Flash Mob: The Pop Culture If you see a group of people dancing and singing on the street or in the railway station, you don’t need to feel surprised. They are a flash mob. Who are they? Are they mobs (暴民)? 小题1: Actually, a flash mob is a group of people who gather suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a brief period of time, and then quickly separate. A flash mob is usually organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communications networks. 小题2: At a predetermined time, they gather and perform some tasks such as exchanging books, coming together to look at the sky, waving their hands and yelling something at the top of their lungs for 30 seconds. Then, they quickly disappear before the police can arrive. Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper’s Magazine, organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob gathered on June 3, 2003 at Macy’s department store. More than one hundred people stepped onto the ninth floor carpet department of Macy’s department store, gathering around an expensive carpet. Following this flash mob, about 200 people flooded the lounge of the Hyatt hotel and applauded for about fifteen seconds. 小题3: Flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock people. Such an activity might seem amusing, but it might also frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place. 小题4: They also have enormous economic potential, such as using flash mobs to advertise a product. 小题5: People use it to do many things. For example, in 2009, Michael Jackson’s fans took part in a flash mob to remember him. Hundreds of his fans gathered outside the railway station in Liverpool. They were singing and dancing Michael’s famous song “Beat It” together. And in another example, some people took part in a flash mob to tell more people not to use negative words. Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory.
F.The messages may be forwarded to friends, who forward to more people. G.Undoubtedly, flash mobs can serve as good political tools in any direction. |