RIP Lorene Yarnell! She was truly amazing. Saw them as a kid performing in Union Sq SF before they went big time. Always a joy and definitely an inspiration that helped my robot dance through the years. God bless.
I remember seeing this skit as a four year old and being scared to death. Nightmares followed which caused me to fall out of bed onto the hardwood floor. It was not a good evening.
I think you might be missing the point here, guys. This was the birth of "pop and lock" and the "robot" and "the robo". Yes, mimes are a joke, but these guys started a huge genre a decade before it became ubiquitous.
No, it was not. They were a huge influence, but, by the time Shields and Yarnell were performing these routines, robotic dancing was already created. It would later be called the "Electric Boogie, or Boogaloo." Robotic dancing was directly influenced by the "Mimes," or "Miming" routines by people like Marcel Marceau. Miming actually dates back to medieval Europe. But, in western countries, miming was popular in Europe and the USA by the 20's and 30's. Robotic dancing routines and performances in the streets of the USA were first noticeable in the 60's and early 70's. Michael Jackson forever engraved robotic performances culturally with his "robot" dancing performances in the song "Dancing Machine" performed by him and his brothers the "Jackson Five." The movie "Flashdance" took street routines over the top with the "On the run" boogie and breaking scene of the movie. You can see performers (both black and white) performing moves like the backslide (moonwalk) and other dance moves as far back as the 30's. But, it was the kids on the American streets that made "boogieing" what it is today. Since then, the rest of the world (as they did during the 20's-40's) has been imitating the USA dance culture.
Robert Shields -- the man in this video -- is the one who invented the robot movies you're talking about. Michael Jackson credits him, Marcel Marceau credits him, everyone credits him.
I LOVED shields and Yarnell, on the Muppets, Carol Burnett, and the tv special(s)... This routine was seared into my rain as a 4-year old. I named my clownfish Shileds and Yarnell.
i remember seeing them on the old "carol burnett show" in the'70's. they are amazing! I am sorry to hear that lorene yarnell passed away after reading the other posts. RIP Lorene Yarnell & God be with your family.
I remember when I was in Jr. High school watching these episode's of the "Kinkers" on TV I tried successfully to imitate the robotic gestures luckily a few years later break dancing was popular & doing the robot was the thing to do. Good times!
I got to meet them when I was in Florida before Lorene Yarnell passed on and they were lovely. They will always be a part of my childhood and my life because they always knew how to make me laugh. I miss you Lorene... All my love always! There will never be another duo like them.
In 2009 we met them in Phoenix, and I agree that they were thoroughly gracious. Sad that Lurene died a year later. We still see Robert on occasion, and have bought a bunch of his artwork.
Can you imagine working as the clean up crew on this show? Last time I saw these two doing their thing was probably around 1977. So surreal watching it now in the information age.
I looked up who played Dot Matrix in Spaceballs. It was Lorene Yarnell, and then I was reminded about the Shields & Yarnell robot act. I vaguely remember watching them as a kid.
Was watching Styx Mr. Roboto & thought of these 2. Saddened me that they divorced, & that Lorene Yarnell died relatively young. She was undeniably easy on the eyes.
I'm definitely genX but I guess I'm not genuine. I'm guessing my mother was not a fan is why I don't remember or they just never interested me. I do quite vividly remember a nightmare about robots..maybe inspired by them, but you'd think I'd remember if so.
I say THIS is what inspired many of the currently popular dance moves. It's just a little faster now. Back in the 70s and 80s things were a little slower-paced, but a lot of us were watching on TVs with antennas, not high-def at 120 fps refresh rate or whatever.
Thanks Dizzrokn for putting a time line on it, stuff like that is very important because people think oh so much time has passed, that history can be revised.....na it's not happening. And I got news for you Popalong ALL Great dance routines have a storyline a beginning,a middle and and end...if you don't believe me then just watch Salah!
I just found out today that she passed away in 2010. : ( : ( : ( I watched this show back in 77 and 78 as a kid. I think it might have been on Channel 7 here in the bay area, San Francisco. I really loved those two. Creepy, but I really liked them.
I you appreciate the complexity behind robotics or built them, you will find this very very funny (unless you are a kid, then its funny to see adults or machines as clumsy as kids themselves!)
I remember some other skits from Mac Davis specials, such as one in a grocery store. I would be quite surprised to see those on RUclips since those specials must be hard to come by.
These people took it from Marcel Marceau whiteface mime,to another level......Brilliant. No-one, but no one ever, has since touched it! God Bless them!
Damita Jo Freeman did the dance "the robot" on Soul Train in 1972 with James Brown. Look her up on RUclips. And she wasn't the first to do the dance called the robot. I think she learned from another street dancer named Charles the Robot. And I heard street dancers in Oakland, CA were doing the robot since the late 1960's.
Does anyone know what the name of the electronic tune is playing in the background and who composed it? This video warms my heart, BTW. I was always fascinated by Shields & Yarnell when I was a kid....and still AM fascinated.
All respect to S&Y they did influence many street dancers , but the robot as a dance was first done on Soul Train before the S&Y show came on tv. But after S&Y came to our homes , hell yeah they were a great influence and i love them to death. But they did theirs as skits and perfomances not as a dance . Much respect to S&Y .
Yea youre absolutely right, although it aired Robert and Yarnell publicly world wide. This dance was invented by a black man from the group called the lockers. google him, it will tell you. If you guys ever heard of Rerun" from the whats happening show" he was in the group also with Tony basil. Search Original lockers
Me too. It made me think my parents good be replaced by robots. Inhad just seen the twilight zone episode were every character was actually a mannequin, so that added to the terror.
RIP Lorene Yarnell! She was truly amazing. Saw them as a kid performing in Union Sq SF before they went big time. Always a joy and definitely an inspiration that helped my robot dance through the years. God bless.
Played a Villain on Wonder Woman controlling ants ❤
This is from when Shields and Yarnell were guests on an episode of "The Muppet Show" in 1979. Classic, thanks for uploading!
Yes, this is from ages ago
@Eggy Noggy Jackson begged Shields for tips on refining his robot dance moves.
@@MickeyB105and it was a honor MJ was great doing the robot
Shields and Yarnell were amazing. I used to love their routines.
I remember this being equal parts sad and scary when I watched it as a kid. Now I appreciate their talent.
lol it absolutely Terrified me! ... so much so that it still makes me a little uncomfortable ....
100% same here! I watched them hiding under our living room table.
Now there is the real thing. Still kind of scary.
Same
Same
R.I.P. Lorene Yarnell August 6, 2010 Age 66, you will be missed. A great talent lost to the world, but never forgotten.
Loved it, brings back many memories of their show.
I LOVED Shields & Yarnell. Used to watch them with my parents when I was a kid. This is great!!! Thanks!!
Very talented, the movements and mannerisms are fascinating. Thanks for posting this. These two had a real amazing and genuine talent.
A sad end 2 Lorene Yarnell. Passed away on 7/29/10 at age 66 from a cerebral aneurysm. So young. May she RIP.
My parents just introduced me to this... I like it xD They make me laugh a good ten times more than what is on television now...
I remember seeing this skit as a four year old and being scared to death. Nightmares followed which caused me to fall out of bed onto the hardwood floor. It was not a good evening.
it scared the living shit out of me as well
My mom whatve said that's God making the devil punishing you for smiling!!!!!! Ted Cruz is the devil!!!!!
How was this scary it was funny and entertaining
I loved their T.V. show when I was a kid. I watched it with my parents a lot.
How do they not blink?! Amazing!
we trained our selfs not to blink many hour of practice
@@robertshields5831 Hi Robert, just heard you on the Carson Podcast, great interview.
Any special eye contacts you needed to wear for this effect?
I love this! How did they not laugh at themselves...
I'm sure they did different takes
I think you might be missing the point here, guys. This was the birth of "pop and lock" and the "robot" and "the robo". Yes, mimes are a joke, but these guys started a huge genre a decade before it became ubiquitous.
Mimes are a joke? WTF does THAT mean?
Exactly!!!mimes are hilarious if done right!
No, it was not. They were a huge influence, but, by the time Shields and Yarnell were performing these routines, robotic dancing was already created. It would later be called the "Electric Boogie, or Boogaloo." Robotic dancing was directly influenced by the "Mimes," or "Miming" routines by people like Marcel Marceau. Miming actually dates back to medieval Europe. But, in western countries, miming was popular in Europe and the USA by the 20's and 30's. Robotic dancing routines and performances in the streets of the USA were first noticeable in the 60's and early 70's. Michael Jackson forever engraved robotic performances culturally with his "robot" dancing performances in the song "Dancing Machine" performed by him and his brothers the "Jackson Five." The movie "Flashdance" took street routines over the top with the "On the run" boogie and breaking scene of the movie. You can see performers (both black and white) performing moves like the backslide (moonwalk) and other dance moves as far back as the 30's. But, it was the kids on the American streets that made "boogieing" what it is today. Since then, the rest of the world (as they did during the 20's-40's) has been imitating the USA dance culture.
Robert Shields -- the man in this video -- is the one who invented the robot movies you're talking about. Michael Jackson credits him, Marcel Marceau credits him, everyone credits him.
Does not make the sketch any less funny!
Shield & Yarnell - they are the best and I still love them ! !
I LOVED shields and Yarnell, on the Muppets, Carol Burnett, and the tv special(s)... This routine was seared into my rain as a 4-year old.
I named my clownfish Shileds and Yarnell.
Omg-i loved the guys when I was a kid, I was just amazed when I watched them!!!
God, they were such cute people! SO talented!
i remember seeing them on the old "carol burnett show" in the'70's. they are amazing! I am sorry to hear that lorene yarnell passed away after reading the other posts. RIP Lorene Yarnell & God be with your family.
I remember when I was in Jr. High school watching these episode's of the "Kinkers" on TV I tried successfully to imitate the robotic gestures luckily a few years later break dancing was popular & doing the robot was the thing to do. Good times!
I got to meet them when I was in Florida before Lorene Yarnell passed on and they were lovely. They will always be a part of my childhood and my life because they always knew how to make me laugh. I miss you Lorene... All my love always! There will never be another duo like them.
In 2009 we met them in Phoenix, and I agree that they were thoroughly gracious. Sad that Lurene died a year later. We still see Robert on occasion, and have bought a bunch of his artwork.
They among others were the inspiration for early Hip Hop moves known as The Robot and Electric Boogie. Today we call it Popping & Locking
Just popping . But yes a part of hip hop history
Can you imagine working as the clean up crew on this show?
Last time I saw these two doing their thing was probably around 1977. So surreal watching it now in the information age.
I don't know what is a bigger blast from the past... Shields and Yarnell... or that hideous 70s wallpaper!!!
Loved their show!!
Btw, this is from Season 4 of The Muppet Show :)
I loved meeting shields in person at an art show in arizona... such a nice man.
Agree! We see him once or twice a year ini the Tucson area.
I looked up who played Dot Matrix in Spaceballs. It was Lorene Yarnell, and then I was reminded about the Shields & Yarnell robot act. I vaguely remember watching them as a kid.
I love the opening number where Skooter goes to check on Shields & Arnell and it appears Shields is so shocked she smears lipstick across her face. XD
Was watching Styx Mr. Roboto & thought of these 2. Saddened me that they divorced, & that Lorene Yarnell died relatively young. She was undeniably easy on the eyes.
Oh they scared me when I was little and still do!!
I remember them well. Loved their acts.
They started by doing street performances in San Francisco. I fairly forgot how much fun it was to watch them.
This was entertainment back in the 70s kids.
Yarnell died years ago. They were the Best Mimes and Robots.
Used to love them as a kid
He looks like El DeBarge. Now I need to go watch "Short Circuit" again. :)
More like Prince. I gotta go watch Purple Rain now.
brings back such great memories!!
If you don't remember this show, you're not a genuine Gen Xer.
I'm definitely genX but I guess I'm not genuine. I'm guessing my mother was not a fan is why I don't remember or they just never interested me. I do quite vividly remember a nightmare about robots..maybe inspired by them, but you'd think I'd remember if so.
I say THIS is what inspired many of the currently popular dance moves. It's just a little faster now. Back in the 70s and 80s things were a little slower-paced, but a lot of us were watching on TVs with antennas, not high-def at 120 fps refresh rate or whatever.
This is some of the funniest stuff! I remember they were quite popular for the time!
They were amazing
This is where my mother got my name !!! Yarnell !!
Nellynellz007 good for you, but you don't do mime.just kidding
took me forever to recall the name of this show!! I was like 7
I was shocked to hear about Lorene Yarnell's sudden death last week. She was so adorable and talented and will be greatly missed.
These guys were the best!
I love this show when I was a lil girl! I think they were married.
***** Yes, they were married!
Yes,and they were the greatest Comedy team ever!!!
They were in an episode of Wonder Woman she was the villian & he was the the scientist..
They were married in 1972 then divorced 1986. Sadly Lorene Yarnell died in 2010.
RIP Lorene...your legacy lives on.
Omg I was like 11 years old when this show was out
Thanks Dizzrokn for putting a time line on it, stuff like that is very important because people think oh so much time has passed, that history can be revised.....na it's not happening.
And I got news for you Popalong ALL Great dance routines have a storyline a beginning,a middle and and end...if you don't believe me then just watch Salah!
they were awsome!
If you're watching this sober you're doing it wrong
Im 53 and i used to wait for them to come on
HYSTERICAL!!!
I haven't seen this video for i about 36 years. wow...
I LOVE this episode!:-D
I miss their show!
They are great!
I just found out today that she passed away in 2010. : ( : ( : ( I watched this show back in 77 and 78 as a kid. I think it might have been on Channel 7 here in the bay area, San Francisco. I really loved those two. Creepy, but I really liked them.
wild 70's show from when i was a kid !!!!!!!!
I you appreciate the complexity behind robotics or built them, you will find this very very funny (unless you are a kid, then its funny to see adults or machines as clumsy as kids themselves!)
Amazing people Sheilds and Yarnell. What talent and grace. What a mess in the kitchen. Were they a couple?
LOVE SHIELDS AND YARNELL!!! ALWAYS!!!
the dude is simply brilliant
Classic amazing. Fantastic.
An AMERICAN TREASURE! :0)
S&Y formed in 72' and were the spark of pop, lock, electric boogie, etc.
They scared me when I was little.
These are very talented people. I regard the comic/mime robot "Mr. Zed" to be a spiritual descendant of "The Clinkers".
I remember some other skits from Mac Davis specials, such as one in a grocery store. I would be quite surprised to see those on RUclips since those specials must be hard to come by.
RIP Lorene Yarnell. (She was the robot in Spaceballs, btw.)
Perfect ★★★★★
I really loved the Clinckers.
OMG that is funny as hell!!! LOL
This show used to scare the s*** out of me when I was young.
They were the best ever at doing the robot.
watching old disney shows as my dance inspiration . :] ahah
These people took it from Marcel Marceau whiteface mime,to another level......Brilliant. No-one, but no one ever, has since touched it! God Bless them!
I feel a comeback on the horizon...
Post more of the Clinkers, if you are able, please!!!
Lorene Yarnell, you will be missed
Damita Jo Freeman did the dance "the robot" on Soul Train in 1972 with James Brown. Look her up on RUclips. And she wasn't the first to do the dance called the robot. I think she learned from another street dancer named Charles the Robot. And I heard street dancers in Oakland, CA were doing the robot since the late 1960's.
Does anyone know what the name of the electronic tune is playing in the background and who composed it? This video warms my heart, BTW. I was always fascinated by Shields & Yarnell when I was a kid....and still AM fascinated.
Amei 💖
This is freaking cool.
They were and still are the Best mind pro former ever
She was Dot Matrix in Spaceballs
AWESOME !
Robert Shields has a business in Sedona, Arizona. Lorene Yarnell died in Norway of a cerebral aneurysm in 2010.
I traced this character from the movie, "Wild Wild West Revisited." I think he is an incredible robot actor.
All respect to S&Y they did influence many street dancers , but the robot as a dance was first done on Soul Train before the S&Y show came on tv. But after S&Y came to our homes , hell yeah they were a great influence and i love them to death. But they did theirs as skits and perfomances not as a dance . Much respect to S&Y .
Yea youre absolutely right, although it aired Robert and Yarnell publicly world wide. This dance was invented by a black man from the group called the lockers. google him, it will tell you. If you guys ever heard of Rerun" from the whats happening show" he was in the group also with Tony basil. Search Original lockers
i dont know what you sad but i think this video is prrety good.
I love it show!
I have this on video, it´s from an episode of the Muppet Show !!!
whoa..this show just popped into my noodle..I couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 when this was on,must have scared the shit out of me
Me too. It made me think my parents good be replaced by robots. Inhad just seen the twilight zone episode were every character was actually a mannequin, so that added to the terror.
The '70's were very dark days.
Unique talent
wow that was kind of incredibly impressive.