r/Damnthatsinteresting
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u/GaGator43
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Dec 01 '22
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Exhausted contestants at a US dance marathon in 1938. You would be eliminated if your knees touched the floor. Image
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u/m1dlife-1derer Dec 01 '22
They look like they're having SO much fun
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u/Csimiami Dec 01 '22 edited Dec 01 '22
“They shoot horses don’t they” is a great Jane Fonda movie about this.
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u/azorianmilk Dec 02 '22 edited Dec 02 '22
The backstory on that movie is pretty interesting. You know the musical Gypsy? Baby June ran away to get out of show biz and her big sister became Gypsy Rose Lee? Well, in real life June Havoc did these marathon dances to survive. She wrote a play, Marathon 33, about - which They Shoot Horses came from. June Havoc survives on the Hollywood Walk Fame- her star is outside an adult store.
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u/gissycat Dec 02 '22
How long do these marathons last that people literally fall asleep?
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u/trippygenx Dec 02 '22
That's what I'm wondering. And I hope the prize was worth it. Mind u, I once roller skated all night and ended up with a Billy Joel record 🤣
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u/gissycat Dec 02 '22
Some people below explained some. It could last weeks or months. The people did it bc it came with 5 meals a day and they didn't have to sleep on the street, apparently. I don't know, it sounds horrible.
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u/azorianmilk Dec 02 '22
This was during the Great Depression where people were literally starving. Desperate times create desperate people, and others willing to exploit that.
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u/NefariousnessEvery65 Dec 02 '22
Yes was going to mention They Shoot Horses Don’t They? A brilliant movie about the cruelty of poverty and so much more. Crazy creepy well done
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u/WilhelmSkreem Dec 01 '22
Came into the comments tocsayxthat, I just watched it for rhe first time last night. Holy shit, what an amazing movie.
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u/Hallowexia Dec 01 '22
People have actually died doing this.
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u/hambakmeritru Dec 02 '22
Are you talking about the medieval dancing plague? Or was there something much more recent?
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Dec 02 '22
They're collapsing. They're poor people doing this night and day for food and to be indoors,basically
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u/Vlad_the_Homeowner Dec 01 '22
I think even people that hate running have more fun in an actual marathon than these people are having.
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u/unfathomabibble Dec 01 '22
They shoot horses don't they?
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u/colour_me_quaint Dec 01 '22
There was a Gilmore Girls episode titled 'They Shoot Gilmore's Don't They?' where they got all dolled up and last pair standing won whatever at a dance competition. I never understood the title of that episode until this moment.
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u/Broutythecat Dec 02 '22
There's an ER episode titled "They treat horses don't they?" I figured it was likely a quote but had no idea where from!
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u/GozerDGozerian Dec 02 '22
There’s a Harper’s article titled They Shoot Buffalo, Don’t They? and I never got the reference until now.
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u/macs73 Dec 02 '22
There's a Bob's Burgers episode called "They Serve Horses Don't They" that I never knew was a reference to something like this.
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u/gissycat Dec 02 '22
Well shit. The title of the gg episode makes so much more sense all of a sudden
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u/Wrong_Window_7322 Dec 01 '22
Where’s cricket with his hydronic legs??
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u/BalognaPonyParty Dec 01 '22
lmao, this lady left front is not having it
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u/GammaGoose85 Dec 01 '22
She's going to beat them all, look at that determination and hatred in her face.
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Dec 02 '22 •
She looks like my cat.
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u/youcanwaitanotherday Dec 01 '22
It looks like most of the ladies are holding the men up lol
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u/amdaly10 Dec 01 '22
Women actually do have more stamina than men. Men are usually stronger.
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u/Omg_a_wee_todd Dec 01 '22
Knees weak, arms are heavy?
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u/Efficient-Albatross9 Dec 02 '22
Thinkin bout this cheddar already, no more of his mom’s spaghetti?
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u/PhoebeCeleste Dec 02 '22 edited Dec 06 '22
She's about ready to use this guy as a scarf and dance a solo duo.
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u/FitzChivFarseer Dec 01 '22
Reminds me of that radio station in the US that decided to have a contest for a wii and one woman died (they got them to drink a bottle of water every 15 minutes and whoever held out the longest won).
Except that was in 2007 and they definitely should have known better.
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u/MimiSikuu Dec 02 '22
IIRC, multiple fans of the show who happened to work in the medical field warned them well ahead of time of what could happen.
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u/Rude_Giraffe_9255 Dec 02 '22
I knew what you were talking about before I read the link. Hearing “hold your pee for a wii” was forever scratched into my brain as a kid who had just bought a wii right before this happened
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Dec 02 '22
my brain remembers it as “no wee for wii” but i was like 10 at the time so that might’ve just been what went around my school
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u/RodLawyer Dec 02 '22
WHAT. That's almost a Simpsons idea, wtf, obviously someone was going to end up with a bursted bladder
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Dec 02 '22
Man that’s sad, gave her whole life for a wii. If this isn’t a microcosm of what possessions do to us I don’t know what is.
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u/nosnevenaes Dec 01 '22
From what i remember this was actually hella exploitative and not funny at all.
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u/bittertadpole Dec 01 '22
Seems like another way to pick on poor people.
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u/onemoretryfriend Dec 01 '22
Yeah desperate people just hoping to win some money.
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u/RddtAdminsR_Pathetic Dec 01 '22
Money they otherwise wouldn't have. I'd do some lame shit like this if the payout was good enough. Money is Money and if you really need it who the fuck cares if you have to dance for hours
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u/Mashiin1 Dec 01 '22
No one is arguing that. The fucked up part is the rich people taking advantage of these poor people for their own entertainment.
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u/lapideous Dec 01 '22
The fucked up part is the lack of social safety nets that would prevent such desperation in the first place.
Buying entertainment for money is not immoral.
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u/BYOKittens Dec 01 '22
It really depends on the type of entertainment and the genuine consent and free will of the participants.
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u/FinanceMum Dec 02 '22
they danced for days with short breaks every hour, that's why they are sleeping while standing up, horrendous abuse of desperate people during the depression. They did it for food and warmth.
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u/Daultonlee Dec 01 '22
I wonder who betrayed who and won the bar? I'm sure Frank had an inside man.
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u/IASIP_Official Dec 01 '22
Oh, he did. One with an exoskeleton.
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u/Daultonlee Dec 01 '22
Wtf, you real? If so what an honor.
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u/IASIP_Official Dec 01 '22
Haha nah I'm not. I just wanted to feel the thrill of wearing another man's skin, this is how you get off.
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u/Daultonlee Dec 01 '22
I feel like this is a quote, but I haven't seen more than a handful of the episodes.
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u/IASIP_Official Dec 01 '22
Ah yeah it's a quote, S8E7.
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u/Daultonlee Dec 01 '22
Pardon my ignorance. Love the episodes I have seen and I've always meant to watch more. The gang dances their asses off and the one where Frank convinces Charlie and Dee they've been eating human meat are my favorites for sure though. Funny that they both feature Rickety Cricket.
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u/IASIP_Official Dec 01 '22
Nice I obviously am a fan and highly recommend watching some more haha funniest show on tv
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u/bigbluehapa Dec 01 '22
…say what you will about gender roles…but why the hell is every single male draping themselves on their female partner?
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u/beanndog Dec 02 '22
women typically have higher stamina whereas men have more muscle power. That or yea the other comment about it being the ladies shift xD
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u/elleusesreddit Dec 02 '22
Dance Marathons (also called Walkathons), an American phenomenon of the 1920s and 1930s, were human endurance contests in which couples danced almost non-stop for hundreds of hours (as long as a month or two), competing for prize money.
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u/Downtownd00d Dec 01 '22
They were brutal. A very good film from 1969 about this is "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0065088/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
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u/Igotticks Dec 01 '22
We had a dance-athon in school, two girls won at 14 hours. They were both super cardio runners and so smart to go together. Rules don't say boy and girl just dance partners, these two hadn't even hit a sweat.
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u/sumastorm Dec 01 '22
:( they look like they tried my meatloaf
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u/Hazelsea1099 Dec 01 '22
Must’ve been some prize
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u/Timpson96 Dec 01 '22
I've seen some archive footage of this actually.. If I remember correctly it was for some dive bar in Philadelphia called Paddy's Pub
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u/Dore81 Dec 01 '22
Again, the ladies literally holding it down (or up in this case) and the look on the far left ladies face is priceless.
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u/elleusesreddit Dec 02 '22
Dance Marathons (also called Walkathons), an American phenomenon of the 1920s and 1930s, were human endurance contests in which couples danced almost non-stop for hundreds of hours (as long as a month or two), competing for prize money.
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u/Goldn_1 Dec 02 '22
This absolute killer on the left just told her partner, don’t worry I got you, we ain’t f’n losing…
No but for real, she may be a killer. 👀😬
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u/Allstin Dec 01 '22
Mr Beast be like “last one whose knees touch the floor wins $1,000”
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u/chrrrollo Dec 01 '22
The guy on the left the type to tell the woman all day about how easy it will be for him and for her to not let him down. Classic giga chad.
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u/OceanicLemur Dec 02 '22
Every guy is leaning his weight on his gal, and the ladies all look like this is just another Tuesday putting up with their shit
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u/mengel6345 Dec 02 '22
They did it for the cash prizes during the recession people were very desperate
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u/CPLShep_hard Dec 02 '22
Bend knee when lying down on floor so it won't touch floor, big brain it didn't say body can't touch floor lol
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u/Stoned2thebone420 Dec 02 '22
The only couple working together are on the far right the rest are leaning on the women 😂😂😂
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u/cheemsgyaru Dec 02 '22
The girl holding the dark-haired guy looking at the camera like “you see what you’ve done to us, you sick bastard?”
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u/PIWIprotein Dec 01 '22
Its funny the women seems to be standing and the men using them for support
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u/JusAnotherBrick Dec 01 '22
That angry woman would probably win the solo competition. Liveliest of the lot.
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u/ginter76 Dec 01 '22
I’m sure this happenend but I beilieve this is a staged photo. No one could hold that guy up like that for very long. They were going for a funny pic to rememeber the event
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u/elleusesreddit Dec 02 '22
Dance Marathons (also called Walkathons), an American phenomenon of the 1920s and 1930s, were human endurance contests in which couples danced almost non-stop for hundreds of hours (as long as a month or two), competing for prize money.
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u/Technopuffle Interested Dec 01 '22
Who are these weak men? You can’t just expect someone to carry you
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u/elleusesreddit Dec 02 '22
Dance Marathons (also called Walkathons), an American phenomenon of the 1920s and 1930s, were human endurance contests in which couples danced almost non-stop for hundreds of hours (as long as a month or two), competing for prize money.
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u/elleusesreddit Dec 02 '22
Dance Marathons (also called Walkathons), an American phenomenon of the 1920s and 1930s, were human endurance contests in which couples danced almost non-stop for hundreds of hours (as long as a month or two), competing for prize money.
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u/onceReflect23 Dec 01 '22
‟Prepare to meet thy God”. Damn, if that is not ominous I do not know what is.
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u/Wiskid86 Dec 02 '22
That women in the left look like she's thinking
"Christ Tom if you loss this for us we are done!"
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u/aouwoeih Dec 01 '22
I just read a book on this. The marathons went on for weeks if not months, dancers did get a 15 minute break every hour and five meals a day. It was awful but it kept the participants fed and from sleeping on park benches.