Some of My Favorite Things: Musical Flash Mobs Brighten My Day

I’m tired of the cynicism of Perez Hilton’s blog, the overexposure of pseudo-celebrities tweeting, and just the overall schadenfreude of the online culture. Now granted, I do admit that I snicker at the occasional YouTube video that features the celebrity flavor-of-the-month falling on her face, but sometimes I miss the cheesy innocence of how entertainment used to be (“The Cosby Show” anyone?). When did everyone get to be so mean?

At the risk of sounding really, really old, I miss the sweet innocence of the good old-fashioned musical. Yes, I like the predictable “boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl-through-a series-of-mishaps-and-misunderstandings, and boy-gets-girl” formula. Don’t waste my time with thinly-veiled political message musicals; I love the saccharine Rodgers and Hammerstein dreams-can-come-true musicals. I am a romantic at heart.

So that’s why I love the YouTube sensation “Break Out in Song.” Break Out in Song is a New York arts organization that unexpectedly performs musical theater selections in outdoor public spaces. By combining flash mobs and YouTube with some song and dance, Break Out in Song brings Broadway to the street and surprises random onlookers to a free show. Its guerilla-style performances show us what it might be like if everyone actually knew the words to songs… and the dance moves.

So, is someone going to strip away my social media “cool” card because I openly admit that I really like Break Out in Song’s impromptu bursts of musical happiness? Go ahead. I’m tired of online bullies who endlessly spew venom to entertain legions of anonymous online fans. I want to bring “nice” back to social media*. Social media should be about connecting with others, building up others instead of knocking them down, and sharing in a way that helps others. Because, quite honestly, these are a few of my favorite things.