Flash Mobs

For a moment in the mid-naughties, they were the coolest of all cool social media-fuelled meme-thingos.

What a coincidence! The entire mob is wearing Milo T-shirts!

I’m talking about flash mobs, the groups of strangers who gather in a public place to do something like dance a routine, freeze in a contorted pose or smack someone over the head with a pillow. At their best, flash mobs, which are typically organised through social media, are flickers of spontaneity, bursts of community in CBDs filled with busy suits.

In recent years though, they’ve become a whole lot less cool. That’s because they’ve been gatecrashed by another crew: the cash mob.

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  • Dave says:

    11:05am | 24/02/12

    Just letting you know the term “cash mobs” is now a reference to a flash mob who goes to struggling local small businesses and spend money. Everyone agrees to spend at least $20 which can’t be on bargain buys, although bargains can still be bought above that amount of course.… Read more »

  • Jason Todd says:

    10:54pm | 09/02/12

    There is one on youtube that you should check out. It was a series of flashmobbers that rocked up at a kids little league game like it was the final game of the world series. They rocked up in team colours, faces painted, banners, signs and I seem to recall… Read more »

 

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