History Main / TheWindowOrTheStairs

Named after a running gag in the film ''Film/ImGonnaGitYouSucka''. Damon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison play EvilMinions who are always being told by other characters that they can leave the building via "[[DestinationDefenestration the window]] or the stairs". Each time, they choose the stairs and each time they get thrown painfully down a long flight of stairs.

For people ''actually'' leaving via the window, see DestinationDefenestration and SuperWindowJump. See also TheEasyWayOrTheHardWay. Contrast SadisticChoice. When someone is ''baited'' into this folly, it's usually SchmuckBait. If the two bad options turn out to be the same, that's MortonsFork. In video games, this is related to PathOfMostResistance.

* In ''FanFic/FateRevelationOnline'' [[spoiler:"dead" players]] are given the choice of working as beta-testers for upcoming content or death. Kayaba is too stingy to actually kill anyone who chooses the latter option, instead using them as [[FateWorseThanDeath test subjects for direct soul modification]]. The one seen after such a procedure was [[EmptyShell catatonic]].

* Many, many jokes about people going to Hell and getting to choose between a traditional torment or another that seems harmless or even desirable, only for the second choice turn out to be TheNotSoHarmlessPunishment.

* One ''[[Literature/TheBerenstainBears Berenstain Bears]]'' book had the kids go camping a'la [[ScoutOut cub scouts]]. At one point their map tells them to take a long and winding mountain path around a deadly culvert, while their leader insists on taking the shortcut right over said culvert (ignoring the blank spot on the map). He takes the shortcut and promptly falls into the culvert because the bridge was out.

** Many military accomplishments amount to someone taking the hard path no one expected them to, from Hannibal's crossing the Alps and Arno to Deng Ai crossing impassable mountains to invade Shu.
** Flying "nap of the earth" is a dangerous flying technique of staying low to the ground and using the topography to conceal one's location. According to Pakistan, this sort of flying allowed four US helicopters to make it to Osama bin Laden's hiding place in 2011 without Pakistani radar detection. This type of flying, whether done with helicoptors or fixed-wing aircraft, is much more difficult than simply flying high above the terrain - but it does result in the aircraft not being as likely to be detected and shot down.

* Subverted and then completely lampshaded in ''Film/GalaxyQuest''. Captain Taggert sees the path between himself and the Berylium Sphere he needed for his ship is clear. Suspecting the Window or the Stairs, he begins taking the 'window' by dodging from boulder to boulder and rolling behind cover. Meanwhile the other characters simply stroll unmolested up the path. Gwen [=DeMarco=] looks over at him as they do and comments, "Does the rolling help actually?" Capt. Taggerty stands up and dusts himself off. unwilling to admit defeat he says, "Uh huh. It helps." Then she points out that during his summersaults he actually dropped his raygun.

This occurs when a character is given two choices; one of which sounds much easier, safer or more pleasant than the other. When the "better" option is chosen, it is subsequently revealed that they've actually picked the ''worse'' option without realizing it until it's too late.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'', Cera and the other dinosaurs refuse to follow Littlefoot's instructions on where to go to find the Great Valley, instead taking an easier path. Their "easier path" winds up trapping them all in a deadly lava flow.

* In the packed-in adventure Rivers of Light in the classic 8-bit computer game Adventure Construction Set, you face an area called Hell on your trip through the afterlife. All the paths through are fire, and do horrific damage. However, there is one very long path around the perimeter of the room that, after one or two tiles of bad damage tame down to a much lower level that can be managed with healing items. It is the only path through that is survivable, while the shorter ones are certain death.

* There's another where a tribal chief mentions he had five wives. Four died eating poisonous mushrooms and one died from a skull fracture... because she refused to eat the mushrooms.

* In ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'', Dr Crane, a.k.a Scarecrow, ends up running a KangarooCourt. The accused gets to choose between death or exile. It turns out "exile" requires crossing the frozen ocean around Gotham, which nearly always results in falling through the ice to one's death. A later group that chooses death saying "do you think we're going to go out onto that ice willingly?" gets sentenced to [[MortonsFork "death... by exile."]]

* A borderline-literal example happens in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' where Cloud is asked if he wants to [[BigDamnHeroes storm into the heavily-guarded Shinra HQ]], or sneak in. Storming the building involves a handful of easy battles, a couple of floors to climb and a lot of fun things to see and do on the way, including a car advert FMV. Sneaking in involves climbing up 60 storeys of identical staircase, [[LeaveTheCameraRunning in real time]] (there's some amusing party banter, though).

* One of the main RunningGags in ''Literature/CiaphasCain''. Every time Cain makes a decision that looks like he chose the easy way out at the risk of damaging his '''HERO OF THE IMPERIUM''' reputation, he always stumbles on some unsuspected danger or vital clue that reveals the greater enemy. In one he doesn't go on the frontline to fight orks and thus discovers they're on a Necron tomb world, in another he joins a recon group only to find out the rebel factions are actually genestealers, or takes a squad with him away from a battle on a hunch and ends up disturbing a daemonic summoning ritual.

* A borderline-literal example happens in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' where Cloud is asked if he wants to [[BigDamnHeroes storm into the heavily-guarded Shinra HQ]], or sneak in. Storming the building involves a handful of easy battles, a couple of floors to climb and a lot of fun things to see and do on the way, including a car advert FMV. Sneaking in involves climbing up 60 storeys of identical staircase, [[LeaveTheCameraRunning in real time]]. (At least this option results in some [[CrowningMomentOfFunny of the funniest party banter in the game]].)

* In the ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' episode [[Recap/AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheKingOfOmashu "The King of Omashu"]], the eponymous King is putting Aang through a series of tests. For the last one, he tells Aang to choose one of two warriors to fight. [[spoiler:Aang tries to TakeAThirdOption and choose the old, crazy King himself - but he was expecting this, informing Aang that he's an incredibly powerful earthbender and tougher opponent than both of the warriors presented. In fact, he's the strongest in the entire series until Toph comes along, and even then it's debatable.]]

* In ''Film/Frequency'', the main character's father died in a burning building because he found himself in this situation (one corridor in fire, another with just smoke) and picked the easy way. When the main character tells him he has to go the other way, the father goes through the fire, which leads to a faster way out of the building.

[[AC:Films -- Animated]]

[[AC:Films -- Live-Action]]

[[AC:{{Jokes}}]]

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]

[[AC:VideoGames]]

[[AC:Web Original]]

[[AC:WesternAnimation]]

[[AC:{{Real Life}}]]

** Further played with in ''Discworld/MakingMoney'': Moist is given the same choice, and referred to the same door, on being offered a new job. Having ostentatiously repeated his previous actions, he discovers the room now has a perfectly normal floor. When he asks what happened to it, Vetinari claims to have no idea what he's talking about. (Playing With PlayingWithATrope? Where will it end?!!)

* Subverted and then completely lampshaded in ''Film/GalaxyQuest''. Captain Taggert sees the path between himself and the Berylium Sphere he needed for his ship is clear. Suspecting the Window or the Stairs, he begins taking the 'window' by dodging from boulder to boulder and rolling behind cover. Meanwhile the other characters simply stroll unmolested up the path. Gwen [=DeMarco=] looks over at him as they do and comments, "Does the rolling help actually?" Capt. Taggerty stands up and dusts himself off. unwilling to admit defeat he says, "Uh huh. It helps." Then she points out that during his summersaults he actually dropped his rayon.

* Subverted and then completely lampshaded in ''Film/GalaxyQuest''. Captain Taggert sees the path between himself and the Berylium Sphere he needed for his ship is clear. Suspecting the Window or the Stairs, he begins taking the 'window' by dodging from boulder to boulder and rolling behind cover. Meanwhile the other characters simply stroll unmolested up the path. Gwen [=DeMarco=] looks over at him as they do and comments, "Does the rolling help actually?" Capt. Taggerty stands up and dusts himself off. unwilling to admit defeat he says, "Uh huh. It helps."

* A very minor example happens in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': When Sans implies that crosswords are tough, his brother Papyrus immediately says that Junior Jumble is much harder, and asks the player to settle the argument. As Sans is more likable, players have a tendency to agree with him. However, Sans is a laid back guy who doesn't really care about anything, except for his brother, so he is actually grateful if you agree with his brother, because he likes it when his brother is happy.

* A very minor example happens in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'': When Sans implies that crosswords are tough, his brother Papyrus immediately says that Junior Jumble is much harder, and asks the player to settle argument. As Sans is more likable, players have a tendency to agree with him. However, Sans is a laid back guy who doesn't really care about everything, except for his brother, so he is actually grateful if you agree with his brother, because he likes it when his brother is happy.

* Episode 3 of ''VideoGame/TheWalkingDead: Season Two'' ends with your group wandering through a horde of zombies, using the classic zombie disguise. However, some zombies see through it, and one woman in your group gets bitten on the hand. You then have two choices; kill the zombie with your hatchet, or chop the woman's arm off. Over 80% of players chopped it off, because they had recently found out that chopping off the infected area just after someone is bitten can stop the infection spreading. Unfortunately, doing so results in said woman [[spoiler:Letting out a scream that attracted several zombies which killed her immediately.]]

** Further played with in ''Discworld/MakingMoney'': Moist is given the same choice, and referred to the same door, on being offered a new job. Having ostentatiously repeated his previous actions he discovers the room now has a perfectly normal floor. When he asks what happened to it, Vetinari claims to have no idea what he's talking about. (Playing With PlayingWithATrope? Where will it end?!!)

* There's another where a tribal chief mentions he had five wives. Four died eating poisonous mushrooms and one with skull fracture... because she refused to eat the mushrooms.