I saw some of these the other day. At first I wanted to shoo them off my lawn, but then I browsed a bit. First a smile, then a laugh, then hysterics. I think it's something to do with the motionless and expressionlessness. posted by DU at 12:09 PM on July 16
Most of them look uncomfortable instead of relaxed. I think the person should appear loose and floppy for best results. posted by exogenous at 12:11 PM on July 16
At last, a game I could play. posted by Cranberry at 12:18 PM on July 16
I love the fact that they take Really Big Pains in the Facebook group to point out that "THE LYING DOWN GAME" is copyright. These guys are fishing for a book deal or a TV show or something. posted by the dief at 12:20 PM on July 16
I know all there is to know... about the lying game.
I've had my share... of the lying game. posted by GuyZero at 12:20 PM on July 16 [6 favorites has favorites]
No, I like the tenseness, it's like they are not lying there as much as they are frozen there, like they're supposed to be vertical and all standing-up-supporting bones and muscles, but like some confused sprite in a computer animation routine gone awry it's just projected there, horizontal and locked in place.
I used to go aruond doing this in high school. It's not on my resume. posted by cmoj at 12:28 PM on July 16
I love the fact that they take Really Big Pains in the Facebook group to point out that "THE LYING DOWN GAME" is copyright. These guys are fishing for a book deal or a TV show or something.
I don't know, maybe? Sounds kinda facetious to me:
Either way, it has some weird 'born in Geordieland' mythology which the Facebook group contradicts:
This game was originally masterminded by the legendary Gary Clarkson and partner in crime Christian Langdon two lads from Somerset.
I was more willing to believe that it stems from recreating drunken fotos, but hey. posted by Sova at 12:29 PM on July 16
Hah, this is fantastic. Next time I'm out with my photographer friends, I'll have to challenge them to come up with some good shots. posted by defenestration at 12:42 PM on July 16
When I was a young teenager there was this Beavis and Butthead spinoff show on MTV called Daria. One of the episodes had Daria babysitting and in order to get the hyper kids to shut up, she had them play this really stupid game. It was called "Graveyard." The dialogue of her instructions basically went like this: "Okay, kids, we're going to play a really fun game called Graveyard. Lie on the floor and pretend to be dead. The first person to move loses." And then later in the episode, when the kids tire of this game, she invents a new one. "Okay, kids, we're going to play a game called Lichen. Lie on the floor and pretend to be a piece of moss growing on the side of a tree. The first person to move or drop a spore loses."
A couple of years later I was a summer camp counselor, and I was having a really frustrating day, so I somewhat sarcastically suggested to my 8 year old charges that we play Graveyard. They loved it. They thought it was the most fun game ever. And I was torn between being completely boggled that they were actually entertained, and being massively amused with myself for pulling it off.
Also, the pose reminds of the time that George Michael laid face down on the floor, as a means to express his debilitating sadness after being dumped, in the Arrested Development episode "Good Grief!" -- which, as you may know, is the same episode that included the Charlie Brown Walk. posted by defenestration at 12:51 PM on July 16 [1 favorite has favorites]
The shots from Liverpool Street station and the Tate Modern (in the facebook pics) are sublime. You could put a gun to my head and I still couldn't tell you why I love this, but I do. I really do. posted by slimepuppy at 12:56 PM on July 16
If you put a gun to my head i would lie down on the ground face down and not move or say anything which would be a pretty good response to why i fucking love this too. posted by Potomac Avenue at 1:03 PM on July 16
I can't imagine anything more passive-aggressive than lying face-down and motionless in a busy public place. posted by longsleeves at 1:06 PM on July 16 [1 favorite has favorites]
Marginalia's comment says exactly everything I meant to say when I clicked into this thread, although I've been limited to babysitting excursions instead of summer camp. Kids love it. posted by redsparkler at 1:15 PM on July 16
I butchered that name, didn't I? Marginaliana. That's what I meant to say.
I've got to go lie down now. posted by redsparkler at 1:16 PM on July 16
And I was torn between being completely boggled that they were actually entertained, and being massively amused with myself for pulling it off.
You mean, on long car trips, your parents didn't try to shut you up with the "Let's See Who Can Stay Quiet the Longest" Game? posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:19 PM on July 16 [1 favorite has favorites]
You mean, on long car trips, your parents didn't try to shut you up with the "Let's See Who Can Stay Quiet the Longest" Game?
Yep...I thought about that Daria episode too. I loved that show.
When I worked at a school, I made a t-shirt that said, "Let's play the quiet game." That shit never worked though. Apparently I was not convincing. posted by nosila at 1:21 PM on July 16
That '!!!' picture linked by Captain Cardanthian above reminds me of first person shooter games before they had fancy physics engines with ragdoll models and so on. The corpses would just kind of fall down vertically until the first collision was detected and then they'd stop, so you'd occasionally find dead bodies stiffly cantilevered off of ledges or desks or flower pots. posted by Rhomboid at 1:38 PM on July 16
Slimepuppy, yeah, Tate's the one for me too. I don't know why either. I like the ones that look the very opposite of relaxing. Face planted into the ground, toes pointed down, stiff arms. It looks so obnoxious but I can't help but appreciate it. posted by Glee at 1:44 PM on July 16
I would play this right now, but a member of Providence's Finest has already admonished me to keep my SHOES on in the library, I can only imagine the consternation that would ensue if I LAY DOWN.
Also, I wonder what he thinks of the fact that there is an "EXIT" sign on the middle of a wall and a cardboard cutout of Batman blocking an *actual* exit.
But whatever. Providence's Finest Library Police are there to keep you SAFE! posted by grapefruitmoon at 1:47 PM on July 16
Haha - Robot Faceplant.
My next band's name! posted by Pecinpah at 1:50 PM on July 16
Am I the only one reminded of the gruesome photos of post-Kook Aid Jonestown, or the Matthew Brady pictures of battlefield dead? posted by Faze at 1:52 PM on July 16
Yeah...well, I only got 2 hours of sleep last night, so I'm gonna go turn on Curious George for Boy and play the lying down game on the couch until I have to make dinner. This is *so* a game I can get behind. Er...as it were. posted by dejah420 at 2:05 PM on July 16
Ironic that this is on facebook, and yet pretty much none of the pictures show us the person's face. posted by jeremy b at 2:15 PM on July 16
These photos make me laugh and laugh. The more I look at them, the funnier they get. posted by emd3737 at 2:16 PM on July 16
This is the official game of the Toronto 10th Anniversary MeetUp. posted by gman at 2:31 PM on July 16
Sorry, I don't get it. Why is this funny or interesting? Pictures of people lying down on stuff. Am I missing something? posted by Ratio at 2:44 PM on July 16 [1 favorite has favorites]
Tonight, I will lie down. posted by everichon at 2:45 PM on July 16
This was also discussed by photographer Ben Roberts.
"Typology in the Public Domain .... Perhaps the reason why I was drawn to these images also had something to do with the naive appropriation of a commonly used motif within photography: the prostrate stranger, photographed unaware – examples of which have been featured recently here on insig.ht:"
I'm just glad it wasn't something about the fainting game. Kinda cool - would be cooler on flickr, but doesn't have much of a presence there yet. posted by rainbaby at 4:17 PM on July 16
Ratio, there is a comment box at the bottom of that article. Maybe your comment is better directed there? posted by chunking express at 4:30 PM on July 16
We just jumped on the bandwagon, spent an hour driving around doing this and had a great time....it is worth it for the wacky looks from passerby alone. Also someday when the kids are pulling these pics off my hard drive after I'm dead and gone, they're gonna roll their eyes and laugh again. posted by HyperBlue at 8:00 PM on July 16 [1 favorite has favorites]
Eventually, everyone plays the lying down game... forever.
I got a chill when I read that. posted by cazoo at 12:18 AM on July 17
Fat rich white college slobs have 20K members for club about laying down on things while the premier organization for the abolition of prison rape and outreach/support to survivors has 93 members.
Wow, I had no idea I was a member of such an exclusive group, hamida! I appreciate your sentiment. I'm shocked to learn how small the membership is. But I'm not sure if "give a fuck" is the correct euphemism, you know?
Making something funny and perhaps a tad artsy is entertaining. Prison rape isn't very entertaining. So perhaps the comparison isn't very reasonable. Still, only 93?! posted by Goofyy at 4:25 AM on July 17
Fat rich white college slobs have 20K members for club about laying down on things while the premier organization for the abolition of prison rape and outreach/support to survivors has 93 members.
god damn america.
this started in England and seems to be practiced by people of all classes and joining a serious facebook group doesn't at all count as taking action on an issue even if that issue is the only important thing anyone should ever be worrying about at all times which prison rape is not.
I hadn't realized he was talking about a group on Facebook. The org exists IRL. Then I got to noticing the pictures when I recognized some places. Then I realized, the vast majority of photos I saw were in the UK. I'm waiting to find one with someone laying on a baggage carousel. posted by Goofyy at 11:55 AM on July 17
I find this really silly. Now I am paranoid that some nitwit is going to try this on the subway and lie down in doorway. "Stay clear of the closing doors!" posted by tothemoon at 1:43 PM on July 26
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posted by DU at 12:09 PM on July 16