It’s a habit that many people have – snubbing someone in favour of a mobile phone.
The term “phubbing” is the combination of “phone” and “snubbing”, coined by an Australian advertising agency as part of a marketing campaign with Macquarie Dictionary in 2012.
So a “phubber” is a “phone snubber”, a person who does the phubbing, and this is the theme of a performance for the 18th Macau City Fringe Festival, themed on “Extra. Ordinary”.
Cherrie Leong Ka Ian is the creator behind “Flash Mob – Phubber Drama”, which will take the public waiting at a bus stop by surprise
when people at the bus stop suddenly break into a song and dance performance.
“It’s a phenomenon,” Leong told MPD Weekender at the Old Courthouse before a practice session on Wednesday, explaining why
she uses phubbing as the subject of her first ever theatre-related show.
Struggle to live
“We’re constantly looking at the phone, social media and games are getting so much of our attention. Even when we’re at family and friends’ gatherings, we spend a lot of time on the phone rather than on the people we’re with at that moment,” Leong said, adding, “It’s come to a point where it’s a struggle to live without our phone.
Leong said that while young children don’t have phones and they talk to people, the young generation is very much focused on how many people “like” their photo or comment posted on social media.
“They are seeking attention, the feeling of being cared about, by posting things on social media,” Leong said.
Through “Phubber Drama”, Leong hopes to shed light on phubbing and provide space for the public for self-reflection.
She explained she wanted to use a flash mob for the performance to let people experience art wherever and whenever.
“Especially when the theme of the festival is to let art percolate from theatre spaces into every corner of the city, I think a flash mob would get the public involved and become one of the performers without even realising it, it’ll be a nice little surprise for them too,” Leong said.
While people are on their phone wherever they are, Leong said that she has picked to do the flash mob at bus stops.
“Usually when people are waiting for their bus, they’ll most likely look at their phone, and so it would be easy for us to find our ‘target’,” Leong said.
The performers will target a phubber at the bus stop, then start a conversation with the phubber about phubbing, while mirroring the phubber’s gestures, with a dance choreographed by Kathine Cheong Weng Lam and performed by Cream Cheung Pui Man and Venus Lao Cheng Hang as well as Leong, and live music by Hioson Wong Hio Man who will be singing an original song, “Turn off the phone”.
The group has been practising for two months, and the challenge is the public’s reaction, with Leong admitting that although she has singing and fashion show experience, she’s a “newbie” to theatre performance.
“I just hope the public have fun with us, and good weather,” Leong said.
The flash mob will take place tomorrow at the Public Administration and Civil Services Bureau (SAFP) bus stop, and on Monday at the Kun Iam Temple bus stop, between 12 noon and 3:30 p.m.
People use their mobile phones while waiting at a bus stop in front of the Public Administration and Civil Services Bureau (SAFP) building yesterday.
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