Flash mob

This article is about the social activity. For other uses, see Flash mob (disambiguation).

A public pillow fight in Bologna, Italy

A flash mob (or flashmob)[1] is a group of people that assembles suddenly in a public place, performs for a brief time, then quickly disperses, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, and/or artistic expression.[2][3][4] Flash mobs may be organized via telecommunications, social media, or viral emails.[5][6][7][8][9]

The term, coined in 2003, is generally not applied to events and performances organized for the purposes of politics (such as protests), commercial advertisement, publicity stunts that involve public relation firms, or paid professionals.[7][10][11] In these cases of a planned purpose for the social activity in question, the term smart mobs is often applied instead.

The term "flash rob" or "flash mob robberies", a reference to the way flash mobs assemble, has been used to describe a number of robberies and assaults perpetrated suddenly by groups of teenage youth.[12][13][14] Bill Wasik, originator of the first flash mobs, and a number of other commentators have questioned or objected to the usage of "flash mob" to describe criminal acts.[14][15] Flash mob has also been featured in some Hollywood movie series, such as Step Up.[16]

  1. ^ "Facebook flashmob shuts down station". CNN. February 9, 2009.
  2. ^ "Va-va-voom is in the dictionary". BBC. July 8, 2004. Retrieved May 5, 2010.
  3. ^ "definition of flash mob from Oxford English Dictionaries Online". Oxford University Press. July 8, 2004. Archived from the original on May 10, 2011. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  4. ^ "Mixed feelings over Philadelphia's flash-mob curfew". BBC. August 12, 2011.
  5. ^ Athavaley, Anjali (April 15, 2008). "Students Unleash A Pillow Fight On Manhattan". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2008.
  6. ^ Fitzgerald, Sean D. (March 21, 2008). "International Pillow Fight Day: Let the feathers fly!". National Post. Canada. Retrieved May 19, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference fibre was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Time Freezes in Central London". ABC News. April 30, 2008. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
  9. ^ Sandra Shmueli (August 8, 2003). "'Flash mob' craze spreads". CNN.
  10. ^ "Manifestul Aglomerarilor Spontane / A Flashmob Manifesto". December 5, 2004. Archived from the original on February 9, 2007. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  11. ^ Ed Fletcher (December 23, 2010). "Failed choral 'flash mob' may not have qualified for term". Toronto Star. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  12. ^ Annie Vaughan (June 18, 2011). "Teenage Flash Mob Robberies on the Rise". Fox News. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  13. ^ Erin Skarda (May 12, 2011). "Flash Mobs Turned Criminal: The Rise of Flash Robberies". Time. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  14. ^ a b Bill Wasik (November 11, 2011). "'Flash Robs': Trying to Stop a Meme Gone Wrong". Wired. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
  15. ^ "'Flash Mob' Attacks Used By Gun Rights Advocates To Build Concealed Carry Support". The Huffington Post. August 8, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  16. ^ "'Step Up Revolution' Director, Choreographers Talk Flash Mob Attraction and Former Martial Artist Ryan Guzman's Debut". The Hollywood Reporter. July 26, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2020.