31 Days of Happiness Countdown: This slapstick video is relatable and hilarious. (Day 26)
Japanese game shows make for some of the best videos on the internet.
Hello and welcome to Day 1 of Upworthy's 31 Days of Happiness Countdown! Each day between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31, we're sharing stories we hope will bring joy, smiles, and laughter into our lives and yours. It's been a challenging year for a lot of us, so why not end it on a high note with a bit of happiness? Check back tomorrow for another installment!
This video is a hilarious metaphor for life. A metaphor is a figure of speech, or in this case, a video, that is not necessarily true but instead helps explain an idea or concept. My life is not actually six slippery Japanese men climbing a staircase for arbitrary reasons BUT MAN DOES IT FEEL LIKE IT SOMETIMES.
The video features a Japanese game show in which six men, clad in a rainbow of different outfits and crash helmets, are tasked with climbing a set of stairs while something akin to baby oil continually pours down. The first one to the top is the winner.
This is hilarious. The combination of slapstick, sound effects, and the incredibly enthusiastic announcer and crowd make it a joy to watch. And it's dramatic. There are more twists than in a "Black Mirror" meets "Game of Thrones" slash-fic. But it's also super-duper metaphorical.
Because who has not felt like Red? You do so well at first and get within spitting distance of the goal, only to be betrayed by everyone around you. Or Blue, darling Blue, who just tries so hard. Or maybe today you're Pink, who finally starts doing something well, until someone else's mistake literally knocks the legs out from under you.
We are them. They are us.
What's the life lesson here? Never give up? Yeah, it's probably that. Just keep climbing. You might win. You might ascend the slippery staircase of life. Go for it. Live among the stars.
Even if you don't, well, at least you might get a few laughs along the way.
More days of happiness here: DAY 1 / DAY 2 / DAY 3 / DAY 4 / DAY 5/ DAY 6 / DAY 7 / DAY 8 / DAY 9 / DAY 10 / DAY 11 / DAY 12 / DAY 13 / DAY 14 / DAY 15 / DAY 16 / DAY 17/ DAY 18 / DAY 19 / DAY 20 / DAY 21 / DAY 22 / DAY 23 / DAY 24 / DAY 25 / [DAY 26] / DAY 27 / DAY 28 / DAY 29 / DAY 30 / DAY 31