Pratfalls

A pratfall is a comedic fall, typically landing on the buttocks, performed to provoke laughter. The term originates in English vaudeville and slapstick tradition, with prat referring to the buttocks and the fall designed to appear clumsy or ridiculous.

In performance, a pratfall relies on precise timing, posture, and reaction. It usually follows a setup where a character loses balance or confronts an obstacle, ending with a sudden, exaggerated impact. Sound effects, facial expressions, and use of props such as chairs, ladders, or banana peels can heighten the gag. In film and television, pratfalls are a staple of physical comedy, ranging from minor slips to elaborate tumbles, and they help to humanize characters, relieve tension, or puncture dignity.

Historically, pratfalls were central to silent-era comedians and later became a signature device for many slapstick acts. In addition to vaudeville, they appeared prominently in the works of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and The Three Stooges. In modern media and animation, pratfalls persist as a familiar engine of visual humor, often adapted with contemporary pacing and effects.

Notable characteristics include a focus on timing, controlled staging to avoid real injury, and the aftereffects of the fall—groans, dusting off, quips—that sustain the joke. While widely used across genres, pratfalls continue to evolve with new media, remaining a recognizable tool of physical comedy.