Ask Mike: The slow clap
Hey Guys,
One of the surest ways to tell that a movie you’re watching is a steaming pile of goo is whether or not it uses the “slow clap.” You know what I’m talking about–there’s a scene where a character puts his or her butt on the line by making a daring speech. After finishing, there is silence. But then one guy starts clapping slowly, and then another, and then another, until the room is filled with applause. In the book of Hollywood clichés, this may be the gold standard.
There are a surprising number of sites dedicated to the slow clap, and the myriad films that have abused it. Some sites are careful to point out the difference between the slow clap and the sarcastic clap. The sarcastic clap is often used in spy movies. The hero explains the bad guy’s plans to his partner. But then the villain emerges from the shadows, clapping but clearly not impressed, because the hero fell into his trap perfectly.
The slow clap, meanwhile, is what happens at the end of “Revenge of the Nerds” and “Hoosiers.” The clapping is sincere and usually involves a lot of smiles and nodding of heads. On occasion, the person receiving the applause is lifted on to a group’s shoulders as physical proof that he or she truly rules for having the guts to speak the truth.
It may not have been the first movie to do it, but most blogs I came across give credit to the ’80s flick “Lucas.” Tirico Suave calls its climactic scene the “the standard,” the one in which all other slow claps are to be measured.
TV Tropes lists several other films that, for better or for worse, used the technique. “Shakespeare in Love,” “Rudy,” “Strictly Ballroom,” and “Can’t Buy Me Love” all had slow clappers. Some films that used it in a subversive way include “The Producers,” “Little Miss Sunshine,” and the otherwise laborious “Not Another Teen Movie.” Sometimes the slow clap isn’t even a clap, as in the case of “Dead Poet’s Society,” when the students climb atop their desks one by one.
And, believe it or not, filmmakers are still using the slow clap today. This weekend’s “Love Happens” apparently features the groan-inducing cliché. How about some sarcastic applause for the filmmakers?
Thanks for reading,
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Did the cops get that guy who stole a gun and car?
Wow thats pretty funny
but actually very true im glad theres a true movie watcher out there that pointed that out
that clap is so annoying. it would never happen in real life!!
how do i unblock imvu becouse every time i get on it it say the imvu service could not be reached plese check your inter net box and it say an attemp was made to access a socket in a forbiden way
I definitely have to disagree. ROBOCOP, my favorite movie, and very well received by the critics too has a scene in a board room where a guy says something and only one guy is clapping. He keeps clapping and nods his head and looks at the others to get them going. It’s an insanely good movie.
Yes they did
how come yahoo q&a isn’t available?will they be aghain soon?please say yes.
lol it is kinda corny but it happens a lot at my school, me and my friends try to start one every time we get the chance, it only works about half the time though
i started a slow clap in band class once. it was very fun.
Really boring piece of writing. Don’t like it? Don’t watch it.
Duh.
So true.. The sarcastic clap in particular always annoys me.
Liz: I have experienced a real-life slow clap, and it was truly a majestic moment. I concede that Hollywood abuses the hell out of it, though.
never knew that. Nice to know!
I recall an add for a pizza chain, in which a man takes a bite of pizza, slowly dabs his lips and puts down his napkin, and begins a slow clap, eventually joined by everyone in the place. Some time in the 1980s but when I’m not sure.
You forgot “Jersey Girl.”
Hey now, Haters, I found this piece of writing really interesting.
) But then I have also been found of nerdy things, so I don’t know how well I’m defending you Mike!
Nevertheless, I enjoyed it. Thanks!
Reminds me of a scene in this show I used to watch when I was younger, Even Stevens.
Louis, I think (the main character, the boy) made a really bad dive in a diving competition, in front of a lot of people. His father stood up and slowly started to clap. He looked around. Everyone was staring at him.
“Oh, no slow clap?” *sits back down*
Hehe.
Great post, by the way. I completely agree.
This post just made me think of that.
I’ve watched Rudy many times, and I don’t remember there being a slow clap. I remember at the end of the movie one guy keeps chanting “Rudy….Rudy” over and over again.
Regardless of a slow clap, it is still a phenomenal film.
Great blog! I don’t think this is like the number one Hollywood cliche, I would say it is just one of absolutely tons of them. At least it means that fun can be had by films that subvert them.
@Miss Priss
Boring comment post. If you don’t like it, don’t read it.
(Also, how are you going to find out if you like a film or not until after you’ve watched it?)
I am pretty sure a collective epiphany of some sort will always be used in movies. A scene where everyone, basically representing us, come to the realization that someone or thing is worthy of recognition. Some of those movies would have sucked without that cliche part. I mean Dead Poet’s Society without that scene wouldn’t have been able to overcome the sadness of the death that occurred earlier. I agree with you to some extent but if the film is actually good, and therefore builds up properly, then I think the scene is credible. But I can recall some movies that had the slow clap and it seemed completely corny.
listen mike, just because you’re souless and need guidance from others to appear humanoid.. doesn’t mean the rest of us are.. if you don’t like it or have to watch others to make sure of that.. too bad.. i will like it or not because of the way i honestly feel about it.. i don’t care if folks clap slowly or not… they’re not the decision makers of me.
You forgot Napoleon Dynamite!! and these movies are not steaming piles of doo doo, it’s just a cliche….
The Slow Clap is closely akin to the Slow Walk. Commonly found in any movie in which the downtrodden protagonist(s) finally come up with a plan and begin to implement said plan. The camera predictably cuts to a Slow Walk scene where the protagonist(s) walk toward the camera (in slow motion, of course) with a confident look and steely reserve. Just as cliche as the Slow Clap, IMO.
Haha, YES! That is so annoying. It would be so much more effective if you didn’t see it in every other movie you watch…similar in overdosage to the athletic sequence in which everything goes silent in the athlete’s mind and he might have flashbacks (rocky 6, high school musical 3, etc, etc)
Mike I have a question. Is it possible for y’all to change up the search to where when you search for questions to answer it doesn’t bring up resolved questions. It is a hassel to search thru all those pages of resolved questions just to find ones to answer. I like to do searches sometimes for specific subjects and it is hard to go thru all the resolved questions.
Hope you can help
He failed to tell us whether or not the slow clap being there made or ruined the movie. *sighz*
I have to disagree with Liz. This actually could happen in real life. In fact, people used to be hired by play procucers to serve as “claquers” (I may have the spelling wrong), who would seed the crowd with a few claps or laughs and get everybody else going. This is essentially the same theory as a laugh track. The movies may take this to a ridiculous extreme, but I’ve started enough applause during plays to be convinced that human behavior can fit this pattern.
Deker- Aw you beat me- I was also going to mention Napolean Dynamite!!
lmao the slow clap this was funny because it was true
Seriously, the slow clap is the best you can come up with?
Love Happens was a surprisingly good movie. I loved it.
You forgot one, the out and out “Mocking clap” Not the one by the bad guy who’s not impressed but the one by either bad guys/girls, good guys/girls where you’re clapping in a mocking fashion. An excellent example of this is in “Reservoir Dogs” where Mr. White claps this particular clap at Mr. Blonde.
I actually got the slow clap once when i answered an out of the ordinary question.
I felt good when it was over.
Anyone who has ever been to a live event such as a corperate awards show etc has seen this clap in real life. I understand it can be annoying but it CAN and DOES happen in real life. Which can make it more annoying because we watch movies to escape real life and movies should not try to hard to emulate real life.
>”Sometimes the slow clap isn’t even a clap, as in the case of “Dead Poet’s Society,” when the students climb atop their desks one by one.”
If that qualifies, then I would point back to the pivotal “I am Spartacus!” scene in Spartacus. When the army of rebelling slaves are captured by the Romans, the Roman general demands that they identify which one of them is Spartacus or they will all be killed. Kirk Douglas steps forward bravely to declare “I am Spartacus!” But then a second man steps forward to state “I am Spartacus!” … followed by another, and another, until they are all shouting in unified cacophany, “I am Spartacus!”
Spartacus – 1960 – Stanley Kubrick
Correction (it’s been a while since I watched it) … Kirk Douglas stands up to identifies himself, but before he can utter the words, Tony Curtis chained next to him stands up to say “I am Spartacus!”, which starts one slave after another to stand and say the same.
(BTW, the fact that this leads to cacophony, like applause, instead of a unified chant, is significant … each man retains his individuality, even as he proclaims identification with the ideal “I am not a slave. I am a free man. I have a name!”)
It is a three-word speech so powerful, that the lead character doesn’t even have to say the words himself!
I dont know if you can judge the quality of a whole film on the usadge of a slow clap. that’d be like judging it on the wilhelm cry
ahahha, this is so funny, so glad someone pointed it out!
I loved how they made fun of it in Not Another Teen Movie
it is true tho, that when they try and make it serious, it just looks pathetic
pssh…the slow clap is sooooo pimp…me and my friends set ppl up for that all the time
The slowclap is acceptable as long as it’s done with sarcasm in mind. I remember one of my sr. highschool classes, we did the slowclap after every presentation that year, nodding heads and slowly realizing smiles included. Great fun! Find me a movie with a well placed mocking slowclap and you’ve got yourself a winner.
Yes, thank you, this information has certainly made my day. I, too, am an enjoyer of movies, however, the subject matter you speak of, never really affected me, the same way it does you.
I have the feeling, you are writing a doctorate, and this is your introduction page. Good luck to you !! (slow clap, here)
I saw that movie last night, and yes, that scene is painful to watch. its ridiculous, but I enjoyed the rest of the cliche-filled, product-placement overload movie anyway.
what…
Is there one in Never Been Kissed? I feel like there is at the prom scene at the end where she gives her speech.
Even if there isn’t it seems the kind of movie that would have one.
yeah, there are even commercials that use it. when i see a commercial with it i immediately despise the company who made it forever, just like everyone else who watches their stinking commercial!
You forgot about the fruit stands that are always hit during car chases. Ohh and you forgot about the fact that when people want to pay for something they always pull out the exact amount of money for the purchase.
I noticed women are more easily amused and basically “tricked” into a horrendously cliche and uncomfortable scene. Movies where you’re force fed emotions and when you don’t sit there and cry your eyes out, for some reason I’m described as hollow. Forgive me for not acting like a menopausal housewife where i’m always on the brink of histrionic emotions and not being swayed by vomit inducing “touching” moments. I have a brain with a little more logic than a 5 year old.
Hm, I’ve never experienced a slow clap in real life, they kinda annoy me in movies, sounds like fun though.
The post by Courtney above describes what would usually happen in real life. A guy gets up and starts clapping, but everyone just sits there and stares at him like he’s some sort of idiot. So the embarrassed guy quickly sits down. But I did hear of a real-life case where it actually happened once. It was at a place where I used to work long ago. An office Christmas party thing where the boss came in and a suck up started the slow clap – everyone at first just stared at the guy but eventually a few guys must have thought “Hey we better clap too or else”. I wasn’t there to see it myself but was told about it a couple of years later. So it can happen……
clap
clap
clap
clap
clap clap clap clap wooooooo!
nice post
Lol! To the person who said it would never happen in real life, it did during one of our high school pep rallies. X3 Someone said something by accident when they didn’t realize the megaphone was one, and the slow clap started after an awkward silence. X3
I like the way yhu express your so it was very fun tew read
nice post bro…
lol Remember the dude in “Not Another Teen Movie” that kept trying to find the right moment to start a slow clap on, that was funny