Comments on: San Francisco Freeze, A Synchronized Snafu

By: Joe Casserly

Joe Casserly — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:35:43 +0000

If I took the image of the Mona Lisa, ran it through PShop so that it was a crisp duotone, made the blacks red, printed out hundreds of copies, and built a giant mondala, would that be “copying”? At what point does the new diverge from the old? Not everyone is an artist; some are just enthusiastic. Regardless, the attempt makes the world a brighter place.

I had a great time “freezing” in the rain. Did NY do it in the rain with oodles of umbrellas? What about the girl half way through her French fry for five minutes?

Some consider trashing others an art form. Are we just getting catty here?

Wishing others were more creative than they are is a waste of your own creative forces. Let it go.

By: Jimson Varley

Jimson Varley — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:32:23 +0000

If you think of the Grand Central freeze as a work of art, then redoing it in SF is exactly
as creative as a xerox of the Mona Lisa.

If you think of the Grand Central freeze as the script of a play, then redoing it in SF
is exactly as creative as staging Romeo and Juliette.

just a question of perspective. I do wish more people wanted to be sculptors than
actors, though.

By: Joe Casserly

Joe Casserly — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:03:17 +0000

Remember: If you cannot create anything beautiful, the second best thing is to tell everybody how ugly everything is.

By: gail

gail — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:39:20 +0000

i actually do not mind being negative. the posers who think this sort of thing is funny or cool have never had an original thought anyway.

By: Joe Casserly

Joe Casserly — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 21:38:18 +0000

There’s always a critic; that’s the easy part. Do something original yourself, or just “do” something rather than complaining. I’m grateful that somebody’s doing anything. The event sounds fun. I’m sure that I’ll have a good time and so will many others. “My” experience will be unique.

By: Bueno Appetito

Bueno Appetito — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:55:36 +0000

Hey let’s do it again and again and again and again….

Nothing is better than the first time! But not in the American way here. Pseudoreid and others are just interested in publicity and outdoing what others have done before…. constant competition, neither are a good solution. Just do of yourself with a group of friends… it will become a legend if that’s what you’re after.

By: Pseudoreid

Pseudoreid — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:04:15 +0000

@ Alex Mann

I don’t mean to be completely negative, but I can’t help but voice my opposition to remaining stagnant and forgetting to remain innovative. I understand the concept that there’s nothing new under the sun, however, some are clearly obvious repeats of others.

I love the idea of flashmobs and culture jamming, but I feel that they are now being interpreted as a novelty, and not as an artistic idea. Furthermore, the gatherings of which I have participated in have been poorly organized, which frustrates those who did show up to have some fun. Flashmobs need a strong leader who can quickly and succinctly explain what’s going to happen without sounding like a government official.

I challenge the SF community to better align their thinking and concept some truly unique flashmobs/culture jams. I for one would love to leave an element of semi-permanency during an event that is fleeting and spontaneous, hence the idea of creating a public sculpture. I want to remain somewhat socially disruptive without becoming a permanent nuisance to officials.

By: Alex Mann

Alex Mann — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:17:34 +0000

I actually disagree. Most Things are endlessly recreated and reinterpreted. Most flash mobs are exactly that; recreations of earlier ones…The Pillow Fight, The Public Marching Band, The Spontaneous Applause, The Urban Iditerod, Zombie Mobs. I’m not exactly sure what the deal is with trying to “one-up” the next group, but if you have an idea, you should most definitely try and execute it as opposed to comment negatively about another one in a blog…

By: sticky

sticky — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:22:02 +0000

@ Pseudoreid:

Totally. SF is being completely unoriginal – we should do something *different*, not played out.

By: Pseudoreid

Pseudoreid — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:22:55 +0000

Can’t SF flashmobbers think of something that hasn’t been done already by NYC?

Seriously! What about creating an impromptu sculpture?

By: Kevin M

Kevin M — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:30:34 +0000

Here’s the facebook event: http://brandeis.facebook.com/event.php?eid=21610170709