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Subscribe to RSSThis looks like a pretty entertaining and silly way to spend a Saturday. Did you take part in the seventh Mp3 Experiment in New York? Tell us about about your experience. If not, then read more about the event here.
Jessica Rinaldi / Reuters
A woman hides in a patch of ivy in Bryant Park as she takes part in the Mp3 Experiment in New York on Oct. 2. The event, organized by Improv Everywhere, involves hundreds of participants listening to a synchronized mp3 file and following the narrated instructions to perform quirky actions.
Jessica Rinaldi / Reuters
A girl slow dances with an article of clothing as she takes part in the Mp3 Experiment in New York's Times Square on Oct. 2. .
Jessica Rinaldi / Reuters
People wrap each other in toilet paper as they take part in the Mp3 Experiment in New York's Bryant Park on Oct. 2.
Jessica Rinaldi / Reuters
People throw toilet paper in the air as they take part in the Mp3 Experiment in New York's Bryant Park on Oct. 2.
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Silly. Yes. and wasteful.
Hey, we cleaned it up :]
What the hell is the Mp3 experiment?
It's a lot of fun - http://improveverywhere.com/ - you should do it next time if you're around NYC.
And when you thought you've seen it all! ??????????????
What a sad day when people have to behave as this to find entertainment or meaning to their lives instead of doing something useful with their time like helping their fellow man or easing suffering of others when this planet is so full of sadness, pain and suffering. This gives them a sense of value and worth?
"This gives them a sense of value and worth?"
Yes, it does. Having fun gives people a sense of value and worth.
I assume you never go to the movies, watch tv, listen to music, read books, hang out with friends, go to museums, or do anything else that's fun. You spend every waking moment volunteering at hospitals, correct?
Why must you be such an uptight, haughty, better than everyone kind of person? We did ease the suffering of others. We high fived random strangers, made them smile, we gave each other gifts and you know what? As a person who is shy and always staying home to study or only leaving home to go to school or work, it was pretty nice to unwind and force myself into a social situation where I was forced to have fun and make friends. My friend suffered a tragic loss not too long ago, and I dragged her out yesterday and she had the best time of her life - she forgot all her trouble and for 54 minutes, she also got to unwind. Loren, don't be judgmental, and don't you dare knock it until you've tried it. See you there next year - if you still find it a waste of time, well, don't move to NYC; us New Yorkers are kind of nuts, not wearing pants to the train and walking invisible dogs and all.
Wow, Loren -2412409... I participated in this event, and I had a lot of fun.
I also volunteer with the homeless, donate to charities and am in school for psychology. I didn't do this event to have a sense of value and worth. I did it to have fun. So... That being said... What is your problem with people having fun?
I think Tom Wolfe wrote a book about a similar "Test" some years ago, but I see that the results are more easily quantifiable and accepted today. Yea, it looks like fun, did The Authorities know about this before it commenced, so as not to cause a conundrum? Hope so, and I hope all the participants had fun. Personally, I believe that if more people had fun, there'd be less trouble. Ribbit.
MSNBC actually has one fact wrong, it was not "hundreds" of people, but about 4000. It was fun; we started out in retail stores around Times Square, admired products, slow danced with stuff, then outside, we froze like in the movies, we high fived strangers without headphones, we walked funny, we "raced", we drew portraits of strangers, drew continents of the planet, gave strangers gifts, and mummified each other with toilet paper and had a "mummy dance party". That being said, with over 4000 people, the Bryant Park lawn reserved, cops joining in on the fun, stores participating, and this being the 7th MP3 Experiment, I can safely say that the authorities were informed and fine with it. Improv Everywhere does a lot of fun things and I honestly think that if you're not a New Yorker but are coming to NYC, you should try coming at a time when they're doing an event. I've also been in their No Pants day, when we go without pants on the trains. People like Loren can be all haughty, but so many of us are so stressed with school and work and other crap and it was incredibly nice to let loose for 54 minutes. I'm also an incredibly shy person who never goes to parties much and I never go out of my way to make friends, but yesterday I was forced to open up and have fun and I'm glad I did it. And if she thinks it's stupid, she's disrespecting a whole lot of old people - I think one of my favorite part was seeing old people participate and it made me and my fiancé smile and hope that 50 years later, MP3 experiments are still going to happen - or something cooler - and we will still be participating with out walking canes and hearing aids. Sorry for the long novel.
Okay. Now I know.
I'd do it. I also want to join a flash-mob if I ever get the chance. No harm in it. Lighten up Loren.
It was simply a joyful event. The passerby's kept asking me "what is this?" I don't know how to answer, it's just about over 3,000 people getting together and having fun - there is no explanation. It's not a "flash mob" - it's a very large group of improvisational actors who are just having fun! If you got a laugh out of it, then I am pleased.
People stopped me too; I just kept quickly saying "Google MP3 Experiment and do it next year".
This was my first improv gig and i absolutely loved it! You need to try it to understand the whole dynamic of the experiment. This was about having fun. And have fun we did.
I started out at the GAP store on Times Square and there were more than 200 participants there. The store was completely filled. The staff had no idea what was happening, but were very friendly about it. It was absolutely brilliant to get together with absolute strangers and do a slow dance with dresses. We had to freeze inside the store cause not all of us could get out in time.
The looks we got on people's faces when we high fived them and when we were all walking toward Bryant Park was priceless! It felt like there was a wide spread case of contagious laughter going on all over the place. Bryant Park was a completely different treat in itself. We got together, drew continents, dressed us as mummies, drew each other's portraits, exchanged gifts, sang the birthday song, Highfived each other, in the end parted with smiles on our faces.