Birmingham MOB completed
We have dispersed. The Birmingham flash mob is over. The world's first altrusitic mob event left the Oxfam store on Corporation Street stunned when the group descended on them this afternoon.
Stripping off their clothes and waving them above their head, the mob proceeeded to donate the clothes to the store whilst singing 'Give it Away' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
We're proud to announce that this was the world's first altruistic mob.
Other mob organisers take note. The media attention has reached a critical mass that can only distract from the ultimate goal of the flash mobs. Let the beast die.
http://mobstirs.no-ip.org has powered down.
Posted by the.mob_stirs at August 16, 2003 03:26 PM
The link seems to be broken. I`m organizing a flashmob in Brazil and made a poll with my blog`s readers on having a charity flash mob. Most people seem to be against it.
I was happy to hear someone finally used this powerful mobilization tool, the flash mob, to do something with a purpose. Performances are nice and fun, but charity is also quite necessary.
love,
rosana
The media has reached a critical mass? What is that about and who cares. To be attentive to the media in any respect is to turn a flash mob into a statement that is media reactive. i.e. ignore them , for when they go away and they will as their attention span is so small, then just who will attend a mob at all.
P.S. congratulations on the Mob
I think this mob idea was superb. They have managed to be altruistic without being 'political' and to combine having fun with an act of selflessness.
My only question is: why are they saying "There will be no more Birmingham mob events"? This seems a pity.
Media coverage for this one is likely to be muted, in line with the organisers' wishes. But there is a piece over at www.ananova.com.
RE: "There will be no more Birmingham mob events"
Fred said: This seems a pity.
It means that mobstirs will not be organising another.
There's nothing to stop you stirring your own.
Following comments from some of our members, we are examining the possibility of opening the Yahoo group up and letting everybody interact without us. We are now obsolete. The structure is in place.
It was a great act of kindness. A legacy has been left, an example set to other mobs :) There was a fair bit of media coverage, but this is to be expected as journalists have access to the same comunication as the mobbers. In time the media will get bored.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/birmingham/features/2003/08/flash_mob/flash_mob.shtml
The Secret 7000 would be glad to be the instigators of future Flash Mobs In Birmingham. If you're interested, feel free to join up to the site and use the new Flash Mob Forum Section.
(http://secret7000.com)
By the way, Mob Stirs commented upon the negative effect of strong media interest in such things. The Fact of the matter is, that Flash Mobs, by their very nature, arent meant to be predicted. Swarms of Camera men and interviewers, kind of give away such things. Thus essentially damaging the effect.
I regret I was unable to attend the Flash Mob today because I could not afford the train fair. I would like to offer everyone the optunity to join the secret7000 attempt at creating one, however this is likely to not take place for some time (as said before, I mean if the store expects it its pointless, let it breeze over) Do what dodo said, join the forum!
i love dik
does anyone know about this flash mobbing a tv programme (as part of the audience). There was an article somewhere about how to get tickets in bulk and concealing rotten tomatoes for example, for a lively political debate.
anyone fancy a shrewsbury flash mob
can some one email me detils of forthcoming events please
cheers
I think Liverpool should definitely be flash mobbed. Surely the very popular Matthew Street Festival would provide an exciting opportunity (and also be extremely amusing!)
come on any interest in shrewsbury flash mob theres so many snobby bastards here thay need it to liven them up
'Devlin rose' said: "There was an article somewhere about how to get tickets in bulk and concealing rotten tomatoes for example, for a lively political debate"
Are flash mobs not supposed to be 'apolitical', at grass roots level? Chucking rotten toms at politicians (even though most do deserve such treatment) is hardly apolitical, now is it? Just my two shillings.
'Devlin rose' said: "There was an article somewhere about how to get tickets in bulk and concealing rotten tomatoes for example, for a lively political debate"
Are flash mobs not supposed to be 'apolitical', at grass roots level? Chucking rotten toms at politicians (even though most do deserve such treatment) is hardly apolitical, now is it? Just my two shillings.
Flashmob in Liverpool hey? We'll see about that.
;)
Keep your eyes peeled.
This is the FIRST I have heard of such 'phenomena'...I am in the states, Maine(northern New England). I commend the selflessness and comradery and I agree...WHY stop? The world needs more....much, much more
Interactive reality. The Village Pub .. the Community gathers. ... the global village exists.
But in efforts to 'join' .. what if some wish to seperate?
Few can see any future for the World if it remains segregated into pockets that remain 'set in their ways' If all those that felt that the best future was one of co-operation towards globally shared goals, were to find ONE large enough space to flash mob (and all could afford the fare to get there!!) ... I really believe that we'd see most humans there.
The one Birmingham sentence that stands out when I read it is ... "we were out being creative, reminding ourselves how to smile and making something new."
Well if this movement of REAL people is to continue, let it be ever creative, let it forge the new thinking we all need for a more "holistically balanced tomorrow" .. and above all ... let it remind the world that the vast majority of people want to 'Smile' and have a good healthy life on a clean planet.
The word "fun" is not to be crushed. Fun should not be labelled as something reserved for holidays and 'days-off'. Fun can be progressive and the energies of a 'people' can be magnified through fun.
Fun is not an escape from a toil of terror, or a thing of luxury. In the constitution of every living being on this Planet (and prob. others) it should state that life must be helped develop in the pursuit of happiness.
Donating clothes to Oxfam brings a happiness that you can only image and it extends a short burst of Corporation street Happiness to maybe one or two Villages that smile un-named.
Let's continue to make the good-times into shared times both locally and globally.
Long live the power of best intent. The seeds of this creative and maybe surreal energy can be grown to provide much fun, much community spirit and much more.
If 'togetherness' is a bad thing, then somehow... this 'gathering' tradition will close. But if the joining of people to people across social, political, attitudinal and geographical (mock) boundaries is viewed as 'bad' before it happens, then somehow, those that wish to see it end will work to terminate it.
Am I an optimist?
Do I see the potential for good fun whilst others work at tainting such as 'fun most 'oRRiBlE!! ' . yeah .. prob. ! but somehow, we can't go on and on and on in an insular path of endless island television watching or Comp. game playing etc. leaving the task of 'unifying goals and reasons to live' on the back burner.
All the best of the best from the best to the best
Grant
Hi All people concerened about Brum Mobbing
I am planning a Flah Mob outside the new Bull Ring, if interested please email me Julie.A.Ingram@BTinterent.com, anybody willing to help please email aswell this could be the best flash mob ever considering the amount of people going to the bull ring at the moment, the site will be up soon!
Fire away with questions