Joker Stairs

West 167th Street Stairs, also known as the "Joker Stairs"
The stairs in early February 2024

The West 167th Street Stairs, colloquially known as the Joker Stairs, are a step street connecting Shakespeare and Anderson avenues at West 167th Street in the Highbridge neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City.[1] Located near the 167th Street station on the New York City Subway's 4 train,[2] the stairs served as one of the filming locations for the 2019 film Joker, as well as its 2024 sequel Joker: Folie à Deux.[3]

, is repeatedly shown walking up and down the stairs as part of his daily routine. Later, toward the film's climax, he dances down the stairs, wearing a brightly-colored suit and clown makeup, which represent a change in his character,[4] as the Gary Glitter song "Rock and Roll Part 2" plays in the background.[5] The stairs appear in a promotional poster for the film and have become a tourist destination; both the stairs and Phoenix's dance have inspired Internet memes.[6][7]

Many visitors have re-enacted the scene from the film, sometimes in Joker attire,[8][9] to the point that the stairs have become crowded with sightseers.[2] Bronx residents have complained that tourists cause crowding during their commutes while snapping pictures and wielding selfie sticks.[10] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district (which covers portions of the Bronx), asked visitors to stay away from the Joker Stairs to avoid causing problems for residents.[11]

India Today notes, "Even though the stairs have been around for years and lead to some of the most famous spots in New York [...] they were never really popular because of their association with crime in the area."[4] The New York Times notes that stairs used in the 2007 biographical crime film American Gangster, located in a South Bronx neighborhood, were originally to be used in the Joker scenes, but had been repaved and beautified too much to be aesthetically acceptable for the film.[12]

NBC New York notes that the Joker Stairs have joined "the ranks of well-known movie settings, like that of the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art" seen in the 1976 American sports drama Rocky.[13] In 2019, Burger King released a promotional video featuring the Joker Stairs, with a title card saying "We know clowns can be annoying", an innuendo directed at McDonald's mascot, Ronald McDonald.[14]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Vad, Jesse (October 22, 2019). "Tourists Flood The 'Joker Stairs,' Frustrating Bronx Residents". Gothamist. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Jones, Nate (October 23, 2019). "The Joker Stairs: An Afternoon at NYC's Newest Attraction". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  3. ^ Sharf, Zack (April 3, 2023). "Lady Gaga, Joaquin Phoenix Dance and Smoke on the 'Joker' Stairs While Filming 'Folie à Deux' (PHOTOS)". Variety. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Basu, Sreetama (October 22, 2019). "Loved Joker's mad dance on NYC stairs? Take a virtual tour". India Today. Archived from the original on October 23, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  5. ^ Asmelash, Leah (October 20, 2019). "The 'Joker' stairs might be New York's latest tourist attraction". CNN. Archived from the original on November 18, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  6. ^ Mahdawi, Arwa (October 30, 2019). "Meme tourism has turned the world into the seventh circle of selfie hell | Arwa Mahdawi". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on August 29, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  7. ^ Alter, Rebecca (October 24, 2019). "The Dance of Freedom. The Death Bells. The Meme-ing of the Joker". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 1, 2020. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  8. ^ Compton, Natalie B. (November 11, 2019). "As tourists flock to the 'Joker' stairs, we rank Hollywood's other famous steps". The Dallas Morning News.
  9. ^ Holzman, Laura M. (November 1, 2019). "'Joker' fans flocking to a Bronx stairway highlights tension of media tourism". The Conversation. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  10. ^ Ellis, Emma Grey (October 24, 2019). "'Joker Stairs' and the Problem With Meme Tourism". Wired. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  11. ^ Michallon, Clémence (October 24, 2019). "'This is for us': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asks Joker fans to stay away from iconic Bronx steps". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
  12. ^ Jacobs, Julia (October 30, 2019). "'Joker' Stairs Become a Bronx Tourist Draw. Hope You're in Shape". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  13. ^ "Move Over, Rocky! Bronx Steps in 'Joker' Movie Become a Tourist Attraction". NBC New York. October 29, 2019. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
  14. ^ Daniels, Karu. F. (January 8, 2020). "Burger King offering free Whoppers for Bronx residents for tolerating 'Joker Stairs' tourist". New York Daily News. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
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40°50′09″N 73°55′26″W / 40.8359°N 73.9239°W / 40.8359; -73.9239

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