OddThinking

A blog for odd things and odd thoughts.

Balloon Mime

So, you know when your friends get a bit bored of juggling, and someone pulls out a bag of modelling balloons for a practice session? You know what it’s like. We’ve all been there, exchanging designs, sharing tips, comparing war stories, while we inflate and twist those balloons into novel forms.

When the session is drawing to close…
when everyone is clutching some impressive multi-balloon creation they want to learn…
when there is a pile of 20 varieties of balloon dog in the corner…
when the floor is covered with scraps of latex…
when you are practically tripping over the amorphous remains of balloon animals that didn’t quite make it – like a parrot whose head and beak still are still inflated, but its body is missing…

… well, that’s when I like to tell this little story.

I once saw this fantastic balloon-artist perform. Well, actually, he wasn’t a balloon-artist, but really a mime artist.

He took out this pretend balloon.

I pretend to hold up a modelling balloon.

And he mimed inflating it.

I go through the motions of stretching the balloon, puffing up my cheeks, and motioning with my hand as the pretend balloon gets longer. This generally piques the audience.

Then he tied it, off, and started folding it.

I make some rough twisting motions.

He was much better at this than me; he clearly was making a dog!

I clutch the dog in my right hand. The audience is impressed at the idea, and yet a bit disappointed that I can’t convey the full sense of what it looked like.

But then, he pulled out a real needle.

I don’t have a needle, but I mime holding one in my left hand, about two feet away from my right hand.

And he slowly brought it closer to the pretend dog.

I bring my hands slowly closer.

He really had the crowd’s attention. As the needle got closer, they started calling out “No! Don’t do it!”

By this stage, the real audience is also in rapt attention and suspenseful.

But he ignored them, and just let the needle get closer and closer.

I slowly but inexonerably bring my left hand holding the pretend needle towards my right hand holding the pretend dog.

He brought the needle closer… and closer… and then… suddenly!

I simultaneously plunge my left hand with the pin into the dog, open my right hand wide suddenly as though the balloon as exploded, and jam the heel of my shoe down on the balloon head of the half-parrot (which I had, of course, surreptitiously placed under the back of my foot before the story started.)

I love this prank. Get the suspense right, the timing right, and the hidden balloon exploding loud enough, and you can make people really jump.

I tried it again today, and it worked beautifully. I don’t remember where I got the idea from, over a decade ago, but I’ve certainly milked it since then!


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