Joker Stairs

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

The West 167th Street Step 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]

In the film, the character Arthur Fleck, the Joker (played by Joaquin Phoenix), 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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