The Latest Fever

Photo courtesy: newsnextbd.com

The latest craze among youth all over the world is organising flash mobs in a public place to shock and awe the general public. Shopping malls, train stations, streets and airports are some of the popular venues for flash mobs. Large numbers of flash mob members blend in with the general crowd and then all of a sudden break into coordinated dance, apparently for no reason, surprising the daylights out of the others. The 'fun element' is of course central to any flash mob – the whole idea is to go a bit crazy and spread the craziness.
Young Bangladeshis at home and abroad caught the flash mob fever during the ICC World T20 cricket season – performing a curious dance number to the catchy song “ Char Chhokka Hoi Hoi…”
Watching the videos of these flash mobs produces mixed feelings of compatriotism and slight embarrassment – such public displays of euphoria are a little jarring to the uptight Bangladeshi mind. Hence the look of utter bewilderment among people in various parts of Bangladesh as young women and men pranced uninhibitedly in the middle of a train station or busy street.
A flash mob is like a well-orchestrated prank carried out by a group of people – sometimes the numbers are high enough to qualify as a mob. There are innumerable videos on YouTube of funny flash mobs all over the world. There's one with a group of youngsters breaking into dance all of a sudden in a mall and a grumpy old security guard coming along to stop the commotion. But no matter how hard he tries the dancers just keep moving with more gusto until he is forced to go away, muttering in frustration. Another really hilarious flash mob video is of people walking along a quiet street in Japan (where even an unscheduled sneeze will be a bit of a shock) when suddenly a horde of people come running at them from the front. The look of petrification then relief as the mob disperses into opposite directions, is priceless. Of course if this had been a street in Dhaka or Chittagong where people are used to running mobs during hartals, oborods, or 'hijacker chases' this would be a routine occurrence.
In fact Bangladesh is one country where the idea of a flash mob may have taken seed much earlier than we would like to think. Jamaat-Shibir activists for instance, used the idea of a flash mob during their last political movement by suddenly appearing out of nowhere to terrorise people including the police attacking with weapons and petrol bombs and then mingling into the crowds. Not a flash mob we want to see again that.
The first successful flash mob was created in Manhatten in 2003, by Bill Wasik , senior editor of Harper's Bazar. More than 130 people gathered at Macy's departmental store and stood around an expensive carpet. When salespersons approached them they said that they all lived together in a warehouse and had come to choose their 'love rug'. Following this around 200 people went into the Hyatt hotel with synchronised clapping for 15 seconds and another big group pretending to be tourists stormed into a shoe store in SoHo. (Wikipedia).
For a country like Bangladesh where crowds are in abundance everywhere, flash mobs could be a good way to combat the monotony and stress of daily life. Imagine being stuck in a choking gridlock in the middle of Farmgate on a scorching summer day with 100 percent humidity. You are about to pass out in the heat when all of a sudden the vehicles honk the ICC WorldT20 theme song, the traffic police does a break dance and random youths converge around him to do the chicken dance. Some people get out of their vehicles to join while others do the dance while seated. This continues until the lights go green – now another flash mob erupts into a jig from the other side…
Like it or not, the flash mob fever is spreading. Those who like a bit of peace and quiet are in constant fear these days of when a riotous flash mob will suddenly pop up. Others who are bored stiff with their mechanical lives secretly hope that a flash mob will break out and often give knowing looks to random strangers.
Flash mobs could very well be the next big thing.