Flash mobs

This weekend i was (off-the-cuff) asked to explain flash mobs to a large group of colleagues. i feel a tiny bit odd that i'm the one explaining these - i'm not nearly cool enough. Anyway, flash mobs are a large group of people (a 'mob') dancing to a particular song played over a speaker in a public area, to the surprise of passers-by. The flash part is that this is very sudden; the music starts and mob-folk (from the crowd) coalesce into a dancing group.  It is planned for the dancers - the song is usually known, as well as the dance, and obviously the time and place. Some mobs take this further and plan costumes, etc. After the song is done, the mob usually melts back into the crowd. A popular song for this might be M. Jackson's Thriller, as most people already know that dance. Anyway, this can all be for a particular reason (commercial/advertisement/political statement), or just for the hell of it.

A good example of this is 100 ladies dancing to Beyonce's Single Ladies at Piccadilly Circus in London, apparently to promote Trident gum.

Sometimes passers-by know the song/dance combo and join in, which is AWESOME. This might be best demonstrated by a clip from my undergrad institution. My favorite part of this are the Corps (ROTC) guys around 3:50, hanging in there. Thanks and gig 'em.

i myself am strongly considering staging, in conjunction with LZ and as many of you as i can get to participate, a flash mob next spring, somewhere on State street to a Italian song (start around 1:23) which is apparently an approximation of English. i think i'm really just in love with the '70s-ness of this song - every time i see it i wonder WHY AM I NOT WEARING PANTS LIKE THAT?! Wow. Honestly, people, if i was forced to pick a single era from which to dress, it would be the 1970s, easy. Plus, the song is all limb-waving. You all can handle that, no problem.

As i mentioned this morning to Katherine RM, this business is seriously getting out of hand.


Also, i bought a ridiculous watch for myself while i was out Christmas shopping. i feel the need to justify this because, again, it's pretty darn ridiculous. First, i can ethanol it. Second, it will stay on my upper arm when i'm wearing gloves at the bench. Third, it was pretty cheap. We'll see how well it actually holds up?