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SQUIRREL!

Yell "SQUIRREL!" in a crowd, on a beach, in a major city or other crowded place and it triggers others to do the same.
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Somebody down the block hears you and also yells "SQUIRREL!" another block down another person hears that and responds with the same call and a chain reaction occurs.

Before you start, you open the "SQUIRREL!" app on your phone. You push the button and it registers this first call, its time and location on a map. The second person who hears you and joins in the fun does the same and all the participants get to register how far the chain reaction has reached. So you might be at a beach that's several miles long and create a chain that goes all the way along the coast for maybe a mile or more. Records will be noted and accessible so you might get a notification saying "SQUIRREL RECORD! Downtown Soho to Harlem, 10 miles, 235 participants, time 5 minutes." You'd also get a participation badge with a map showing where you were in the chain and where the other participants were.

Now when that gets old, people can suggest new words or phrases. You could check in and see which phrases are registered as suggestions and click like or dislike. You might also get a warning that somebody's about to yell "I LIKE TURTLES!" so you can get ready to yell the same if so inclined.

This might create a fad that, although passing, could be remembered like phone booth stuffing or eating paste.

Stupid? Yes, but that's the point. Might create a sense of community and lighten things up a bit.

doctorremulac3, Jul 06 2021

[link]






       //Might create a sense of community and lighten things up a bit.// Sorry you're having a heavy, lonely day [Dr. R]. Let me be the second to take up the shout of "BUNNNN!"
pocmloc, Jul 06 2021
  

       By the way, got this idea when we were the beach and somebody yelled "SQUIRREL!" (there was a squirrel on the beach) and I was struck by the fact that I felt the urge to do the same. Wonder if we have some kind of innate part of us that's like dogs barking. I lived in a neighborhood once with a lot of dogs and I could start a chain reaction of barking with my, apparently good enough imitation of a dog barking. I could hear the barks start up and fade into the distance. Sure the neighbors loved it.   

       So as well as being stupid, there might be some science in there. But mostly just stupid.
doctorremulac3, Jul 06 2021
  

       YAY for lightening things up here! +   

       Yelling “DOCTOR”
xandram, Jul 06 2021
  

       I looked at this post and yelled "NUTS!" Perfect.
AusCan531, Jul 07 2021
  

       (was eating paste a fad that was supposed to stop?)
AusCan531, Jul 07 2021
  

       Yea, ever since they introduced eating tofu instead.
doctorremulac3, Jul 07 2021
  

       "SQUIRREL!"   

       Yep, works as intended. Where's my app?!
Sgt Teacup, Jul 07 2021
  

       WHERE?
pashute, Jul 07 2021
  

       Be interesting to test various words in a crowd. Not sure what the metric you'd use is, heads turned I guess. Have to be a plausible word so you don't just sound like a crazy person. Although I think something like "FLYING SAUCER!" would get a lot more heads turned than "SQUIRREL!".   

       Difficult to set this up. Have to work with different crowds becase you'd only be able to fool them once. Although I guess you could actually put a squirrel or flying saucer on the beach.
doctorremulac3, Jul 07 2021
  

       A squirrel in a flying saucer
pocmloc, Jul 07 2021
  

       I'd probably look. The first time anyway.
doctorremulac3, Jul 07 2021
  

       So if there were formation displays of synchronised squirrel-piloted flying saucers, coming in waves from every side, you would only look at the first and then go back to your screen to read and/or post on a stupid ideas website... ok that's fine, as you were
pocmloc, Jul 07 2021
  

       It's all fun and games until somebody starts crying WOLF!   
      
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