Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app

Continue in app Continue in browser

User submission

1.6K

13.8K

People In New York Can Now Let Their Anger Out By Punching These Bags That Were Set Up Around The City

ADVERTISEMENT

As New York City Design Week 2019 rocked the Big Apple between May 10 and 22, hundreds of artists and designers flocked to the city to showcase their work. With numerous events, exhibitions, and installations, no wonder thousands of attendees were there to see it all. And while most of the art and design pieces were displayed in predetermined locations like galleries and parks, some branched out to unexpected spaces… like metal poles on the corner of the street.

More info: donttakethisthewrongway.com

These punching bags appeared in Manhattan last month

People In New York Can Now Let Their Anger Out By Punching These Bags That Were Set Up Around The City

Image credits: studio_dtttww

People In New York Can Now Let Their Anger Out By Punching These Bags That Were Set Up Around The City

Image credits: studio_dtttww

Titled “Public Punching Bags”, the project aims to address how human emotions are exhibited and dealt with in a public setting. “The concept explores designing common spaces for the frustrations we all face [ones] that go beyond designed systems and happen, well, because we are human,” the studio explains.

People In New York Can Now Let Their Anger Out By Punching These Bags That Were Set Up Around The City

Image credits: studio_dtttww

People In New York Can Now Let Their Anger Out By Punching These Bags That Were Set Up Around The City

Image credits: persnicketyfox

The yellow punching bag works as an outlet for those emotions. The team behind donttakethisthewrongway hopes that the project could, perhaps, help people find a healthier way to “address personal and collective issues in a public setting.”

ADVERTISEMENT

People In New York Can Now Let Their Anger Out By Punching These Bags That Were Set Up Around The City

Image credits: persnicketyfox

People In New York Can Now Let Their Anger Out By Punching These Bags That Were Set Up Around The City

Image credits: cgbam4789

One of the people who had a chance to interact with the installation, took to Instagram to share her thoughts and experiences. “This is AWESOME. I don’t know who to thank for this – OH MY WORD – THANK YOU! We need more of this. A public punching bag!” she wrote under a picture of herself punching the bag.

People In New York Can Now Let Their Anger Out By Punching These Bags That Were Set Up Around The City

Image credits: plat4om

ADVERTISEMENT

People In New York Can Now Let Their Anger Out By Punching These Bags That Were Set Up Around The City

Image credits: donttakethisthewrongway

ADVERTISEMENT

14Kviews

Giedrė Vaičiulaitytė

As a writer and image editor for Bored Panda, Giedrė crafts posts on many different topics to push them to their potential. She's also glad that her Bachelor’s degree in English Philology didn’t go to waste (although collecting dust in the attic could also be considered an achievement of aesthetic value!) Giedrė is an avid fan of cats, photography, and mysteries, and a keen observer of the Internet culture which is what she is most excited to write about. Since she's embarked on her journalistic endeavor, Giedrė has over 600 articles under her belt and hopes for twice as much (fingers crossed - half of them are about cats).

As a writer and image editor for Bored Panda, Giedrė crafts posts on many different topics to push them to their potential. She's also glad that her Bachelor’s degree in English Philology didn’t go to waste (although collecting dust in the attic could also be considered an achievement of aesthetic value!) Giedrė is an avid fan of cats, photography, and mysteries, and a keen observer of the Internet culture which is what she is most excited to write about. Since she's embarked on her journalistic endeavor, Giedrė has over 600 articles under her belt and hopes for twice as much (fingers crossed - half of them are about cats).

What do you think ?

QueenOlive 5 years ago

While I understand the concept, I think it would be teaching people to use violence when they are frustrated or angry, instead of talking to someone or finding another outlet.

18points

gibsonpic 5 years ago

Totally agree with QueenOlive on this one, there are much better ways of relieving stress than punching a padded lamp post. Find a good friend and have a belly laugh, borrow someones puppy for the day or go for a 10 mile hike instead

8points

Load More Replies...

John Smith 5 years ago

Um, it's not violent to hit a foam pad. Violence requires a victim.

4points

C 5 years ago

I totally agree with QueenOlive. Also I once saw a video about an experiment with people who were stressed and furious and they were punching a pillow. Turned out they were even more furious after that. Nothing with "calming down" by punching a pillow.

3points

Full Name 5 years ago

You have clearly never worked out or done an intense sport. Physical exertion is absolutely the best way to relieve stress. It's not violence to hit a goddamn punching bag. By that logic, building a house is nothing but an act of violence because you hit nails.

1point

Alice Laughs 5 years ago

*puts on nerd glasses* So what happens is that our nervous system builds up adrenaline, and we expend it by fighting or running away. Our bodies are not supposed to hold onto the increased adrenals or cortisol which is meant to cause only temporary states of heightened energy. We can witness this in the case of bunnies which, if they freeze up but the danger passes, they'll shake or run around in circles right after because the nervous system is designed to expend the chemicals. We're all different though, so if Maria expends her energy doing puzzles that's great for her, but I personally go for a run or engage in bat therapy, in which I, let's say... break down future firewood with a bat. And I feel totally great after. #therapistapproved

1point

Mathias 5 years ago

Why should people find another outlet when this is the known most effective method to letting go of anger without hurting anybody? You do realise that you are basically suggesting people should spread their anger onto other people instead of using a thing to let go? There is absolutely zero need of finding another way as there is enough research done on this topic for decades. Violence is a natural part of being human, you can't fight it. You can only learn to handle it. It is actually known that trying to be completely non violent leads to people not being aware of their very human potential of violence which can lead to people exploding in a completely uncontrolled way - which in the worst case ends with the death of others - because the person always chose another way, swallowing the aggressions down until it was too much. And then didn't know how to handle this to him completely new emotion.

0points

Alice Laughs 5 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

TheExtremeSmell 5 years ago

Back in the day people just strangled transients or berated their wives in private. Now everything has to be everyone’s business!

0points

🏳️‍🌈👻EmoExtreemo👻🏳️‍🌈 5 years ago

causing pain inanimate objects isn't violence. what you said would be true if the people punching were children instead of adults

-2points

Alice Laughs 5 years ago

Some Chinese schools have a room labeled Catharsis, filled with foam-y type objects for hitting- excuse me, "stress relief." I know this is an unpopular belief, but... humans are very primal and, like animals, physically tussle with each other for dominance. Two people get out their aggression and move on with their lives. We've transformed physical dominance into parlays across the table because we 1) harbor resentment to the point of plotting another's death, 2) use way more force than is necessary to re-establish dominance and, 3) gang up on each other. But in removing all forms of physical aggression you can't even get into a fistfight anymore, especially in hierarchy-charged work environments. Even puppies wrestle to mimic this. Putting padded poles up eliminates violence toward another, but it's obvious we have this energy that needs an outlet. Maybe in another 100 years we'll have a pill targeted toward reducing this energy and we'll finally be ideal manageable subjects. Sigh.

11points

Jon Payne 5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Load More Replies...

Marcin uścinowicz 5 years ago

Genius! I'm going to make it in my coutry :)

3points

Load More Comments

QueenOlive 5 years ago

While I understand the concept, I think it would be teaching people to use violence when they are frustrated or angry, instead of talking to someone or finding another outlet.

18points

gibsonpic 5 years ago

Totally agree with QueenOlive on this one, there are much better ways of relieving stress than punching a padded lamp post. Find a good friend and have a belly laugh, borrow someones puppy for the day or go for a 10 mile hike instead

8points

Load More Replies...

John Smith 5 years ago

Um, it's not violent to hit a foam pad. Violence requires a victim.

4points

C 5 years ago

I totally agree with QueenOlive. Also I once saw a video about an experiment with people who were stressed and furious and they were punching a pillow. Turned out they were even more furious after that. Nothing with "calming down" by punching a pillow.

3points

Full Name 5 years ago

You have clearly never worked out or done an intense sport. Physical exertion is absolutely the best way to relieve stress. It's not violence to hit a goddamn punching bag. By that logic, building a house is nothing but an act of violence because you hit nails.

1point

Alice Laughs 5 years ago

*puts on nerd glasses* So what happens is that our nervous system builds up adrenaline, and we expend it by fighting or running away. Our bodies are not supposed to hold onto the increased adrenals or cortisol which is meant to cause only temporary states of heightened energy. We can witness this in the case of bunnies which, if they freeze up but the danger passes, they'll shake or run around in circles right after because the nervous system is designed to expend the chemicals. We're all different though, so if Maria expends her energy doing puzzles that's great for her, but I personally go for a run or engage in bat therapy, in which I, let's say... break down future firewood with a bat. And I feel totally great after. #therapistapproved

1point

Mathias 5 years ago

Why should people find another outlet when this is the known most effective method to letting go of anger without hurting anybody? You do realise that you are basically suggesting people should spread their anger onto other people instead of using a thing to let go? There is absolutely zero need of finding another way as there is enough research done on this topic for decades. Violence is a natural part of being human, you can't fight it. You can only learn to handle it. It is actually known that trying to be completely non violent leads to people not being aware of their very human potential of violence which can lead to people exploding in a completely uncontrolled way - which in the worst case ends with the death of others - because the person always chose another way, swallowing the aggressions down until it was too much. And then didn't know how to handle this to him completely new emotion.

0points

Alice Laughs 5 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

0points

TheExtremeSmell 5 years ago

Back in the day people just strangled transients or berated their wives in private. Now everything has to be everyone’s business!

0points

🏳️‍🌈👻EmoExtreemo👻🏳️‍🌈 5 years ago

causing pain inanimate objects isn't violence. what you said would be true if the people punching were children instead of adults

-2points

Alice Laughs 5 years ago

Some Chinese schools have a room labeled Catharsis, filled with foam-y type objects for hitting- excuse me, "stress relief." I know this is an unpopular belief, but... humans are very primal and, like animals, physically tussle with each other for dominance. Two people get out their aggression and move on with their lives. We've transformed physical dominance into parlays across the table because we 1) harbor resentment to the point of plotting another's death, 2) use way more force than is necessary to re-establish dominance and, 3) gang up on each other. But in removing all forms of physical aggression you can't even get into a fistfight anymore, especially in hierarchy-charged work environments. Even puppies wrestle to mimic this. Putting padded poles up eliminates violence toward another, but it's obvious we have this energy that needs an outlet. Maybe in another 100 years we'll have a pill targeted toward reducing this energy and we'll finally be ideal manageable subjects. Sigh.

11points

Jon Payne 5 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Load More Replies...

Marcin uścinowicz 5 years ago

Genius! I'm going to make it in my coutry :)

3points

Load More Comments

Back to Homepage

Related on Bored Panda

Related on Bored Panda

Word Search

WordroW

Jigsaw

Crossword

Sudoku

Picdoku

Killer Sudoku

Kriss Kross

Word Flower

Trending on Bored Panda

Also on Bored Panda