Shawyer dissertation May 2008 final version - The University of ...

organized by anyone with access to the Internet or anyone with a mobile phone with atext-messaging capability, there is no clear distinction between authentic and inauthenticflash mobs, that is, between flash mobs that form for reasons of fun as part of hipster orInternet culture, and those that form for material gain. “Bill” originally conceived of flashmobs as apolitical, but they work as open texts which anyone may use for their ownideological purpose.The potential for flash mobs to be used for various ideological purposes also hassome resonance with the Yippies’ revolutionary action-theater. The public performancesof the Yippies had the clear political purpose of making “some statement” about the war,President Johnson, and the Democratic Party. Yet because the Yippies networked with avariety of activists and followed the do-your-own-thing principle, these performanceswere open to different and at times conflicting political viewpoints, strategies, and tactics.Thus some activists vandalized the Grand Central information booth clock in a fit of rageagainst the Establishment while others generously shared their popcorn with passers-byin a gesture of goodwill. The resulting chaos at the Yip-In was directly due theconflicting opinions of its participants.Yet the ideological openness of networked performances like revolutionaryaction-theater and flash mobs offers great potential their use as a tactic for socialorganization, cultural commentary, or political campaigning. In 2003 Tom Grow ofMobProject.com predicted that flash mobs would move from their status as a fad to alegitimate organizing weapon: “I believe that people will use this eventually to promote anew product or event, even political leanings or specific agendas. There’s a lot of219