Flash Mobs...All the Rage

Flash mobs: they seem to be slowly creeping their way into society. Whether it's a flash mob on T.V., a flash mob on the streets, or a flash mob at school, they are continuously increasing in popularity. Dictionary.com defines a flash mob as "a large group of people mobilized by social media to meet in a public place for the purpose of doing an unusual or entertaining activity of short duration". But what does this mean, exactly? What is considered a flash mob?

It's a 21st century term, first used in 2003 in Manhattan,  and it seems that it's all the rage nowadays. You can turn on the television to catch footage of a flash mob in New York City, or you can find a video of a flash mob on Youtube. You can create your own flash mob or you can be a part of someone else's flash mob. Either way, flash mobs are here, and they're taking over.





After watching this video, you might think to yourself, what's so appealing about a flash mob, anyway?

Well, my friend, here's one theory. Since the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans, humans have performed in musical theatre by entertaining others in song and dance. Singing and dancing have been a huge part of popular culture for hundreds of years. Of course, musical theatre has evolved over time and in modern times is a large part of Hollywood movies. Some current musicals include Wicked, Hairspray, and Burlesque.  

Have you ever watched a musical and thought to yourself, when would this ever happen in real life? Well, folks, that's where the flash mob comes in. A flash mob is an opportunity to bring a musical to life. If you're involved in a flash mob, or if you're a witness of one, you feel like you're actually in a real-life musical. What's not appealing about that?





You can't tell me that if that happened to you in real life, you wouldn't think it was THE COOLEST THING EVER. It's like being in a real musical, where everyone just starts singing and people join in, singing harmony. Yup, that's legit.

So now that you've realized why a flash mob is such a great thing, you might ask yourself, how does a flash mob happen?

It can't be all that difficult to plan a flash mob, but then again, nobody says it's easy. The main reason flash mobbing is such a modern thing is because social media is an absolute necessity for a successful flash mob.  The word of a flash mob is spread through social networking: Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. Once you (or whoever is planning the flash mob) rounds up all the participants, you all have to agree on a synchronized act to perform. That's where Youtube comes in. Typically, there's a tutorial video of a song or dance the mob will be performing on said date. Everyone involved is expected to learn their part.





See, flash mobs are even televised.

So basically, a flash mob is a chance for musicals to come to life. They're becoming a part of society, and more and more people continue to participate. Most importantly, they're just awesome.