Jackass c. 1912
March 12, 2007 10:25 AM Subscribe
Every time you hear that people filming themselves doing stupid, dangerous things is a recent trend, consider Austrian tailor Franz Reichelt. He invented a combination overcoat/parachute, and on February 4, 1912 decided to test it himself by jumping off the Eiffel Tower. It didn't work--and there's video.
Poor fellow.
(The comment on that video, that the autopsy showed that he died of a heart attack before he hit the ground, is just stupidly wishful thinking.)
posted by darkstar at 10:44 AM on March 12, 2007
(The comment on that video, that the autopsy showed that he died of a heart attack before he hit the ground, is just stupidly wishful thinking.)
posted by darkstar at 10:44 AM on March 12, 2007
If we're gonna post Faces of Death-style videos, can we post the one where the guy dies while being fucked by a horse?
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:49 AM on March 12, 2007
posted by Astro Zombie at 10:49 AM on March 12, 2007
You would think he might've tested it from a lower height first, no?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:52 AM on March 12, 2007
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:52 AM on March 12, 2007
thing is, if you test from a lower height, it won't have time to do anything. Test from a greater height and it has lots of time to do nothing.
You'd have thought the 'tache would have slowed him down some as well...
posted by twine42 at 10:56 AM on March 12, 2007 [1 favorite]
You'd have thought the 'tache would have slowed him down some as well...
posted by twine42 at 10:56 AM on March 12, 2007 [1 favorite]
I'm thinking I shall skip over this post. ::shudder::
posted by miss lynnster at 10:57 AM on March 12, 2007
posted by miss lynnster at 10:57 AM on March 12, 2007
It would have been easier to take if he didn't spend most of his last minute alive standing on a stack of chairs by the railing, hesitating, while somebody in an overcoat was apparently berating him to get on with it and jump already.
posted by ardgedee at 11:00 AM on March 12, 2007
posted by ardgedee at 11:00 AM on March 12, 2007
A first for MF - the text of this post is just one big warning NOT to click the link - a warning I've heeded :-)
posted by facetious at 11:00 AM on March 12, 2007
posted by facetious at 11:00 AM on March 12, 2007
Yep, i woke up this morning wanting to watch someone die.
posted by mr_book at 11:01 AM on March 12, 2007
posted by mr_book at 11:01 AM on March 12, 2007
In all fairness, he probably would have been dead by now anyway.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:04 AM on March 12, 2007 [6 favorites]
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:04 AM on March 12, 2007 [6 favorites]
You would think he might've tested it from a lower height first, no?
If you go too low, it's very awkward for the horse.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:07 AM on March 12, 2007 [2 favorites]
Well at least he made an impression.
(Terrible, I know.)
posted by brassafrax at 11:11 AM on March 12, 2007
(Terrible, I know.)
posted by brassafrax at 11:11 AM on March 12, 2007
Overchute? Paracoat?
The video isn't that bad. An unidentifiable blob falls from the tower, and dust rises when it hits. No doubt he shouted the French for "Hey, y'all, watch this!" before he leapt to his doom.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:13 AM on March 12, 2007
The video isn't that bad. An unidentifiable blob falls from the tower, and dust rises when it hits. No doubt he shouted the French for "Hey, y'all, watch this!" before he leapt to his doom.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:13 AM on March 12, 2007
Interesting all the people complaining. The post made it fairly clear what the video would contain, and the video is of such poor quality that it's hard to be upset by it. (The parachuter video from a few weeks back was far more upsetting, with the guy saying "shit, I'm dead. BYE." as he cruises at 80mph into the trees -- and he survived.)
posted by knave at 11:19 AM on March 12, 2007
posted by knave at 11:19 AM on March 12, 2007
Franz and the Amazing Monochrome Nightmare Poofé Jacket.
posted by hal9k at 11:23 AM on March 12, 2007
posted by hal9k at 11:23 AM on March 12, 2007
The best part is when he's standing on the ledge...for a long, long time. You know exactly what's going through his head right then.
One of those "What the fuck am I doing?!" moments.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:39 AM on March 12, 2007
One of those "What the fuck am I doing?!" moments.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:39 AM on March 12, 2007
Another MeFi thread where I'm an outlier. Am I escaping the groupthink? This was funny as fuck.
posted by biffa at 11:47 AM on March 12, 2007
posted by biffa at 11:47 AM on March 12, 2007
Why would anyone do this? If he was clever enough to invent the overcoat parachute, why wasn't he clever enough to think about possibly wearing a harness or having a net below?
posted by gfrobe at 12:13 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by gfrobe at 12:13 PM on March 12, 2007
Another great moment in Austro-Hungarian aviation history.
posted by Midnight Creeper at 12:20 PM on March 12, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by Midnight Creeper at 12:20 PM on March 12, 2007 [1 favorite]
Why would anyone do this? If he was clever enough to invent the overcoat parachute, why wasn't he clever enough to think about possibly wearing a harness or having a net below
Well, point of fact, he actually wasn't clever enough to invent the overcoat parachute...
posted by Muddler at 12:22 PM on March 12, 2007 [2 favorites]
Well, point of fact, he actually wasn't clever enough to invent the overcoat parachute...
posted by Muddler at 12:22 PM on March 12, 2007 [2 favorites]
That's a funny YouTube ID: "BepyTSzueno" They're just random letters, but this one ended being nearly pronouncable.
As for the video, I could sware it was a dupe.
posted by delmoi at 12:34 PM on March 12, 2007
As for the video, I could sware it was a dupe.
posted by delmoi at 12:34 PM on March 12, 2007
In all fairness, he probably would have been dead by now anyway.
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:04 PM EST on March 12
Astro Zombie, I just spit cookie crumbs.
posted by msali at 3:30 PM on March 12, 2007
posted by Astro Zombie at 2:04 PM EST on March 12
Astro Zombie, I just spit cookie crumbs.
posted by msali at 3:30 PM on March 12, 2007
Man...if only he'd been successful. I bet his invention would have been featured on Dickie and The Kid's "Monsters of Megaphone Tour".
"Overcoat/parachute...
overcoat/parachute...
overcoat/par-a-chuuuute!!!"
posted by cloudstastemetallic at 4:10 PM on March 12, 2007
"Overcoat/parachute...
overcoat/parachute...
overcoat/par-a-chuuuute!!!"
posted by cloudstastemetallic at 4:10 PM on March 12, 2007
Really interesting and bizarre. Is there a site somewhere showing these old Pathe clips? I'd love to see these minor news stories of the turn of the century.
The comments about "snuff" are utterly ridiculous. This is about as snuff as a plane hitting the WTC. There is nothing to see in the fall, and most people would have trouble identifying those 8 pixels as a human if shown the descent in isolation.
posted by fire&wings at 6:45 PM on March 12, 2007
The comments about "snuff" are utterly ridiculous. This is about as snuff as a plane hitting the WTC. There is nothing to see in the fall, and most people would have trouble identifying those 8 pixels as a human if shown the descent in isolation.
posted by fire&wings at 6:45 PM on March 12, 2007
Poor bugger.
It's a bit sad that he didn't try a few dry runs with a test dummy first, but I have to admire that he had the courage of his convictions.
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:33 PM on March 12, 2007
It's a bit sad that he didn't try a few dry runs with a test dummy first, but I have to admire that he had the courage of his convictions.
posted by sebastienbailard at 9:33 PM on March 12, 2007
Really interesting and bizarre. Is there a site somewhere showing these old Pathe clips? I'd love to see these minor news stories of the turn of the century.
Lots of goodness here:
http://www.britishpathe.com/
posted by vbfg at 3:33 AM on March 13, 2007
Lots of goodness here:
http://www.britishpathe.com/
posted by vbfg at 3:33 AM on March 13, 2007
Since reading this post, I was a bit haunted by thoughts of Franz Reichelt's fatal base jump and remembered this other guy with a wing suit, almost a century later, who succeeded where Reichert failed.
posted by nickyskye at 6:34 PM on March 13, 2007
posted by nickyskye at 6:34 PM on March 13, 2007
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