# Movie ''hand clapping'' meme

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-hand-clapping-meme/353038>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 17, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-hand-clapping-meme/353038 "2006-04-17T18:24:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-hand-clapping-meme/353038/21 "2006-06-24T20:04:28Z")

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[QUOTE=Musicat]  
Isn’t that the way ALL applause begins? Or do you mean a more gradual join-in than typical, spontaneous, enthusiastic applause?  
[/QUOTE]  
No. This is more of a situation where one single person stands and applauds, while the rest of the audience sits uncomfortably, unsure whether to join. Then after a long uncomfortable moment, one more person joins in. It’s still kind of uncomfortable. Then a few more, then a few more, until finally it’s the whole audience, at which point, yes, it is like regular applause. But the way it starts is not typical. I hope I explained that well.

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**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2006, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-hand-clapping-meme/353038/22 "2006-06-24T20:08:41Z")

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I don’t wish to hijack but it’s not worth starting a separate thread:

Has anyone every experienced this phenomenon in person or is it solely a Hollywood scriptwriter concoction?

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**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2006, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-hand-clapping-meme/353038/23 "2006-06-24T22:49:06Z")

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Hollywood fiction.

Just like slapping somebody in the face who’s in hysterics to get them to pull themselves together. You ever try THAT one? I seriously, seriously don’t recommend it.

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**Author:** ![BabaBooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dfb087/32.png) [@BabaBooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BabaBooey)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-hand-clapping-meme/353038/24 "2006-06-24T23:13:10Z")

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Not really the same, but this thread reminds me of the great SNL skit “The sarcastically slow clapping family”.

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