Hollywood blockbuster “Joker” hit theaters last October and since then people have gone absolutely crazy about one of the movie’s most recognizable locations: a set of steps in Bronx. The scene is famous because there, Joaquin Phoenix’s character, Joker, did his locco dance all dressed up in a red suit and a makeup typical for a clown. Careful though: don’t confuse the famous character with the Dancing Clown, Stephen King’s Pennywise. They do share a few traits, but nothing much…
You’d think that people living in Bronx would be happy to see that their city gained more popularity due to the film. Yet, let us tell you something: think again! Locals who live near the steps and use them daily to get around the neighborhood have become nothing else but incredibly annoyed. And it’s clear why: The steps are always occupied by influencers and other internet users posing like Joker.
So, while the epic scene has brought a Golden Globe to the actor, the same stairs are the ones that are responsible for the prize that the citizens of Bronx received. Ya know, because they had to deal with the film…
“We live in the neighborhood, it’s taking up all of our time, we’re all being inconvenienced,” Bronx resident Cathyrine Spencer told the AP, quoted by Daily Mail. “Every day when I come down the stairs, I have to go through a barrage of people.”
Because the supervillain stairs have brought them a lot of suffering, neighborhood residents were able to receive a free Whopper, courtesy of Burger King. This marks the fast-food chain’s big campaign, “King Stairs,” in which locals of Bronx were offered a free burger via Uber Eats. The reason behind this is that BK “knows clowns can be annoying,” alluding, of course, to Ronald McDonald.
The promotion was available at the beginning of January. The chain said that all they wanted to do with this campaign was to put a happy face on Bronx residents, who have been more than kind with the tourists and influencers who have taken over the stairs.
The campaign comes from the creative minds at David Miami, who cleverly used this phenomenon of influencers’ mecca to advertise for BK. Moreover, the launch of the initiative coincided with the release of the film on DVD. It was — and still is — promoted via social video, featuring the King (not the clown) dancing on the Shakespeare Avenue stairs.