In Paranormality I described how we are all really good at ascribing intentions and emotions to inanimate objects. The other day I came across this great video of a slinky on a treadmill….
What word comes to mind when you watch the slinky? Post your answer as a comment and let’s see if we all come up with the same words.
Just looking at the picture: steadfast
Watching the video: incessant
By then end, under influence of music: lonely
A dinosaur…
endurance
Marching
“Strutting”. No doubt about it!
frustration
Relentless. The poor thing is being tortured. This is the slinky equivalent of being water boarded. It’s odd how this vid evoked an anthropomorphic response in many when it went around twitter.
Persistent.
desperate
As it was loading, “sproingy”
With the music, “relentless”
robocop
infinity
Determined
Wow! That’s my word too!
Moi aussi.
drudgery
Not a word as such but it reminds me of the ‘wrong trousers’ in wallace and gromit.
My word though would be determined.
indomitable
Epic
Survivor
Alive
Trudging
Tired
Hypnotic.
I wonder if the background music has an effect on the word choice / emotion. Everyone suggesting epic / relentless / marching etc, very much in line with the music. Change te audio track to something lighty, airy, dreamlike and I’ll bet a whole new vocabulary of words will appear!
Tenacious and Dogged were the words that came to my mind.
What’s interesting is that most people (myself included) are using words that suggest some intent or purpose on the part of the slinky, when in fact it is merely obeying known laws of physics.
Terminator!
relentless. And very much agree with Moray.
plodding
but I tried to ignore the overemotional music, that’s bound to affect answers to your question.
That slinky is a “Trooper”!
1 word: toomuchfeckingtimeonyourhands
But enough about your life, Russ.
Persistent.
Unpredictable
Predictable
1) Robocop
2) Terminator
3) Sisyphe
Trapped
Fruitless
futile
Mr Soft! ( as in the old tv advert for mints)
Pointless
Dogged.
70s disco
Gottamakeit
Struggle.
Disingenuous
Perilous.
Futile.
Determined.
Determined
Endless
Relentless. And that was before I looked at the comments, honest.
perserverance
Perseverance.
Walking-wave (as opposed to a standing wave).
Determined
Pepetuum mobile
Relentless – never ending – indefatigable … actually a good lesson in some cases
Futile
Empty….???… Strange???…. No sense??… I don’t understand this video…
Confused.
tenacious
Sisyphus
first word that came to me also-agree with you
tenacious
Drunk…
Determined
Biped, terrible choice of music for the video. Reminds me of the biped robots in Star Wars, yes the ones they bring down by tangling their legs…. A march type music would have been a better choice…
Dogged.
Sardonic — like in the song
This needs to be made into a gif with a “haters gon’ hate” headline and Stayin’ Alive playing in the background.
Ah! Staying alive! excellent music choice!!
Yes! Someone do it please.
Struggle.
Desperation
determined persistent
underwhelming
wearisome
Overlong
strut
Dogged.
“Determined” and/or “resolute” (though much of that’s the musical score — a different accompinament could’ve just as easily seemed ‘silly’ or ‘futile’.)
Determined
futile
First word that came to mind was Endless.
oblivious
Determination
Stubborn!
Persistant
Turner prize.!
Human
Determination
Stoical
Sisyphus
Tired
I had the sound off & it’s more than one word, but “Keep on truckin’” came to the mind of this child of the ’70′s!
Magic
Determined!
Jamboree!
Walking (at first)
Boring (later)
Determined
Terminator. Determination. Relentless. Threatening(?!). Boring – in the end. I didn’t listen to the music. I put it on mute. So my words might have been different to most (didn’t look). It did go on a bit. I kept thinking when it got to the edge that the slinky was going to fall off the treadmill
Relentlessness
Dogged
stupendous !
quasi-anthropomorphicated
Determinator (but that’s because I read too much TV Tropes). I would have died laughing if the music had changed halfway through to “Tiptoe Through The Tulips”.
What about this GIANT slinky going down an escalator…
Words that come to mind for the giant one are:
Galumphing
Clomping
Searching
Beautiful
Not quite fast enough…
Gay.
Atheismrocks!
Not sure if RIchard has posted it before, but in terms of ascribing intentions and emotions to objects (this one no so inanimate), I found that not much beats this:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5ddscQZroA&w=420&h=315%5D
Moonwalk
heroic
This was my word too!
Sassy. Damned sassy.
Perpetual
Flow
intrepid
Sisyphus
Determined.
Tenacious, tired, and heroic came to mind. Though the last was probably just influenced by the music.
It seems, if you are a slinky, one does simply walk in Mordor.
oooh, I want a rainbow slinky!
Futility
slinkyphus
Stompy
Another vote for ‘determined’
intrepid
Sisyphus
i am not listening
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