you've been flashed!

a flash mob is when a large assembly of people appear in some random public place (determined before hand), perform an unusual act and then leave the scene just as quickly as they appeared, acting as if nothing happened. often time these antics leave the observers at such a scene in stitches or at the very least amused.

well, the whole concept of a flash mob was kicked up a notch yesterday in london. there were so many reasons for me to smile reading my online newsites yesternight. besides the inspiring us airways emergency landing on new york's hudson river, i read with delight what happened at london's liverpool station.

imagine if you will, going about your business at a train station, walking through what you would think would be a normal lunchtime commuter crowd, when all of a sudden the 400 people around you "spontaneously" bust out in synchronized dancing? it'd be like accidentally wandering onto a music video being filmed where everyone hip hops, discos and ballroom dances to shout, the only way is up, don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me, get down on it, since you've been gone, my boy lollipop and do you love me?


photo credit: press association

i for one, would be jumping up and down clapping, a smile from ear to ear. my friends can attest to me often lamenting the fact that i wished we all could just break out in song and dance in our daily lives. you know, a la west side story, grease or grease 2. (i don't care what anyone says, i loved grease 2)



and although most calls for flash mobs are organized through social networking sites, this staged flash mob was coordinated by t-mobile for a commercial that was aired around the world via youtube today. and although some purists will pan this "flash mob", i think it would've still been pretty awesome to witness. i certainly would've been dancing and cheering from the sidelines!

the first flash mob was created by new yorker bill wasik in 2003. since then, noteable and famous flash mobs include:

zombie walk - zombies remaining in character, shuffling, groaning, slurring out "brains." for added realism, human participants would be planted along the zombie route to be "mobbed and eaten" thus creating a new victim for the zombie army. my lord, not sure how i would react if i had to witness THAT live. (i'm sure christopher is chuckling at me for this one.)


leicester square, london

frozen flash mobs - the best frozen one took place in paris on march 8, 2008, involving 3000 frozen people and coordinated by the absolutely buh-rilliant folks at improv everywhere. but the best reactions to frozen flash mobs belong to new yorkers, of course.


grand central station, new york

circle line parties - organized by the space hijackers , these were subway parties on london underground's circle line where revelers would smuggle in sound systems, disco lights and tequila bars disguised as luggage. due to not having permission from the underground or the british transport police, revelers would only party whenever the train traveled into the tunnels. but when the trains approached stations, everything would stop and the revelers would act like they were bored commuters. could you imagine cluelessly stepping onto one of these trains?

the last circle line party was held on may 31, 2008 and attended by thousands in full-on protest, one day before the new mayor, boris johnson put a ban on drinking of alcohol on trains.


the last circle line party, london underground

incidentally vyvy and i were keeping an eye on the space hijacker's website for any announced at the last minute new years eve party when i was in london over the holidays. but alas, there was no such event planned.

last september, the space hijackers hatched a pirate themed party in the greenwich foot tunnel, a 24 hour public footpath running underneath the thames river. dang. i would've loved to have partied at something like that. *flashback to my raver days*

speaking of which...

silent discos/raves or mobile disco - where dancers listen to their ipod or tune in to a dj/fm transmitter through personal wireless headphones in a public space due to noise restrictions. spectators would be treated to an assembly of people dancing, yet hear no music, save for the hooting, hollering and stomping of feet.


wireless headphones at edinburgh festival, scotland


personal mp3's in the turbine hall at tate modern, london

damn. LONDON SO ROCKS! i love london! i miss london!

how much fun it would be to watch these displays of social connectedness? wait a minute. f*ck that. how much fun would it be to BE a part of these flash dance mobs? pure liberation!

as the girl with the ipod and earphones glued to her ears EVERYWHERE she goes, i would LOVE to partake in such a danceteria with other like minded guys and gals!

that would be such an 'EFFIN RAD thing to be a part of!