You know the thing where you pretend to walk down some stairs behind a desk or similar obstruction? I wondered if anyone has any tips on how to do it. I don’t know how to google for it, but imagine it may involve limbo talent, or be rather hard on the knees.
Yeah, it’s the knees. You just walk in a straight line, bending at the knees only, while keeping your torso perpendicular to the ground.
I am going to try this when I get home - I just don’t see how you can keep your back straight, yet not topple backwards from the subsequent shift in your centre of gravity. And presumably to completely disappear you’d need to do a controlled collapse of some sort.
Might be easier just to dig a trench behind my desk.
What might be even hard is not stairs but an escalator. How does one not bounce when they walk?
Same technique, just think about lowering the pelvis at a constant rate as you walk. It’s less hard than it sounds.
Why am I aparently the Monday expert on silly walks?
And yeah, the bottom is where it is the most difficult. Most obstructions aren’t really tall enough to be able to disappear completely behind using this technique, though it depends on the distance and angle of view of the observer. The final few inches I’ll usually just bend forward and fake it.
Hilarious! I’ve just taught my niece (6) and nephew (4) to do this plus: elevator, canoe, falling down the stairs…they have to do it for everyone, anywhere they go. Being an Aunt is awesome!
Bill Irwin did a marvelous version of this during an appearance on Saturday Night Live several years ago – he ended his performance by “going downstairs” in a steamer trunk sitting on the stage. He reached “landings” on the “stairs” twice during his descent, and turned accordingly. An amazing bit of mime.
You do bounce…just like you would walking down real stairs. It looks fake if you don’t do the bounce correctly, actually.
Uh, the escalator trick mimes STANDING on the escalator – the trick involves a completely smooth descent.
It helps if the desk/sofa or whatever is fairly tall.
Mike Myers did a bunch of these well in one of the Austin Powers movies – stairs, escalator, elevator, canoe. I think it was the first movie.
Elevator might be easier for you (and just as hilarious). Stand in the same place and slowly bend your knees. Also funny if you start off standing there for a few seconds, looking around, annoyed, or checking your watch.
This is Bill Irwin in the wonderful “Regard of Flight”.
Thanks, that was cool!
I think these are hysterical for some reason, I love doing the full staircase with landings and everything.
I believe he did it on an episode of The Cosby Show, too.