Mexican standoff

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Mexican standoff is a strategic deadlock or impasse, in which no party can act in a way that ensures victory.

Contents

[edit] Origins

The phrase came into usage during the late 19th century. Originally a reference to perceived Mexican political indecision,[1] it has come to refer to any impasse, regardless of the participants or the presence of arms.

[edit] In popular culture

In popular culture, the Mexican standoff is often portrayed as three or more opponents with weapons aimed at one another,[2] such that each opponent feels equally threatened and does not believe he can strike first without endangering his own life; not only does any initial shot decisively destroy the unstable equilibrium of multiple deterrence, shooting any one person takes one's aim away from the other opponent. [3][4] Note that two people with weapons pointed at each other is a simple standoff.

The Mexican standoff has been used in many film genres such as spaghetti westerns or action films.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ McFarlane, Keele. "Almost by definition, a Mexican standoff!" The Jamaica Observer. July 08, 2006 (Retrieved December 16, 2007)
  2. ^ "News & Notes: Quentin Tarantino." Entertainment Weekly #1002, July 25, 2008, pg. 8. "Inglorious Bastards ... features the director's now-classic use of the Mexican standoff, in which multiple characters are at an impasse pointing guns at each other."
  3. ^ "Mexican Standoff." TVtropes.org Retrieved September 1, 2008.
  4. ^ "Mexican Standoff." MovieDeaths.com Retrieved September 1, 2008.
Personal tools