# 'Pretend-stairs-behind-desk' technique **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 6, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143 "2010-12-06T14:25:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/1 "2010-12-06T14:25:06Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/2 "2010-12-06T15:11:10Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/3 "2010-12-06T16:40:09Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/4 "2010-12-06T16:43:12Z")
What might be even hard is not stairs but an escalator. How does one not bounce when they walk? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/5 "2010-12-06T16:54:31Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > 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? ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/6 "2010-12-06T16:56:36Z")
> [@Staggerlee](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/7 "2010-12-06T18:43:27Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/8 "2010-12-08T17:43:25Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/9 "2010-12-08T19:23:56Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > What might be even hard is not stairs but an escalator. How does one not bounce when they walk? You do bounce…just like you would walking down real stairs. It looks fake if you don’t do the bounce correctly, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/10 "2010-12-08T20:17:18Z")
Uh, the escalator trick mimes STANDING on the escalator – the trick involves a completely smooth descent. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/11 "2010-12-08T22:50:12Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/12 "2010-12-08T22:52:27Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/13 "2010-12-08T23:28:55Z")
> [@Sauron](#): > > 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. [Here you go](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxc-Wo4be9o) This is Bill Irwin in the wonderful “Regard of Flight”. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/14 "2010-12-08T23:55:48Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > [Here you go](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxc-Wo4be9o) > > This is Bill Irwin in the wonderful “Regard of Flight”. Thanks, that was cool! ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/15 "2010-12-09T01:06:31Z")
I think these are hysterical for some reason, I love doing the full staircase with landings and everything. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pretend-stairs-behind-desk-technique/563143/16 "2010-12-09T04:39:40Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#): > > [Here you go](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxc-Wo4be9o) > > This is Bill Irwin in the wonderful “Regard of Flight”. I believe he did it on an episode of The Cosby Show, too.