Flash mobs might be a relatively recent phenomenon, but there are certainly a few key events which can be seen to have inspired many subsequent organisations.
The first modern day flash mobs were thought to have been created by the senior editor of Harper’s Magazine, Bill Wasik, back in 2003. The flash mob was to be held at Macy’s, a well-known department store in Manhattan – although the first attempts at staging the event were foiled as the store was tipped off in advance. Of course, this was before flash mobs were widely organised online and through the use of email. Participants were less likely to find out instructions for taking part whilst shopping online or playing games of poker.de, and so instead they met in four separate Manhattan bars in order to receive their final instructions for the event. More than 130 people then gathered together in the rug department of the store, telling shop assistants they all members of the mob lived together in a warehouse, and that they were shopping for a ‘love rug’. Following this, 200 people performed a synchronised applause in the he lobby and mezzanine of the Hyatt hotel, and participants also flooded a shoe boutique in SoHo, claiming to be tourists on a bus trip.
These were some of the first and most notable modern day flash mobs to have taken place, but Wasik actually considered them to be a part of a social experiment. He claimed that the concept was designed to poke fun at hipster culture, which was prevalent in this area. Everyone wanted to be a part of the ‘next big thing’, which lead to much cultural conformity. It was something which would allow large gatherings of people to take over commercial spaces, even if just for a short period of time. However, some feel that this goal might have backfired somewhat, as more and more people have been keen to be part of such projects.
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