The media has been hollering the past couple of days about VIOLENT “flash mobs” terrorizing the streets of Philadelphia.  Tonight the story was prominently featured on NBC Nightly News.  What’s not clear to me is if any of the participants themselves are referring to the gatherings as “flash mobs” or if that’s just the term the media has decided to use. 

In an interview with the NY Times a Philly public safety official states that he’s reluctant to use the term flash mob as it’s typically used for things that are performances.  Exactly.  Teenagers using mobile technology to get hundreds of friends to come hang out downtown is not a flash mob.  If some of those teens riot and break laws, it certainly has nothing to do with flash mobbing.

I’ve worked hard over the years to disassociate Improv Everywhere from the term flash mob for several reasons (our group started 2 years before flash mobs were invented, our events don’t always have mobs, our events are rarely over in a flash, etc.)  I’m happy to see that, at least so far, IE’s name has not been brought up in any news coverage.  I’m bummed to see peaceful events that others work hard to produce like Pillow Fight Day and Santacon being tarnished because the media wants to use a buzz word.