cheesebikini?: Europe's First Flash Mob

July 24, 2003

Europe's First Flash Mob

Photo from la Repubblica: www.repubblica.it A flash mob went down today in Rome, as an estimated 100 to 300 people flooded a books and music megastore. They asked employees for nonexistent books. They broke into a round of spontaneous applause. Then they dispersed.

Here's coverage in Italian from the newspaper la Repubblica, and here's a clumsy English translation. The photo, courtesy of la Repubblica, shows mobbers evacuating the megastore.

In the comments attached to this posting, you'll find a report from our Senior Rome Correspondent "JJFlash."

If you have more photos, please send them (or links to them) to photos[at]cheesebikini.com. More to come.

Posted by sean at July 24, 2003 03:28 PM | TrackBack (2)

Comments

Good show, 300 is an amazing turnout. Why is applause so popular I wonder?

Posted by: montrealmob on July 24, 2003 04:04 PM

Hehe.. :)

First of all, La Repubblica exaggerated about the number of people, I think we were one-hundred or so.. but anyway, it was great fun! :D

As for the applause.. yes I know that I've not been particularly original, but I was more worried about the number of people that would have actually been present rather than the ideas... I just wanted to "taste the ground" for this first mob..

I made a mix of two NY mobs: the Love Rug mob and the Hotel Mezzanine mob. In the first part, I invited people to ask about non-existant books to the clerks, and they had some clever title and author inventions, I have to say :)
Then, we moved to the sides of the upper floor and did the applause.

The "Messaggerie Musicali" security was really going to be pissed off just as soon as we ended the applause... whew!! :)

I've already wrote a report of this mob, in Italian, and I will translate it into English real soon and put it online on my site.

I apologize for my bad English, it's almost 2 AM over here now, and I really am having a hard time speaking English :)

Posted by: JJFlash on July 24, 2003 04:50 PM

congratulations, guys! what a great turnout! looking forward to seeing the next idea you Roman flash mobbers cook up...

Posted by: janemcg on July 24, 2003 05:55 PM

cooooooooooooool!!!

Posted by: candy on July 25, 2003 02:09 AM

Yeah we was about one hundred, and it was very fun!
In particular the stand in go ovation (applause)...

Some clerks say that we didn't make photo... but flashmobbers with smile in face flashing evrythings :)

sorry for my english i was too much italian :D

too much journalist i think.

See you later at next flashmobbing!
Cya!

Remember "italian do it better"

next time Sunday morning in St Peter?

Posted by: Sandman on July 25, 2003 02:31 AM

yeah, italians do it better :> i was probably the first to enter "messaggerie musicali".. i approached the guy asking "le avventure del gibbone ("ehy, it's a new one, that's called "the monkey adventures" abroad!") and then giving a look on the shelves.. then in half a minute everybody was at the first floor :> i counted 160 people, but that's a clue.

really, it was great.
PS: jjflash, so io quello a cui risposto simpaticamente "m come mavafangù" ahuuha :)

Posted by: ReNero on July 25, 2003 03:36 AM

it was fun!
sometimes we forget how to play that's all!

The place we "invaded", now a big Bookshop, was a bank in the past, I remember me there, some years ago, often standing in a long boring queue, from now on my memories of that place will be different...
continuiamo a mobbizzarci

Posted by: silevainvol on July 25, 2003 07:40 AM

shit, i didn't know anything

Posted by: grim on July 27, 2003 09:12 AM

El Gato was there!
You can check my picture of the event at http://meeeow.textamerica.com/default.asp?r=18175
or in the archives of UR.
Cheers!

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You may want to read this. He makes some good points.

http://incestuousamplification.blog-city.com/read/172377.htm

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