Performance Art? Flash Mob? Fun? Mass Collaboration? All of the above.

Flash mobs are becoming a big part of the viral hit scene on Youtube. Just take the University of Kansas Jayhawks mens basketball game flashmob this week - over a quarter of a million hits since posted on the KU Athletic Youtube Channel . Over the next few years it will be interesting to see as this trend grows.

Will it cause problems? yes.

Will it cause controversy? Yes, there will be times it will be innappropriate, done poorly or smack of commercialism masquerading as grassroots (brown roots I guess. ;-)

Will it be fun? Sure.

What will it be? Who knows -more "random acts of culture" like from the Opera Company of Philadelphia's Hallalujah Chorus in a department store at Christmas or another in a food court in November or Flashmobs dancing to MC Hammer in Clothing store. Yes, more of that too. But as more organizations like Improv Everywhere formalize performance art and companies realize the marketing potential of a viral video (Old Spice Guy) it is sure to have an impact.

These cultural things are things we should discuss and think about as we talk about societal shifts. As society shifts culture and entertainment shift as well.

Oh yes, and speaking of viral videos, Shift Happens. ;-)