store in order to drive a collective bargain.^[29]

Notable flash mobs

Silent disco

Another example of a well known flash mob was the April 2006 silent disco in London. At various London Underground stations, people gathered with their portable music devices, and at a set time began dancing to their music.^[30] It was reported that more than 4,000 people participated at London Victoria station.^[31] This had an impact on the regular service of the system enough for the city's police to begin crowd control and slowly clear people.^[32] Since 2006, there have been several flash mobs in the London Underground, including subsequent silent discos comparable in size.^[9]

Worldwide Pillow Fight Day

Worldwide Pillow Fight Day (or International Pillow Fight Day) was a pillow fight flash mob that took place on March 22, 2008. Over 25 cities around the globe participated in the first "international flash mob", which was the world's largest flash mob to date.^[6] According to The Wall Street Journal, more than 5,000 participated in New York City, overtaking London's 2006 Silent Disco gathering as the largest recorded flash mob.^[5] Word spread via social networking sites, including Facebook, Myspace, private blogs, public forums, personal websites, as well as by word of mouth, text messaging, and email. Participating cities included Atlanta, Beirut, Boston, Budapest, Chicago, Copenhagen, Dublin, Houston, Huntsville, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York City, Paris, Pécs, Shanghai, Stockholm, Sydney, Székesfehérvár, Szombathely, Vancouver, Washington, D.C., and Zurich.^[16][33]

Legal incidents

Legal actions have been taken in other countries to stem flash mobs for reasons other than violence such as the disruption of business and service. The city of Braunschweig, Germany has stopped flash mobs by strictly enforcing the already existing law of requiring a permit to use any public space for an event.^[34]

In the United Kingdom, a number of flash mobs have been stopped over concerns for public health and safety.^[35] The British Transport Police have urged flash mob organizers to "refrain from holding such events [silent disco] at railway stations".^[36]

In the United States, in 2009 and 2010, the city of Philadelphia experienced a wave of crimes that either started with the intent or led to the destruction of private property, rioting, violence, and personal injury.^[17] As a result, police used pepper spray to disperse crowds and arrests were made.^[37][38] These events were often referred to as “flash robs,” “flash mob crimes,” or “flash mob violence.”^[39] Organizers of innocuous legal flash mobs consider “flash mob crime” and similar terms inaccurate and damaging to the reputation of flash mobs.^[40]

Lawmakers and lobbyists in Philadelphia are considering different tactics to counter these groups such as extending curfew hours, limiting the hours of school bus passes, and holding parents more legally accountable for the actions of their children.^[17] Bill Wasik has expressed "surprise by the new focus of some of the gatherings" and called it "terrible that these Philly mobs have turned violent".^[17]

Similar incidents of violence occurred during the summer of 2011 in Philadelphia, Maryland, Cleveland, Chicago, Washington, D.C. and Ottawa.^[41][42] In Philadelphia the new incidents drew harsh condemnation from mayor Michael Nutter and resulted in curfews being imposed in two local districts.^[43][44][45]

"The illegal and violent component is also not unlike ordinary crimes where a group of people do something illegal," said Mark Leary, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. "What social media adds is the ability to recruit such a large group of people, that individuals who would not rob a store or riot on their own feel freer to misbehave without being identified."^[46]

See also

• Critical mass
• Crowd manipulation
• Flash crowd
• Flash mob computing
• Happening
• Improv Everywhere
• Smart mob

References

1. ^ "Facebook flashmob shuts down station". CNN.com. 9 February 2009. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/09/uk.station.flashmob/index.html. 
2. ^ "Va-va-voom is in the dictionary". BBC. 8 July 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/uk/newsid_3876000/3876685.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-05. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} "defintion of flash mob from Oxford English Dictionaries Online". Oxford University Press. 8 July 2004. http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0972977#m_en_gb0972977. Retrieved 2010-05-09. 
4. ^ "Mixed feelings over Philadelphia's flash-mob curfew". BBC. 12 August 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-14509831. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Athavaley, Anjali (15 April 2008). "Students Unleash A Pillow Fight On Manhattan". Wall Street Journal. http://s.wsj.net/article/SB120814163599712081.html. Retrieved 2008-05-19. 
6. ^ ^{a b} Fitzgerald, Sean D. (21 March 2008). "International Pillow Fight Day: Let the feathers fly!". National Post. http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theampersand/archive/2008/03/21/let-the-feathers-fly.aspx. Retrieved 2008-05-19. 
7. ^ ^{a b c d} Judith A. Nicholson. "Flash! Mobs in the Age of Mobile Connectivity". Fibreculture Publications/Open Humanities Press. http://journal.fibreculture.org/issue6/issue6_nicholson.html. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
8. ^ Carey, James. Communication as Culture: Essays on Media and Society (New York: Unwin Hyman, 1989).
9. ^ ^{a b} "Time Freezes in Central London". ABC News. April 30, 2008. http://www.abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=4758736&page=1. Retrieved 2009-01-25. 
10. ^ ^{a b c d} Sandra Shmueli (Friday, August 8, 2003). "'Flash mob' craze spreads". CNN.com. http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/08/04/flash.mob/. 
11. ^ "Manifestul Aglomerarilor Spontane / A Flashmob Manifesto". December 5, 2004. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071012195306/http://aglomerarispontane.weblog.ro/2004-12-05/20168/Manifestul-Aglomerarilor-Spontane---A-Flashmob-Manifesto.html. 
12. ^ Ed Fletcher (23 December 2010). "Failed choral 'flash mob' may not have qualified for term". Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/911773--failed-choral-flash-mob-may-not-have-qualified-for-term. Retrieved 2010-12-30. 
13. ^ ^{a b} Goldstein, Lauren (10 August 2003). "The Mob Rules". Time Europe (18 April 2003 issue) 162 (7). ISSN 0040-781X. OCLC 1767509. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,474547,00.html. Retrieved 2007-03-14. 
14. ^ ^{a b} Wasik, Bill (March 2006). "My Crowd, or, Phase 5: A report from the inventor of the flash mob" (Subscription). Harper's Magazine: 56–66. ISSN 0017-789X. OCLC 4532730. http://www.harpers.org/media/pages/2006/03/pdf/HarpersMagazine-2006-03-0080963.pdf. Retrieved 2007-02-02. 
15. ^ Bedell, Doug. "E-mail Communication Facilitates New 'Flash Mob' Phenomenon", Knight Ridder Tribune Business News, 23 July (2003)
16. ^ ^{a b} McMartin, Pete (July 12, 2008). "Waterfight in Stanley Park, but are flash mobs starting to lose their edge?". Canwest Publishing Inc. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=f4b1b51f-1340-46b3-8c14-97405c63b5fe. Retrieved 2008-07-14. 
17. ^ ^{a b c d} Ian Urbina (March 24, 2010). "Mobs Are Born as Word Grows by Text Message". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/25/us/25mobs.html. Retrieved 2010-12-30. 
18. ^ "The Flash Mob". Cascades Female Factory Historic Site. Female Factory Historic Site Ltd.. http://www.femalefactory.com.au/FFRG/convicts.htm#Flash. Retrieved 2007-10-23. 
19. ^ Nold, Christian. "Legible Mob" (2003): p.23. http://www.softhook.com/legible.htm.
20. ^ Chris Taylor (Monday, March 3, 2003). "Day of the smart mobs". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/03/03/timep.smart.mobs.tm/. 
21. ^ ^{a b} McFedries, Paul (14 July 2003). "flash mob". WordSpy.com. Logophilia Limited. http://www.wordspy.com/words/flashmob.asp. Retrieved 2006-03-14. 
22. ^ Savage, Sean (16 June 2003). "Flash Mobs Take Manhattan". cheesebikini. http://www.cheesebikini.com/2003/06/16/flash-mobs-take-manhattan/. Retrieved 2007-03-14. 
23. ^ "Henry inspires English dictionary". BBC. 8 July 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/3876017.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-09. 
24. ^ "flash mob". Webster's New Millennium Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.6). http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/flash%20mob. Retrieved 2007-04-27. 
25. ^ "Putin protest by flash mob". BBC News. 28 February 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3496030.stm. Retrieved 2007-05-03. 
26. ^ Musil, Steven (11 February 2005). "This week in Web threats: The Internet is always good for a little fear and loathing". CNET News (CNET). http://news.com.com/This+week+in+Web+threats/2100-7349_3-5572700.html. Retrieved 2007-05-03. 
27. ^ Biever, Celeste (29 March 2004). "A Flash mob to attempt supercomputing feat". New Scientist. ISSN 0262-4079 OCLC 2378350. http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4826. 
28. ^ Gardner, Elysa (27 February 2004). "Avril Lavigne, in the flesh, at 'flash mob' appearances". USA Today. http://www.mywire.com/pubs/USATODAY/2004/02/27/384917?extID=10051. Retrieved 2007-05-03. 
29. ^ "China's new shopping craze: 'Team buying'". Christian Science Monitor. 5 December 2007. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/FindDealsOnline/ChinasNewShoppingCrazeTeamBuying.aspx. Retrieved 2008-02-12. 
30. ^ "'Silent raves' the next wave". Canwest Publishing Inc. Monday, April 28, 2008. http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/life/story.html?id=31d5d74c-b67a-4114-9b95-a7b06fc226aa&p=1. Retrieved 2009-01-25. 
31. ^ "Pillow Fighters Transform London into 'Urban Playground'". Epoch Times. April 12, 2008. http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-4-12/69052.html. Retrieved 2009-01-25. 
32. ^ Leith, Sam (1 January 2009). "Dancing to the music of a virtual world". London: The Telegraph UK. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/3638997/Dancing-to-the-music-of-a-virtual-world.html. Retrieved 2009-01-25. 
33. ^ "World Wide Pillow Fight Day". Newmindspace. http://pillowfightday.com/2008.php. Retrieved 2010-04-14. 
34. ^ "Flash mobs banned in Braunschweig". The Local Europe. 28 July 2009. http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090728-20875.html. Retrieved 2010-12-30. 
35. ^ Robert Leigh (2008-05-19). "Videos: Police step in to prevent Facebook flash mob events". Daily Mirror. http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-world/2008/05/19/videos-police-step-in-to-prevent-facebook-flash-mob-events-115875-20423056/. Retrieved 2010-12-30. 
36. ^ "Rail police criticise flash mobs". BBC News. 26 February 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7913034.stm. Retrieved 2010-12-30. 
37. ^ http://chattarati.com/neighborhoods/utc/2009/4/23/updated-police-officers-use-pepper-spray-utc-stude/ Retrieved December 30, 2009
38. ^ Maegan Smith 247-4751 (December 11, 2009). "Flash mob takes Old Dominion University campus by surprise". The Newport News Daily Press. http://www.dailypress.com/news/norfolk/wtkr-flash-mob-odu,0,5968562.story. 
39. ^ Lawyers.com. "Flash Mobs Step From Dancing to Crimes". http://criminal.lawyers.com/Criminal-Law-Basics/Flash-Mobs-Step-From-Dancing-to-Crimes.html. 
40. ^ Lawyers.com. "Flash Mobs Step From Dancing to Crimes". http://criminal.lawyers.com/Criminal-Law-Basics/Flash-Mobs-Step-From-Dancing-to-Crimes.html. Retrieved 19 August 2011. 
41. ^ "'Flash mob' robs Maryland 7-Eleven in less than a minute, police say". CNN. 2011-08-17. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/08/16/maryland.flash.mob/. 
42. ^ ‘Flash robs’ invade Canada
43. ^ "'Flash-mob' violence on U.S. streets – John King USA". CNN. http://johnkingusa.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/11/flash-mob-violence-on-u-s-streets/?iref=allsearch. 
44. ^ "On the Radar: Meteor shower, flash-mob curfew, custody death – This Just In". CNN. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/12/on-the-radar-meteor-shower-flash-mob-curfew-custody-death/?iref=allsearch. 
45. ^ "'Flash Robs' Vex Retailers". http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203752604576643422390552158.html. Retrieved 24 October 2011. 
46. ^ Leary, Mark. "Why People Take Part in Violent Flash Mobs". Duke University News and Communications. http://today.duke.edu/2011/08/tip-flash-mobs. Retrieved September 6, 2011. 

Further reading

• Agar, Jon (2003). Constant Touch: A Global History of the Mobile Phone. Cambridge: Icon. 
• Carey, James (1989). Communication as Culture: Essays on Media and Society. New York: Unwin Hyman. 
• "Smart mob storms London". BBC News. 8 August 2003. http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3134559.stm. Retrieved 2009-08-11. 
• Dickey, Christopher (22 March 2004). "From 9/11 to 3/11". Newsweek: pp. 27–28. 
• Losowsky, Andrew (25 March 2004). "A 21st century protest". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2004/mar/25/spain.newmedia. Retrieved 2010-10-03. 
• Melloan, George (12 August 2003). "Whoever Said August was a Dull Month?". Wall Street Journal: pp. A13. 
• Shmueli, Sandra (8 August 2003). "Flash mob craze spreads". CNN.com/Technology (CNN). http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/08/04/flash.mob/. Retrieved 2009-08-11. 

External links

• Flashmob Dance Jakarta on YouTube
• Flashmob Documentary Podcast from kablam.tv
• "Manhattan Mob Meets its Maker" - Wired News