"Doing the Robot" Has Been Done

You're a creative person. You're on set, shooting your latest crap sandwich. The script calls for dancing. You suggest to the director that somebody should "do the robot."

"Doing the robot is funny!" you say.

The director agrees. "Yes, the robot is funny." So he encourages one of the quirkier actors to hinge his elbows and have at it.

Everybody laughs. The robot is funny. Ha Ha.

A week or two later in the editing suite, you're sitting next to the smelly guy at the Avid. The edit just isn't looking right. Definitely not how you envisioned it in your head. Suddenly you remember that you've got a cut with a guy "doing the robot." You find it. Your spot is saved. That shit is FUNNY.

OK. Back to reality. If you've ever done this, or you think you might do this in the future, please don't. "Doing the robot" is no longer funny. And whilst some people might think that "doing the robot" is on par with monkeys and midgets in terms of guaranteed laughs, I'm afraid that "doing the robot" just doesn't have as much staying power as really short people or chimpanzees. Sorry, you have not just created the next "Mr. Roboto." You've actually created a turd burger.

I write this only because I've seen at least two new spots this weekend with people "doing the robot." One of them was for Wendy's, which you can watch here (it's the last of the three spots). The other I can't remember, except for the fact that it sucked ass.

Thank you.

Comments

[Jason B. Graves]

It's a grass roots thing... A couple of beers and it's still funny, just not on tv or in print.