Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
"Jumping the shark" is a term that never made any sense to me. It's used to indicate the moment when someone has gone too far--when Newt Gingrich began attacking Romney's days at Bain, for example, arguing, in effect, that Romney was too much of a capitalist, Newt was said to have "jumped the shark." But why? What did sharks have to do with anything? And what could it possibly mean to jump over one?
As it happens, I learned this very moment, the phrase dates back to that great figure of American television, the Fonz.
From an interview in the New York Times Magazine with Garry Marshall, the producer of "Happy Days":
Fred Fox Jr., who was the writer credited with the famous episode where Fonzie jumped the shark on “Happy Days,” said that the idea came from you.
Yes, it was my idea.
Considering the phrase’s fame, any regrets?
Well, it wasn’t good....We were stuck in Malibu making believe we were in Hawaii, and we had to do something a little special for Fonzie. So I said: “Jumping’s worked well for us. Let’s jump something maybe on water skis.” At the time we put it on, viewers didn’t throw rocks at it or send letters, but later some very clever guys said that’s when the show turned. So if it’s used about a show going down, fine. I got a word into the American vernacular.
Am I the last person here at Ricochet to have learned this?
P.S. Back during the Eighties, by the way, I met Henry Winkler, the actor who played the Fonz, on a studio backlot. (Considering a show based in the White House, a studio flew a couple of us speechwriters out to Los Angeles for a day. Nothing came of this, my one and only brush with the precarious industry in which Rob Long has somehow managed to thrive, although, as the hit show "The West Wing" would prove a decade later, it wasn't a bad idea.)
Winkler couldn't have been nicer--and went so far as to say he was honored to meet someone who worked for President Reagan. I waited a moment, studying his face for some sign of sarcasm or irony--we were in Hollywood after all. None appeared, leading me to conclude that he was just as good a guy as he seemed.
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Comments:
Aug '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Ricochet came periously close to jumping the shark with all the anti-Romney stuff put forth but thankfully Mitt wrapped up the nomination and saved the site's credibility.
Aug '11
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Does anyone know what, "crossing the Rubicon" means?
Aug '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Basil Fawlty
I agree with Mendel. You can often identify the smartest guy in the room by what he doesn't bother to know. · 2 hours ago
Sherlock Holmes famously didn't know that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
Mar '11
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
I think this may originate a new idiom: "Posting a Peter."
May '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
In the future, may "slow jamming with Fallon" be the new shark/fridge.
Jul '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
billy: Sadly Peter, I'm more embarrassed that when I first heard the phrase I deduced exactly what it referred to without any need of expanation.
I watched way to much TV as a child. · 2 hours ago
Yeah, I think for a certain generation, that was an instant recognition, but I always thought the ridiculous part of that episode was not that he jumped a shark. Okay, he's skiing, that's mildly plausible especially as far as TV sitcoms go. The ridiculous part was that he was waterskiing while wearing a leather jacket. That was up there with the Batman and Joker surfing with swimming trunks on over top of their normal costumes.
Oct '11
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Ha! Nice one.
Nov '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
From Wikipedia, with some unmarked omissions (assuming that Brother Rapp is asking with a straight face):
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Let me see now: This would mean that the nomination of Bob Dole and John McCain meant that those who blindly supported their candidacies were right. We will not know whether Romney deserved our support until we see what he does, first, as a candidate and, then, if he is elected, as President. The jury is out.
Sep '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Mitt ran a gaffetastic candidacy that saw him repeatedly rocked in debates by punchers who shouldn't have been able to lay a glove on him. He became a serious candidate and winner when he began to take his opponents seriously, changed his game plan and projected the look of a winner (recall the bizarre debate performance when Rick Perry first appeared on stage and Mitt stepped into the role of deferential consultant interviewing the CEO) notwithstanding the ill advised rhetorical firebombing of the conservative base in the process and the establishment conservative media telling everyone to fall into line regardless of what they saw during the debates.
Besides that, I'm in serious danger of becoming a Vegas headline comedian with all the great material given me during the livechats, though Mr. Trump's non casino in Vegas has so far not returned my agent's phone calls.
Edited on April 29, 2012 at 1:07amJul '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Peter, Yer among Friends Here and We're Here to help. We'll take it upon Ourselves to keep You abreast of all the latest fads and idioms.
I know of a dance craze that's about to sweep the Nation. Learn it and perform it at Yer next dinner party before it jumps the shark. They'll love Ya for it.
Dec '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Um, isn't Rubicon some kind of sacramental wine or something? ;-)
May '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
The Great Adventure!
Um, isn't Rubicon some kind of sacramental wine or something? ;-) · 1 minute ago
no. Rubicon is the latin word for shark...
Apr '11
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
The Great Adventure!
Um, isn't Rubicon some kind of sacramental wine or something? ;-) · 5 minutes ago
To pass the point of no return. When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon (a small river in Italy), he crossed into another's domain and in doing so started a war.
Aug '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Peter Robinson
Larry3435: "Am I the last person here at Ricochet to have learned this?"
Sorry Peter, but last on Earth. · 42 minutes ago
Okay, okay. I'm a dinosaur.
Thump, thump, thump.
That's me, lumbering off to sulk. · 5 hours ago
While you may be a dinosaur, you more aptly fit into the species of Epiosaurus.
From the greek, Epios (ήπιος transliterated via wikipedia) meaning calm, clement, even, gentle, good-hearted, good-humored (American), good-humoured (British), good-natured, good-tempered, in a good humour, in a good mood, in a good temper, kind-hearted, mild, regular,soft
and saurus meaning, well you know, ancient.
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
FC, I just hope 1) Romney defeats Obama, and 2) our new POTUS puts the Constitution back in force, otherwise our fine little republic is about to jump the shark.
Aug '11
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
One reason for my "crossing the Rubicon" question was not that I didn't know but that I, like Peter, did not know what "jumped the shark" meant. But unlike Peter, I am not ashamed of this ignorance. I would be ashamed of not knowing the Rubicon reference. It was one of the seminal events in human history. By crossing this boundary with his army, Julius Caesar ended the Roman republican government.
Alas, in our plebeian times, it is the reverse which brings shame.
Oct '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Don't worry Peter, you're second-to-last.
Jul '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
Pseudodionysius
Mitt ran a gaffetastic candidacy that saw him repeatedly rocked in debates by punchers who shouldn't have been able to lay a glove on him. He became a serious candidate and winner when he began to take his opponents seriously, changed his game plan and projected the look of a winner ... notwithstanding the ill advised rhetorical firebombing of the conservative base in the process and the establishment conservative media telling everyone to fall into line regardless of what they saw during the debates.
I'm in serious danger of becoming a Vegas headline comedian with all the great material given me during the livechats, though Mr. Trump's non casino in Vegas has so far not returned my agent's phone calls.
You were spectacular in the chats Pseud, and your critiques are spot-on. But any autopsy of the primary is incomplete if it excludes the willingness of the GOP primary electorate to temporarily suspend disbelief for any and every candidate other than Mitt from November through March.
Oct '10
Re: Jumping the Shark: The Origin of an Idiom
This is a little self-serving, but I think the primary electorate might have served Mitt well by setting the bar high and making him aware of the importance of an uncompromising approach to the issues. (I don't mean uncompromising in absolute terms). This fits with Pseuds point of Mitts learning curve.