MOB #4
07/16/03
Mob #4, tonight, was at Otto Tootsi Plohound, a very expensive shoe store on Lafayette Street. According to the instructions, we were "on a bus tour from Maryland. You are excited but also bewildered. It is as if the shoes were made in outer space."
Mob participant Jane peruses the instructions at Bleecker Street Bar.
Mobbers on the way into the shoe store.
Inside, the large shoe store is completely full; there were probably 200 people there.
This clerk went for the phone soon after we got to the store.
On the way out:
These actual customers didn't seem to be having much fun. Perhaps they were from Maryland.
After five minutes, we dispersed. Alas, "dispersed" mostly meant milling around on the sidewalk.
Can I just rant about how useless it is to pretend we're all on a bus tour from Maryland when there are multiple radio reporters there with fancy recording equipment and professional-seeming photographers with fancy cameras?
More photos at Moist and Tasty. Strange Radiation has a nice writeup of the event, as does Fancy Robot. Fred Hoysted has some great photos, including one of me. Mob(b)log has some thoughts and links to other coverage.
And speaking of inexplicable mobs, what's with the hundreds of people waiting to get in to the Toys R Us in Times Square on Thursday morning? And the hundreds of others gawking at the ugly black SUV parked on the median between Broadway and 7th Avenue a block south? These were definitely not mobs of New Yorkers; that much is certain.
( MOB #2 at Macy's | MOB #3 at the Grand Hyatt | MOB #5 in Central Park | MOB #6 at Toys R Us )
8:10 PM | Comments (22) | TrackBack (2)
Comments
hey! there i am!
Posted by: r at July 16, 2003 11:19 PM
Sorry to post again, but I agree you about the cameras - especially the people with SLRs and flashes.
f*cking flash.
Posted by: r at July 17, 2003 10:21 AM
i was disappointed with #3 and made the decision to skip #4. these mobs aren't working. with all the cameras and people milling about and talking to the employees at the venue, the mob broadcasts itself as some kind of theater or performace, which i think goes directly against the spirit of it. BAN THE CAMERAS, i say. STICK TO YOUR ROLE OR DON'T PARTICIPATE.
Posted by: ikes at July 17, 2003 03:01 PM
Unfortunately I had to miss this one, but I was afraid this sort of thing would happen. Though I kinda like having cameras around (just so I can see the photos later) I agree with ikes. See my blog for more comments on those who violate the no-more-than-ten-minutes rule.
Posted by: Ginger at July 17, 2003 03:49 PM
I was headed into the Times Square TRU this morning to get my action figure fix when I ran into those crowds. It turns out there was a celebrity appearance by Hillary Duff, the teenager who plays "Lizzie McGuire" in the eponymous TV show and movie.She was there promoting the new Video Now from Hasbro - it's a little $50 black and white portable tv set that only plays special disks of approved programming. I imagine the limo belonged to her as well.
I was (un?)fortunate enough to enter the store just as Hillary was making her entrance, and got an earful of several hundred pre-teen girls shrilly screaming. That, I tell you, works way better than coffee as a morning wake-me-up.
On a side note, I'd love to see some enterprising hacker get his hands on one of those video now units and reprogram it for more interesting uses.
Posted by: Elvis Duke at July 17, 2003 05:56 PM
The first official Detroit Flash Mob will happen in about 2 weeks! RockCity FM is a postmodern trans-cultural collective interested in using odd or fantastic group events to shift the way that people think about the future---while having fun at the same time!
Posted by: Sirius at August 6, 2003 10:40 AM
You may want to take a look at these entries. He's vulgar, but makes some good points, especially in the second post.
http://incestuousamplification.blog-city.com/read/167188.htm
http://incestuousamplification.blog-city.com/read/172377.htm
Posted by: Jer at August 8, 2003 04:01 AM
I would like to start flash mobs down here in Brazil. Do you guys have some orientations? Or I can do it and organize it as I feel? Some problem with that? Thanks for the attention!
Angelo
São Paulo - Brasil
Posted by: Angelo at August 8, 2003 10:16 AM
The first brazilian flash mob group. Be part of it. Subscribe to flashmobbersbrasil@yahoogrupos.com.br We need tips and ideas. We're already planning the first flash mob to next week. Any suggestions?
Angelo
Posted by: Angelo at August 8, 2003 02:52 PM
i want to organize one in California that aside from just being an organized mob, i want the messages to be focused around the re-call election movement, government lies, U.S's lack of worthy journalist, and the Biggie and Tupac case which was halted by former Police Chief Bernard Parks (and his 2 daughters) and thier ties to LA crips. would anyone wanna help?
Posted by: citizen nonsense at August 8, 2003 05:53 PM
I am interested in a Flash Mobs in Detroit, MI
Posted by: Scott at August 12, 2003 12:05 PM
I am interested in a Flash Mobs in Detroit, MI
Posted by: Scott at August 12, 2003 12:05 PM
Returning to Detroit aria soon. Also seeking Detroit flash mob info.
Posted by: Steve at August 12, 2003 02:23 PM
I've seen several posts asking about a Detoit area FM and I've visited the site by RockCityFm that promises one will be happening soon, but there's no info about where and when. Maybe that's the point, we won't know until the last second. How will I be included then? This needs to be done!
Posted by: Brian at August 13, 2003 12:39 PM
Ah yes, the "flash mob". The latest bandwagon for trendy alterna-dorks to hop onto. Where do all these sheep come from? Just looking at the pictures we see an above-average concentration of people displaying all the signifiers of "I'm so desperate to be hip. Please be my friend!"
Photo #1
Woman with elaborate tatoo not-so-subtly revealed from sleeve. What do you want to bet it's one of those bogus "celtic" dealies?
Photo #2
Check out the three clowns with the purses, er, I mean over-the-shoulder children's schoolbag/courier pouch things. Perhaps that's where they keep their matching Big Ugly Muttonchop sideburn grooming kits? One of them is even wearing capri pants, or something.
Photo #3
Oh yah. Guy in the foreground with the predictable eyeglasses with little black plastic frames -- just like Nana Mouskouri. Doesn't he realise the long greasy hair is so last week? More of those fruity-ass shoulder bag things than I can count. How many people are yakking on their dorkfones here? Why?
"Hi Mom, it's Blaine. I just called to let you know I'm doing something very trendy. Oh, and send money. Bye."
Photo #4
This one's pretty boring, except for what looks like another of those shoulder bag things.
Photo #5
Aeeeiii!!! Let me the fuck out of here! I'm surrounded by sad tossers! Look how excited everyone is to be there. They're so excited, they're taking pictures of each other talking on their cel-phones, wearing their shoulder bags, and their faux-1970's-inspired fashions. But wait! Near the upper-right corner we find our prom king and queen. I think you know who I mean. The guy in (can it be?!) the mesh "trucker" cap, the nasty black framed glasses, and the Paul-Anka-Havin'-My-Baby hairdo, talking to the woman with (yes!) the bobby pins pasting her hair so fetchingly to one side. I guess he's not going back home to his apartment with the vinyl bean bag chair and retro 8-track player by himself, if you know what I mean? wink-wink
Photo #8
Which way to the Star Trek convention?
Now I ask you -- can you believe these are the grandchildren of the same people who landed on the beaches of Normandy? What the hell happened?? I think I need to ride my aluminum folding scooter to the martini bar to sooth my nerves.
Posted by: Arfur Smithers at August 22, 2003 07:30 AM
You flash mobbers are real clowns, albeit clowns with, apparently, a bit of free time. Why don't you flash mob and spell out the word "loser"?
Posted by: Scott Shields at August 25, 2003 05:31 PM
It might be useful for you Detroiters to get in front of those 100 Canadian garbage trucks that come into Michigan every day to dump their crap.
Call it a flash traffic mob jam.
More purposeful than hanging at the mall.
Posted by: charlie at August 29, 2003 10:52 PM
my opinion is that's stupid,that's what I think...
Posted by: sandy at September 24, 2003 04:19 AM
nie ma to sens8u
Posted by: nina at September 24, 2003 04:22 AM
Performance art at it's worst!
It could be great if there weren't a group of band wagon morons who hear about the next one thru word of mouth.
It would be good if there was a turn around quiet membership group of 100 people (preferrably serious performers) in each city who once a month does this flashmobb'in. Could be quite entertaining to watch.
Posted by: Sharon at November 30, 2003 03:40 PM
I love Satin!
Posted by: Mia at March 26, 2005 06:30 PM
I'm confused. Are the mobs of people, fans of Satan's Laundromat or something? If yes, they are, then that's cool. I'd like to be part of them someday.