What would you do if you came upon a scene like this?

[BurtWorm]

This is one of my favorite "happenings" for lack of a better word, designed and directed by artist-performer Charlie Todd of Improv Everywhere for Grand Central Terminal in August 2001. What's amazing is the almost immediate affect it had on virtually everyone who entered this great, normally throbbing public space. It's a work of art that forces you to think and react whether you were ready to or not. Its potential as a form of protest (note one of the commentors caught on audio who picked up on that possibility as an explanation of the literally arresting scene suddenly breaking him out of the ordinary) is particuarly interesting to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMj3PJDxuo&feature=player_embedded

[bbinacan]

1. Weird but still pretty cool. n/t

[Old Codger]

2. Great

Absolutely great, thanks

[amborin]

3. a group breaching experiment? or what?

[gratefultobelib]

4. How cool! Thanks for sharing! I would never see stuff like this if it weren't for DU!

[TrogL]

5. Join in - flash mobs are fun

[Cirque du So-What]

6. Almost completely unrelated

For some reason I was reminded of a sci-fi story I read in my early adolescence. A visitor from an advanced civilization was sent to disrupt the normal functioning of society. On a busy street, he began staring into the sky, which drew ever-increasing numbers of gawkers, after which time he quietly withdrew & began making mischief elsewhere. That's all I remember about the story, but this flash-mob scene put me in mind of it for some reason.

[zeemike]

7. I love those flash mobs.

i wonder who came up with it.

[Th1onein]

8. This is great!

I like the idea of flash mobs, too.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

9. Hey, I got a friend to shop with me in the style of The Russian Ballet

in the middle of an MK Crafts store, about 2 years ago. The musak made us do it!

Guess that's the answer to what I would do!!!!!! Heeeeeeeeee! :D

[barbtries]

10. that was cool

thanks

[justabob]

11. that was cool

It would definitely be interesting to walk into that scene. The crowd reactions are fascinating too. I can't imagine holding a pose for five minutes, especially with spectators prodding me!