The world needs more flash mobs!
I was planning to take Monday off the blogs, but then I found myself procrastinating about going to sleep and somehow ended up on YouTube. As I sat searching interviews and other clips I happened to inevitably type in Lady Gaga and it brought up the following video of an impromptu street performance in Madrid which further research told me was called a "flash mob".
Amazed by this phenomenon, I began searching for more. A "flash mob" as I understand it is where a group of strangers break out into dance or some other group activity seemingly out of nowhere and then after they finish they quickly disperse as if nothing had happened.
Naturally, once dancing was on my mind, I began wondering if people had done Michael Jackson flash mobs and it turns out there are hundreds. One of the most famous was done in Stockholm and involved over 300 dancers on July 8, 2009, dominating a square organised by a group called BOUNCE.
After being inspired by Stockholm, a group of people performed Beat It in the middle of an intersection and at a crowded train station in Bucharest, Romania, on August 29, 2009 (Michael Jackson's Birthday).
Now, as my adventures in flash mobbing continued, I stumbled upon one for The Sound of Music from Belgium involving 200 people spontaneously coming together to dance to Do Re Mi. I have to say this video has to be one of the most joyous four minutes I have spent watching something and if it does not make you smile then you have no soul!
However, I then turned my attention to wondering just how big these things can get and found one that took place in Seattle this year featuring three songs from the TV show "Glee" involving around 1000 people dancing. Remember what I said about the "Sound of Music" flash mob being joyous? Well, scale it up people!
But wait, there's more! Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, just when you thought it wasn't possible for it to get any bigger or better...along comes Oprah and goes EPIC with it! Check out what happens when you have a flash mob of 21,000 people!
Flash mobs are not just limited to dancing, but I do think they are possibly the most enjoyable and inspiring thing to watch when a huge group of people randomly come together are dance in-sync to music. That said, you can do things like a pillow fight flash mob, a chanting flash mob, a silent disco flash mob...really, anything that would be fun to see a big group of people do together.
What did I learn from watching all of these wonderful videos? That random acts of awesomeness like this make the world a better place and just for those few minutes, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, how much you earn, who you love or what colour your skin is - it's people working together as one. At least to me, it's hope on film.
So, would you take part if there was a dancing flash mob happening near you? What song or songs would you most want to do a dancing flash mob to and if not dancing, what would be your favourite kind of flash mob activity?
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You know there is a Wellington flash mob right? (FB search: Flash Mob Wellington) sadly they have been rather dormant lately.
They are more of an impromptu of doing random things like pillow fights by the bucket fountain, rather than doing song/dance performances. I have long aspired to be in one though, The major drawback is that it takes so much effort to organise, if I had the time I would sure be involved in organising them.
Any effect you hoped to have with these videos is destroyed by terrible quality.
I tried to organise a Flash Mob of KoRn's "Freak on a Leash" with the Ewoks on the forest moon of Endor. But, I must have phrased the invitations wrongly because, when I got there, the place had been over-run by hundreds of young children enjoying a teddy-bears picnic as they sang "The Eensy Weensy Spider" (with synchronised hand movements) :-}
It wasn't all bad, though. My evil patience was rewarded when a fight broke out between those menacing 3 year olds as they argued over whether it was "The Eensy Weensy Spider" or "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" *rubs hands with glee* ;-)
So, tedious 'impromptu' gatherings of nerds. We need more of this why?
Too much to download on one page - work comp isn't coping! :(
Think that the RHBs did a silent disco flash mob on courtney awhile back... definitely good times when strangers do random stuff! Remember getting small groups of people to do "dead ant" (lying on back waving arms and legs for a minute) at airports which was amusing on a small scale - definitely idea for flash mob. Lambton Quay maybe?
The most impressive flash mobs are sudden stillness ones, think there is one in a major train station in the U.S - the flash mobbers mingle in groups of 2-3, or individuals, walk around the station and mingle with the unsuspecting public and when a horn sounds freeze in whatever state they were in, e.g putting a spoon full of yogurt to their mouth, grabbing their bfs hand and dragging them off, laughing at someones joke, and they stay frozen for, I think up to 3mins, it was AMAZING to watch.
@ Thalia,
Can you help me out with something?
Are you and Darth Michael actually an item, Or is it that you just fancy him?
I don't mean any disrespect, its just that you mention him in most of your posts
@Phil #8 - I think there was one of those in one of the main Stations in NYC? I must get googling again tonight :)
@Dandy - you are SO behind the times, didn't you know geeks are SO in right now? ;p
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There have been numerous incidents of flash mobs in Auckland.. dunno what wellingtonians do.
There was the crowd that gathered at 1pm at the Burger King on queen street (the Imax one not the other two) and mooed at the same time and then all left.. made burger king a bit pissed as they when crazy prepping food and noone bought any.
Then there was the Mexican Wave down queen street last year, the pillow fight in Vulcan Lane and a massage clinic set up for 30 minutes in freyburg square. All organised by The N.O. pretty sure there was other stuff too but those are the only ones I know about.
I think a flash mob Time Warp or Thriller would be up there but if you look on youtube there are probably multiple examples.
Perhaps the Hokey Pokey? Or we could all just march like stormtroopers to the imperial march with Darth Michael in the lead.