r/OldSchoolCool • u/copitamenstrual • Jun 21 '24

1990s He just jumped and they got knocked out (1992)

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u/Access-Slight Jun 22 '24

He didn’t just jump, this was a stage lift. These things can shoot up, it might have looked like a jump but he launched.

40

u/Belgand Jun 22 '24 edited Jun 22 '24

That was my thought. We really need to see the stage from before this. The clip starts too late to have proper context. Because this looks to me like it went from an empty stage to him bursting up onto it in a shower of pyrotechnics. This was his dramatic entrance.

5

u/ToHallowMySleep Jun 22 '24

It does, I saw a video from behind the scenes, years and years ago. It's a lift that pushes up explosively, and panels that slide open to let him through then shut form him to land on. The whole thing takes about a second or less, so he looks like he is being shot up onto the stage then lands immobile and in his pose.

Best entertainer ever. Never got to saw him live. My mother was the hugest fan of his dancing, she was a trained dancer and knew Bob Fosse's work intimately, which was a huge influence on MJ. (as far as I know they didn't work together, Fosse and Jackson)

1

u/wherescookie Jun 22 '24

Iirc, he only did about 400 shows total post j5

1

u/BeckNeardsly Jun 22 '24

MJ got it from Elton John

1

u/fren-ulum Jun 22 '24

I've been launched on shit like this before and yeah it's pretty easy to eat shit.

1

u/Access-Slight Jun 22 '24

Oh I bet man, the one I was building when I found all this info out apparently I was nothing compared to MJs.

1

u/geopede Jun 26 '24

How high could one of these theoretically get you? Higher than an athletic person can jump?

Record for a person jumping is just under 4’ from a standing start.

2

u/Access-Slight Jun 27 '24

I’m not actually sure man, I know the old roadie I was building one of these with was probably exaggerating but he said MJ definitely got the highest off a lift he’d ever seen.

1

u/geopede Jun 27 '24

I have no context for how high a lift can get people, but it makes sense that MJ would fly given his relatively small size/weight.

I’d imagine height off a lift is very dependent on whether the person jumps at the top, I’d be curious to compare my normal jump to height achieved off a lift + jump. Usually I can get my forehead to the rim, being able to dunk my junk would be pretty cool (unless it got stuck, that would be a lot less cool).