Most people: I guess balloons are ok

August 12, 2019 5:22 AM

Jan Hakon Erichsen hates balloons single-link Twitter video
posted by Etrigan (26 comments total)

I saw this earlier. He's using a lot of creativity but the recurring theme is definitely knives v balloons. I mean there's a lot of other ways to hate balloons. Why knives? I guess why hate balloons, though. It didn't seem to be near the border of any common fetish in any way I could perceive, but if your thing is stabbing balloons then by golly this will do it for you.

Ultimately I was left with a profound sense of O_o.
posted by seanmpuckett at 5:35 AM on August 12, 2019

When all you have is knives (or cacti), everything looks like a balloon?

One of the Twitter comments...what happens when serial killers don't actually want to hurt anyone. Here's hoping it's all just good fun.
posted by kokaku at 5:43 AM on August 12, 2019

Also this good comment....This is why men die younger than women
posted by kokaku at 5:44 AM on August 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

There's probably better ways to address the increasing problem with plastic waste? O_o
posted by eviemath at 5:47 AM on August 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

Poppin’ like a balloon drop in a greenhouse full of cacti.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 5:52 AM on August 12, 2019 [3 favorites]

Guy spends an awful lot of time around balloons for someone who claims to hate balloons, just sayin.
posted by rikschell at 5:54 AM on August 12, 2019 [18 favorites]

Usually, we don't get to watch serial killer movie villains in rehearsal.
posted by xingcat at 5:56 AM on August 12, 2019

Bloons tower defense larp.
posted by dinty_moore at 6:07 AM on August 12, 2019 [8 favorites]

Does this video contain balloons? Because I really hate balloons and I don’t want to watch it if it actually has balloons.
posted by like_neon at 6:48 AM on August 12, 2019 [7 favorites]

Yes, it contains balloons. The guy pops a lot of balloons in creative ways. Don't watch it if you don't want to see and hear balloons popping.
posted by blnkfrnk at 7:04 AM on August 12, 2019

WHY ISN'T HE WEARING ANY EYE PROTECTION?

WHHHHHHHHY?
posted by Faintdreams at 7:09 AM on August 12, 2019 [2 favorites]

I remember back in the 90's, always with the billionaires and their goddamn balloons. Right on.
posted by thelonius at 7:18 AM on August 12, 2019

It's like a low-budget Miyazaki movie. Just needs that propeller sound effect.
posted by kokaku at 7:23 AM on August 12, 2019

You won't be wryly chuckling when he scales this up to hot air balloons
posted by phooky at 7:42 AM on August 12, 2019

Baby cactus hat ftw.
posted by Mchelly at 7:42 AM on August 12, 2019 [2 favorites]

WHY ISN'T HE WEARING ANY EYE PROTECTION?

WHHHHHHHHY?

At least he's wearing hearing protection! I'll take 1 out of 2. He should maybe also have cut-resistant clothing, depending on the trajectory of his stabby forces.
posted by Sparky Buttons at 8:12 AM on August 12, 2019

Erichsen is an artist in Oslo, Norway. In addition to balloons, he destroys pasta, bananas and taco shells. He posts these videos daily on Instagram, where he has quite a following. Here are a few articles and interviews for more context: The Politic  •  Vice  •  It's Nice That.

Erichsen's work might be better understood in the context of performance and installation artists like Chris Burden (who famously had himself shot) and Jean Tinguely (who created elaborate self-destructing sculptures).
posted by oulipian at 8:36 AM on August 12, 2019 [7 favorites]

This just got funnier and funnier the longer it went on. The best gags are the ones which involve the bare minimum of creative effort, such as when he's partially concealed behind a big sheet of butcher paper and starts blindly waving two knives around until he finally makes contact with the balloons. Good comic timing!
posted by Atom Eyes at 8:50 AM on August 12, 2019 [2 favorites]

possibly creepy violent undercurrent notwithstanding, i really appreciated the knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, DRILL, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, knife, SMALL CACTUS flow.
posted by rude.boy at 9:01 AM on August 12, 2019 [4 favorites]

"I also perform at children's birthday parties. Clown makeup optional. Inquire for rates."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 9:55 AM on August 12, 2019

I liked the part where the balloon popped.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 10:37 AM on August 12, 2019 [3 favorites]

Since getting any balloon is buying sadness futures for when it pops, good on him for getting it over with.
posted by sgranade at 10:43 AM on August 12, 2019 [1 favorite]

I wish you could've heard 7-year old umbuzininho's running commentary while watching this, exclaiming "Oh my gosh--that's not safe. That's not safe either. Oh, that's a really bad idea. What is he doing? Oh, that one's a little safer way of doing it. Oh no no no no no don't do that!"
posted by umbú at 1:15 PM on August 12, 2019 [6 favorites]

I assume this is either about stupidly over-powered lasers or stupidly sharp pieces of metal?
posted by straight at 2:23 PM on August 12, 2019

It's about a muse that will not be denied.
posted by amtho at 5:55 PM on August 12, 2019 [4 favorites]

i want a tiny cactus hat
posted by numaner at 1:08 PM on August 13, 2019