“Fat people falling down stairs” refers to a specific type of physical comedy in which an overweight person loses their balance and falls down a flight of stairs. This comedic trope is often used to elicit laughter from audiences, as it plays on the unexpected and slapstick nature of the situation.
The use of “fat people falling down stairs” as a comedic device has a long history, dating back to early forms of entertainment such as vaudeville and burlesque. In these performances, comedians would often use their physicality to create humor, and falling down stairs was a common way to do so.