I’ve got a slightly longer post about the Web and society in the pipeline, but I couldn’t resist posting something about this when it popped up today. In the article, the self-proclaimed “inventor of the Flash Mob” writes about the goals and methods behind the creation of the “social phenomenon” and what he’s learned from charting its progress. Mainly, it seems, he’s simply proven his initial hypothesis (that “Hipsters” are mindless, consumerist sheep) correct.
Or at least that’s his take on it.
Having experienced the “thrill” of being in a Flash Mob myself, I can attest that while I may not have known exactly why I was taking part, I really don’t believe that I was seeking any sort of social validation, or demonstrating an utter lack of individuality. Rather I was just curious as to what the deal was, and when the opportunity came to check it out, I did. That said, I can appreciate where the author is coming from in his attack on Hipster culture; I think Willie Nelson said it best in Half Baked: “Getting high [in the 60’s] wasn’t the thing to do because it was the thing to do. It was the thing to do because it got you high!”
Flash Mobs, being designed as perhaps the ultimate “Thing to do because it’s the thing to do” would seem to prove the easy malleability of today’s scenesters, but I think there’s maybe a little bit more to it than that. What of the SMS-aided downfall of Philippine President Joseph Estrada in 2001 (pre-dating “Hipster” Flash Mobs by 2 years, btw) for instance? In an age where government wants to know where we are every minute of the day, perhaps having a method for being where we’re not expected is a good strategic asset.
Basically, all I’m saying is that it feels kind of cheap to write off Flash Mobs as just (forgive the pun) “The wave of the future!” =)
they only care if you drive…