Group+9A

Definition and a Short History By: Alexandra Daugherty ﻿ 
 * __FLASH MOBS AND THEIR GLOBAL IMPACT __**

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The term “flash mob” was coined by one of the original mobers. He named it after a 1973 science-fiction short story titled “Flash Crowd.” The story deals with the unexpected downside of cheap teleportation technology and packs of thrill seekers who beam themselves in whenever a good time is going down. To him, this was exactly what a flash mob did: beamed themselves in for some thrills and then quickly left unexpectedly. In 2004, the Oxford English Dictionary defined a flash mob as, “a public gathering of complete strangers, organized via the Internet or mobile phone, who perform a pointless act and then disperse again.” The idea of the flash mob was invented by Bill Wasik, an editor for Harper’s Magazine, in June 2003. While bored one day on his computer, Wasik decided to try a sociological experiment in regards to the new hipster culture. He created an anonymous e-mail and forwarded it to all his friends and family. The e-mail asked people to meet at a Claire’s boutique, stay for seven minutes, and then disperse quickly. To keep the appearance of normal city traffic, participants were asked to come from different directions assigned by their birth months. Yet when the group arrived, police were waiting at the door. Unwilling to give up, Wasik organized a second mob with some minor adjustments. “I found four ill-frequented bars near the intended site and had the participants gather at those beforehand, again split by the month of their birth,” he wrote in Harper’s Magazine. “Ten minutes before the appointed time, slips of paper bearing the final destination were distributed at the bars. The site was the Macy’s rug department, where, all at once, two hundred people wandered over to the carpet in the back left corner and, as instructed, informed clerks that they all lived together in a Long Island City commune and were looking for a ‘love rug’” (Wasik, pg. 58). This second attempt was successful enough to spawn many more flash mobs across the nation, and eventually to every continent save Antarctica. The media loved reporting about flash mobs, and the constant publicity helped the movement to grow. The use of social media websites, texting, e-mail and other forms of electronic communication helped the various flash mobs remain a surprise and kept the creators anonymous. Bibliography: Wasik, B. "My Crowd: Or, Phase 5." Editorial. Harper's Magazine Mar. 2006: 56-66. Harper's Magazine . Web. 14 Nov. 2010. .

Flash Mobs for Haiti By: Emily Trevisan

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Haiti’s history includes waves of political upheaval, corruption, poverty and tragedy. Considered to be one of the least developed countries in the world and already plagued by hurricanes, floods and food riots, the Haitian people could not have been prepared to handle the 7.0 earthquake that hit January 12, 2010 and the events to follow: the loss of schools and government buildings entirely, the widespread Cholera epidemic, and the crumbling of capital, Port-au-Prince.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">In response to these drastic new circumstances, children perform hard labor jobs to make money instead of going to school. The outbreak of Cholera had killed about 1400 people to date and many Haitian people in turn demonstrate violently against United Nations peacekeepers. The total cost of the destruction is thought to range from $7.2-13.2 billion and almost 300,000 people have lost their lives.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Out of this tragedy comes compassion for Haiti from other countries through flash mobs, which try to spread awareness and fund-raise from unsuspecting crowds. Two major flash mobs were executed after the January earthquake in Haiti.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">On January 23, 2010 at 1:53 pm (the same time the earthquake occurred in Haiti) Journey Student Ministries organized about 150 people through texts and blogs to dance to a compilation of classic American oldies. This organization acted immediately to raise awareness and ask for donations for the Haitian Relief effort. Their video was posted on utube and a few blogs and includes some information about organizing the flash mob. They targeted corporations and companies big and small to pledge money for every time the video was viewed. The video has been viewed at least 31,767 times to date and JSM sent four people to Haiti to work directly in the relief effort. Their blog has not been updated in about eight or nine months, however, except for the number of views of the video of their flash mob.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Metrotown Centre, Barnaby, B.C.media type="youtube" key="FqGl2DpceEs?fs=1" height="385" width="640" **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">On March 13, 2010 also through a few blogs and their website, Flash Mob America organized about 100 people to take part in a highly choreographed Michael Jackson routine. A flash mob was already in the works for Hollywood, but after the earthquake FMA decided to dedicate this project in particular to Haiti. The fund-raising/awareness strategy from FMA was to solicit individual donations from viewers after posting their video to utube. They provided specific codes to text based on the amount you wanted to pledge, whether it was one time or per view. To date, FMA’s video has been viewed about 68, 925 times and they raised more than $3,000 for the Haitian Relief effort. But like JSM’s efforts, there also have not been any updates to FMA’s website regarding their Haiti flash mob in several months.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Hollywood, Californiamedia type="youtube" key="fUJICDJNnqM?fs=1" height="385" width="640" **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">In response to these major flash mob events, a number of smaller organizations such as Christian groups, youth groups and different universities from around the world posted to blogs and face book to arrange smaller events to make their own contributions throughout May and June of this year. Other individuals choose to create and post video montages of Haiti in another plea to donate to established organizations such as the Red Cross. In general, 30,000 to 60,000 views of a video over seven to ten months since the video posting does not sound like a lot, especially considering that the video views of flash mobs inspired by the TV show “Glee” have reached as much as 987,000 or more in only five or six months.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The impact of flash mobs on audiences seems to be well received surprise. Upbeat music and fun dance routines catch people’s attention and generate interest among crowds to find out the intent of the flash mob. The responses, support, and interest generated by a flash mob event however strong at first can be considerably short lived, especially in Haiti’s case. But maybe the compassion and technological networking of international strangers is still praiseworthy considering that as much technological capability we have available to us today through our iPhones and iPads, it has not been with us long. Perhaps we will see more amplified and longer-lasting responses in the future. And any money raised for the Haitian Relief effort from flash mobs is just another avenue of support for the Haitian people. Small donations still count towards the greater good.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%;">Bibliography:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Flash Mob for Haiti [Video]. (2010). Burnaby: Journey Student Ministries

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Flash Mob for Haiti: Hollywood and Hyland [Video]. (2010). Hollywood: Flash Mob America

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Haiti. (2010, November 20). The New York Times. Retrieved November 21, 2010, from []

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 200%; line-height: 25px;">Flash Mobs in the US Spreading Awareness <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 190%;">By: Glori Reantaso

media type="youtube" key="9FhMMmqzbD8?fs=1" height="345" width="576" align="right" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Freedom of speech has allowed Americans to express their thoughts whether it is through a protest or trying to raise awareness for a cause.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">When you think of a protest, you think of people chaining themselves to a tree or chanting and holding signs in front of the White House. However, passion combined with creativity has led to flash mobs, an alternative way to protest.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Through the use of YouTube, everyone can see the creative flash mob protestors dancing and singing their message.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Here are a few examples of flash mobs in the US:


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Target Flash Mob **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The YouTube video above shows a group of activists that were angry at Target over its financial support of an anti-gay candidate in Minnesota.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">According to //change.org//, the video comes courtesy of agit-prop and The Backbone Campaign. It's not just Target's support for an anti-gay candidate that has progressives steaming. It's that they tried to use their corporate money to buy an election. And while Target isn't the only party guilty of this, they are really the first ones to get burned. 62,000 people and counting pledged to boycott via Facebook, as well as tens of thousands of petitioners urging Target to make amends for their shady political work.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Fiat Chrysler Bailout Flash Mob **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">media type="youtube" key="azE0qjeYhSM?fs=1" height="354" width="441" align="right" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">The YouTube video to the right shows consumers and union members performing a flash mob dance at the Washington, DC auto show to protest Fiat/Chrysler's broken promises.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">According to //latestcarnews.net//, Fiat/Chrysler received billion in the taxpayer-funded auto bailout that was meant to help the economy and save jobs. However, the company is now moving work away from the professional car haul companies that have delivered their vehicles to dealerships for many years. The loss of this work could put these carriers our of business, leaving up to 5,000 people without jobs and health care. And by using cut-rate carriers, Chrysler risks the new cars being damaged when delivered.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 160%;">Bibliography:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Jones, M. A. (n.d.). Flash Mob Takes Over Target | Gay Rights | Change.org. Gay Rights | Change.org. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Latest Car News » Blog Archiv » Fiat Chrysler Bailout Bandit – DC Auto Show. (n.d.). Latest Car News. Retrieved November 24, 2010, from http://www.latestcarnews.net/2010/02/fiat-chrysler-bailout-bandit-dc-auto-show

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 200%;">Flash Mobs Around the World <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 180%;">By: Rachel Shapiro

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">People have been dancing and surprising people around the world in the form of flashmobs. Usually spontaneous, but organized and planned out, flashmobs caught interest quickly through the spread of global technology. Many are trying to spread a global message to the rest of humanity, and through YouTube this was made possible.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Spreading the word about flashmobs usually occurs through emails or evites, as well as social media, making for easy global access through the internet. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Last year on Michael Jackson’s birthday, several flashmobs occurred. In Mexico, 13,957 people danced to thriller in the streets, while Chinese participants danced to “Beat it” in Macau, China. Other [|flashmob tributes] happened in Romania, Montreal, Stockholm…and the list goes on. Some believe this could spread the electrifying joy of Michael’s songs and dances, reminding people that it is not to late to claim peace and fellowship for youthful hopes in the world. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Other flashmobs are made to raise awareness for a global cry for help. American flash mobbers joined together after the Haiti earthquake to raise money for[| Haiti’s Earthquake Relief Fund.]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">YouTube commenters call some flashmobs “epic” and “amazing.” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">Here are just a few of the most famous flashmobs from around the world that give you an idea of the variety of music flash mobbers use, and just how far and wide they spread. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">-"100 Single Ladies flash mobbers dance to Beyonce in London’s Picadilly Square" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">-"Sound of Music flashmob dance in Belgium’s Central Station" <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">-"Backstreet Boys flashmob in Ukraine"

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">So in the short existence of flashmobs, they have gone global, viral and can happen spontaneously, at any time for any cause, and to any type of music, in a town near you!

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Bibliography:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Top Ten Flash Mob Dances Around the World. (2010). Hub Pages. Retrieved November 23, 2010, from http://hubpages.com/hub/Top-ten-flash-mobs

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Michael Jackson Flash Mobs Around the World. (2010). Hollywood: Flash Mob America <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">Dickens, R. Michael Jackson Flash Mobs Around the World. Indyish.com. Retrieved November 23, 2010, from <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">from http://www.indyish.com/michael-jackson-flash-mobs-around-the-world/

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">YouTube. (Videos) []

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 200%;">Flash Mobs and Advertising <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 180%;">By: Sarah Kovash <span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 180%;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">With the popularity of flash mobs, they have become a great way for subtle advertising. Many companies have taken advantage of the opportunity to grab the attention of large groups of people in public places with the massive demonstrations. For example, T-mobile has "lifes for sharing" with which they organized a flash mob in Liverpool and they even have a "lifes for sharing" Facebook page.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">﻿Recently at the World Cup over the summer, 36 women were arrested for showing up to the World Cup games wearing the same orange dress. The women who were able to catch the attention of the cameras broadcasting the games were actually paid by a Dutch beer company to wear the dresses as advertisments for the company. The company was able to use the opportunity to sublty (and cheaply) advertise their product.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">﻿Ford was another company that took advantage of the opportunity that flash mobs presented with its "Fusion Flash concerts." The company threw impromptu concerts in an effort to promote the then new Ford Fusion.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">﻿However, Bill Wasik who wrote an extensive essay on the topic and who claims to have invented the flash mob, asks the question of whether or not these massive and quick flash mobs have a lasting impression?

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 170%;">﻿Bibiliography:

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">﻿My Crowd by Bill Wasik: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">﻿Dutch beer company: []

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 130%;">﻿T-mobile: []