Today I took the journey to the Mp3 Experiment at Riverdale Park. The experiment was put on by Improv Everywhere and the turnout was enormous. Everyone had downloaded an Mp3 and was following instructions that were spoken by Steve, the omnipotent being speaking to us from above (and by above he obviously meant through our headphones). Steve sounded like an amicable omnipotent being and once in awhile he said some comical things and played some music that sounded like it was straight out of a video game.
I like to see people getting out there, participating and sharing experiences. This was very much akin to another Mp3 experience I had awhile back when I went dancing in Dundas Square. However, whereas the Mp3 dance party held some sort of sense of wonder (likely from the endorphins created during the frenzy of movement, the mood lighting and the sense of a shared secret) the Mp3 Experiment was very different. Although the beginning and the end of the Experiment were spent in a guided meditation, the whole experience was so chaotic and random that there was no real sense of flow or purpose.
Improv Everywhere's slogan is: "We Cause Scenes" and in that sense today's event was no let down. With over 300 people gathered wearing matching shirts, twirling umbrella's and hitting each other with balloons, the scene was indeed a sight to behold. I know people had a good time, you could see it on their faces. They shared an experience and got a chance to get out and do something different and novel.
Personally, as thrilled as I am to see people getting out and doing things, I am on the lookout for more meaning in the interactive experiences I participate in. I am not sure exactly what today's experience was trying to accomplish. Actually that's not entirely true. They were trying to cause a scene. And that they did. But beyond that there was nothing to really sink your teeth into. There was no deep meaning to be found in the random thumb wars or chaotic game of twister. There was nothing gained from randomly attacking people with balloons and falling to the dusty ground. So although a scene was made and people seemed to have a good time, the lack of clarity left me lacking in any real sense of connection to the event or attachment to the outcome.
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4 comments:
It's really interesting you say that re: the purpose of the whole thing. I had exactly the same feelings. I described it to one of my friends as "fun, but pointless". It was certainly fascinating, and I think it forced people into situations that challenged their comfort zones a little bit (physical closeness with strangers). But it ultimately didn't interest me the way the small-scale ImprovEverywhere missions do: engaging passers-by in a temporary new reality.
I've blogged about today a tad as well, on my new blog, though without the meaningful commentary. ;)
http://backoftheroom.wordpress.com/
Hey Sharilyn,
Thanks for sharing that! I agree, I find the smaller experiences they do more compelling for sure. However, it all boils back to their tag line for me. They make scenes, and though many are more innovative then the Mp3 experiment, I still don't really see a definite point to any of them or a lesson people are supposed to walk away with. But none-the-less, I still find a lot of their stuff amusing and neat!
Well i can't tell you how i fully feel about it as my MP3 player was broken!! LMAO the girl in this picture you have up there was telling me what to do for awhile, hilarious!
If you look at examples of the past years(on the site) I think they were a bit more fun and brought everybody together a little more -still pointless, but there were elements of working together and it was a little more organized and less chaotic.
Thanks! I will check them out!
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