Comments on: Everything You Know About Flash Mobs Is WRONG

By: Walter

Walter — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 20:18:16 +0000

I’m glad I had this article so that I could know what really happened

By: Technically Philly » Links: Jeff Deeney on flash mobs, Arlen wants stricter privacy laws and more | Covering the Community of People Who Use Technology in Philadelphia.

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:31:24 +0000

[...] we tweeted, Phawker contributor Jeff Deeney gives flash mobs his social-worker -experience [...]

By: Valrayne

Valrayne — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:55:34 +0000

I don’t think john was implying anything about media hype. He was just making the observation that your poor journalism and white guilt flies in the face of those involved in the “event” that were injured and had their businesses vandalized.

And Mithras is right. You have no credibility if the extent of your research is via online social networking sites.

By: Daily Links for March 31st through April 1st | Akkam's Razor

Daily Links for March 31st through April 1st | Akkam's Razor — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:01:33 +0000

[...] Everything You Know About Flash Mobs Is WRONG – damn good. [...]

By: Daily Links for March 31st | Akkam's Razor

Daily Links for March 31st | Akkam's Razor — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:01:47 +0000

[...] Everything You Know About Flash Mobs Is WRONG – damn good. [...]

By: Mithras

Mithras — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 16:27:23 +0000

Also, Deeney gets snotty about “media actually investigat[ing] claims”, what kind of investigating has he done here? This is the entirety of it:

“When the story first broke I spent hours scouring Twitter and Facebook looking for evidence of a trail I could track back to those calling for a flash mob, and couldn’t find it.”

Nowhere did he find a source from the PD or the city to ask why they called it a flashmob. He basically accuses them of incompetence and whipping up “sensationalized media frenzy”, but doesn’t bother calling them and asking the question. Deeney doesn’t even find a source to define what a “flash mob” is, but just assumes that if it doesn’t involve twitter and facebook, it’s not a flash mob. He wanted to write an opinion piece saying that white liberals are at fault for the violence on South Street, and he pulled the rest out of his ass. Well done.

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:01:22 +0000

Hey, Do something productive today. Wouldn’t that feel good?

By: Ed

Ed — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:53:04 +0000

Thanks for the thoughtful, informed discussion. I agree that the media did a horrible job investigating the causes of these incidents.

By: Mithras

Mithras — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 01:51:18 +0000

Yeah, fuck you, too. We get your point: You’re racism-free and going to let everyone else know about it. Good for you. Seriously, what difference does it make whether the kids out that night got there because of twitter or a text message? Articulate the substantive difference or shut the fuck up.

By: Larry W

Larry W — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:56:03 +0000

Hi Deeny,

I actually agree with everything you have to say about the gathering on South Street as well. I’ve never agreed with calling these things “flash mobs”.

Although, personally, I think the race aspect has been overstated here.

Mithras said exactly what I thought about that part; It’s a large crowd of teenagers… its kinda unsettling.

The reaction from business owners on the block is sad and, to a degree, shows something a little unsettling. At the same time, the fact that large gatherings on South Street have a bad history is well documented. One need only look at the occasional Mardi Gras, Greek Picnic, and gatherings of last summer that resulted in a massive amount of violence to see that.

And it was 3000 teenagers.

I’ve come to the defense on the kids by and large. By most accounts, this was actually incredibly tame with businesses seeing record profits because of it. Throw in that only a few actual incidents were reported and maybe, maybe, 1% of the crowd was violent… and this thing was blown so out the water its amazing.

You’re right, thought; we need to do more to help poor communities as a whole around Philadelphia and bring everyone up instead of tearing people down. Focusing on the things that make life better for everyone… that’s what I would like to so see.

By: brewgrass

brewgrass — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:01:47 +0000

deeney,
I, too, work as a social worker in some of the meaner parts of town. right now i am specializing in convincing families in west philly and southwest philly that school is a worthwhile weekday activity. i have followed your entries and find them interesting and refreshing. sad that “in the shadow” series has been shelved. one thing i find interesting is that high school kids in these poorer neighborhoods often attend school (read:not necessary classes) because that’s where their crew/girls happen to be. most of my truancy case load involve 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders. The high school kids at West Philly High may cut classes, but they are generally in school b/c that’s where the action’s at. Kinda like the gallery or south street.

By: deeney

deeney — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 23:10:01 +0000

John, so you are advocating for more racially motivated, sensationalized media frenzy because your friend got fucked up? Or you think it was an appropriate amount of racially motivated media frenzy? While Mithras seems to agree with you that igniting racially motivated media frenzy prior to getting the basic facts straight is a good thing, I generally don’t think it is. I like it when the media actually investigates claims made by law enforcement agencies and supports their stories with evidence, though at least Mithras seems to think accuracy is expendable as long as the general thrust is correct. I also like it when the media locally and nationally and readers locally and nationally give a shit when violence occurs in poor communities, not just when it happens in white neighborhoods. I think if more people, especially white liberals, were involved in communities other than their own these kinds of racial and economic divides wouldn’t be so great, and our position as a society less precarious.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:35:03 +0000

Groups of violent, psychotic Philadelphia teenagers has nothing to do with race, it has to do with violent, psychotic teenagers. Convince the victims that it didn’t really happen… that it is all in their heads and that they should be less racist.

You seem to portray yourself as some sort of voice for the poor black masses in the badlands, rallying against the evil exploitation of white journalists. I would contend that what you are doing here is more far more exploitive and condescending. Some social worker.