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{{short description|Allegation of using gimmicks to retain audience}}
{{Redirect|Jump the shark|the TV series episodes|Jump the Shark (The X-Files)|and|Jump the Shark (Supernatural)}}
{{for|the album by Alex Cameron|Jumping the Shark (album){{!}}''Jumping the Shark'' (album)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2013}}
{{Redirect|Jump the shark|the ''X-Files'' episode|Jump the Shark (The X-Files){{!}}Jump the Shark (''The X-Files'')}}
{{Wiktionary|jump the shark}}
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[[File:Fonzie jumps the shark.PNG|right|thumb|[[Fonzie]] on water skis, in a scene from the ''[[Happy Days]]'' episode "Hollywood, Part Three of Three", after jumping over a shark]]
'''''Jumping the shark''''' is an [[idiom]] created by [[Jon Hein]] that was used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality, signaled by a particular scene, episode, or aspect of a show in which the writers use some type of "gimmick" in an attempt to keep viewers' interest. The phrase is based on a scene from a fifth-season episode of the [[sitcom]] ''[[Happy Days]]'' when the character [[Fonzie]] jumps over a shark while on water-skis.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Few Pixels Short of a Personality | first=Ann | last=Hornaday |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |date= July 25, 2003 |url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2003/07/25/AR2005033117626_pf.html |accessdate=April 12, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Joanne |last1=Hollows |first2=Rachel |last2=Moseley |title=Feminism in Popular Culture |year=2006 |publisher=Berg Publishers |isbn=1845202236}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Paul |last=McFedries |title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to Weird Word Origins |year=2008 |publisher=Alpha Books |isbn=1592577814}}</ref>


[[File:Fonzie jumps the shark.PNG|right|thumb|[[Fonzie]] ([[Henry Winkler]]) on water skis, in a scene from the 1977 ''[[Happy Days]]'' episode "Hollywood, Part 3", after jumping over a shark]]
The usage of "jump the shark" has subsequently broadened beyond television, indicating the moment when a brand, design, or creative effort's evolution declines.


The idiom "'''jumping the shark'''" or "'''jump the shark'''" is a term that is used to argue that a creative work or entity has reached a point in which it has exhausted its core intent and is introducing new ideas that are discordant with, or an extreme exaggeration of, its original purpose. The phrase was coined in 1985 by radio personality [[Jon Hein]] in response to a 1977 episode from the fifth season of the American [[sitcom]] ''[[Happy Days]]'', in which the character of [[Fonzie]] ([[Henry Winkler]]) jumps over a live shark while on water-skis.
==History==
The phrase ''jump the shark'' is based on a scene in the fifth [[season premiere]] episode of the American TV series ''[[Happy Days]]'' titled "[[List of Happy Days episodes#Season 5 (1977–1978)|Hollywood: Part 3]]," written by Fred Fox, Jr.,<ref name="Fox">{{cite news |title=First Person: In defense of 'Happy Days' 'Jump the Shark' episode |first=Fred |last=Fox, Jr. |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-jump-the-shark-20100903,0,6800871.story |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 3, 2010}}</ref> which aired on September 20, 1977. In the episode, the central characters visit Los Angeles, where a water-skiing [[Fonzie]] ([[Henry Winkler]]) answers a challenge to his bravery by wearing swim trunks and his trademark leather jacket, and jumping over a confined shark. The stunt was created as a way to showcase Winkler's real-life [[waterskiing|water ski]] skills.<ref>{{cite news |title=Happy Days Writer Defends 'Jump the Shark' Moment |first=Kate |last=Stanhope |url=http://www.tvguide.com/JumpTheShark/Happy-Days-Writer-1022609.aspx |magazine=[[TV Guide]]|date=September 3, 2010}}</ref>


== History ==
For a show that in its early seasons depicted universally relatable adolescent and family experiences against a backdrop of 1950s nostalgia, this incident marked an audacious turn. Initially a supporting character, the lionization of an increasingly superhuman Fonzie became the focus of ''Happy Days''. The series continued for seven years after Fonzie's shark-jumping stunt, with a number of changes in cast and situations. The phrase implies a belief that the show began a creative decline in this era, as writers ran out of ideas, and ''Happy Days'' became a caricature of itself. As a nod to the episode, Henry Winkler's character jumps over a shark-shaped pool toy in the 2003 show ''[[Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development]]''.


=== Origin ===
In 1997, [[Jon Hein|Hein]] created a website to publish his list of approximately 200 television shows and his opinions of the moments each "jumped the shark". The site soon became an Internet phenomenon, and as the phrase quickly spread throughout pop culture, the site grew exponentially in users and renown. Hein subsequently authored two "Jump The Shark" books and later became a regular on ''[[The Howard Stern Show]]'' around the time he sold his website to [[Gemstar]] (owners of [[TV Guide]]).
Future radio personality [[Jon Hein]] and his [[University of Michigan]] roommate Sean Connolly coined the phrase in 1985 in response to [[Happy Days (season 5)|season 5]], episode 3, "Hollywood: Part 3" of the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC-TV]] sitcom ''Happy Days'', which was originally broadcast on September 20, 1977.<ref>{{cite news |title=He's a maniac | first=Alan | last=Glenn |newspaper= Michigan Today |date= February 19, 2016|url= https://michigantoday.umich.edu/2016/02/19/hes-a-maniac/ |access-date=May 3, 2022}}</ref> In the episode, the central characters visit Los Angeles, where a water-skiing [[Fonzie]] ([[Henry Winkler]]) answers a challenge to his bravery by wearing swim trunks and his trademark leather jacket, and jumping over a confined shark. The stunt was created as a way to showcase Winkler's real-life waterskiing skills.<ref name=nevernpr/><ref name=proud/>


In 1997, Hein created a website, JumpTheShark.com, to publish a list of approximately 200 television shows, and his arguments as to the moments each "jumped the shark". The site became popular, and grew with additional user-contributed examples.<ref name="Fox">{{cite news |title=First Person: In defense of 'Happy Days' 'Jump the Shark' episode | first=Fred Jr. | last=Fox |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-jump-the-shark-20100903,0,6800871.story |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 3, 2010 |access-date=September 4, 2010 |archive-date=September 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915113351/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-jump-the-shark-20100903,0,6800871.story |url-status=live }}</ref> Hein sold his company, Jump The Shark, Inc., for "over $1 million" in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marksfriggin.com/news06/6-19.htm#wed|title=MarksFriggin.com—Stern Show News—Archive|website=www.marksfriggin.com}}</ref>
In a 2010 ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' article, former ''Happy Days'' writer Fred Fox, Jr., who wrote the episode that later spawned the phrase, said, "Was the [shark jump] episode of ''Happy Days'' deserving of its fate? No, it wasn't. All successful shows eventually start to decline, but this was not ''Happy Days''{{'}} time." Fox also points to not only the success of that episode ("a huge hit" with over 30&nbsp;million viewers), but also to the continued popularity of the series.<ref name="Fox"/>


==Broader usage==
=== Responses ===
The idiom has been used to describe a wide range of situations, ranging from the state of advertising in the [[digital video recorder]] era<ref>{{cite book |first=Max |last=Lenderman |authorlink=Max Lenderman |title=Experience the Message |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=YO2Y2k7LM8MC&pg=PA272&dq=%22jump+the+shark%22+OR+%22jumping+the+shark%22+OR+%22jumped+the+shark%22&hl=en&ei=NUvZTaalAsLL0QGmmLD8Aw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBTgU#v=onepage&q=shark%20tivo&f=false |year=2009 |publisher=Basic Books |page=275}}</ref> to views on rural education policy,<ref name="rejoinder">{{cite journal |last=Arnold |first=Michael L. |year=2005 |title=Jump the Shark: A Rejoinder to Howley, Theobald, and Howley |journal=Journal of Research in Rural Education |volume=20 |issue=20 |publisher=Center on Rural Education and Communities |title=Market Indicators: The Best-Kept Secret to More Effective Trading and Investing |url=https://www.umaine.edu/jrre/archive/20-20.pdf}}</ref> the anomalous pursuit of a company acquisition,<ref>{{cite book |last=Sipley |first=Richard |title=Market Indicators: The Best-Kept Secret to More Effective Trading and Investing |year=2010 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |page=142 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=t7ovP-gCdkIC&pg=PA142&dq=%22jumping+the+shark%22&hl=en&ei=NUvZTaalAsLL0QGmmLD8Aw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CFkQ6AEwCTgU#v=onepage&q=%22jumping%20the%20shark%22&f=false}}</ref> and the decline of republics into degraded democracy and empire.<ref>{{cite web |title=Live at Wiseacres: America Has Jumped the Shark Videotaped Performance By Doug Stanhope |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar63hdA6gyQ}}</ref>


===Examples===
==== Ron Howard ====
In 2006, during his contribution to ''[[The Interviews: An Oral History of Television]]'', [[Ron Howard]] ([[Richie Cunningham]]) talked about the ''Happy Days'' episode that inspired the phrase:<blockquote>"I remember [[Donny Most]] and I sitting there, looking at the script. Donny was really upset. He said, 'Oh man look at what our show has kind of devolved into. It's not even very funny, and you know Fonz is jumping over a shark'{{nbsp}}... and I kept saying 'Hey Donny we're a hit show, relax. You know it's hard to have great episodes one after another. Fonzie jumping over a shark, it's gonna be funny and great{{nbsp}}...' I remember thinking that creatively this was not our greatest episode, but I thought it was a pretty good stunt, and I understood why they wanted to do it. And what I remember the most is, it was fun actually driving the speedboat which I did a bit of, noticing that Henry was really a pretty good water skier{{nbsp}}... But the thing that has to be remembered about the jumping the shark idea, is that the show went on to be such a massive success for years after that. So, it's kind of a fun expression, and I get a kick out of the fact that they identified that episode (because granted maybe it was pushing things a little too far), but I think a lot of good work was still done after that show, and audiences seemed to really respond to it."<ref name=Telac>{{cite news|last1=Rutkowski|first1=Gary|title=Television Academy Foundation-The Interviews: Ron Howard (Chapter 4: On Jump the Shark, 2:57)|url=https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/ron-howard?clip=54722#interview-clips|access-date=September 24, 2021|work=[[Archive of American Television]]|publisher=[[The Interviews: An Oral History of Television]]|date=October 18, 2006|archive-date=September 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924233913/https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/ron-howard?clip=54722#interview-clips|url-status=live}}</ref></blockquote>
Automotive journalist [[Dan Neil]] used the expression to describe the [[Mini Countryman]], a much larger evolution of the previously small cars marketed by [[Mini (marque)|Mini]]. In a March 2011 review titled "What Part of 'Mini' Did You Not Grasp, BMW?" Neil said the bigger car abandoned the company's design [[ethos]] and that "with the Countryman, tiny sharks have been jumped."<ref name="wsj01">{{cite news
| first = Dan
| last = Neil
| title = What Part of 'Mini' Did You Not Grasp, BMW?
| publisher = The Wall Street Journal
| date=March 4, 2011
| url = http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704615504576172832123217962.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_editorsPicks_2
}}</ref>


==== Fred Fox Jr. ====
In 2008 during the [[Barack Obama|Obama]] presidential campaign, at a meeting of Democratic governors in Chicago, each governor was identified with a name plate while Senator Obama had a large seal – that looked official but was not.<ref name="nyt03">{{cite news
In a 2010 ''Los Angeles Times'' article, former ''Happy Days'' writer Fred Fox Jr., who wrote the episode that later spawned the phrase, said "Was the [shark jump] episode of ''Happy Days'' deserving of its fate? No, it wasn't. All successful shows eventually start to decline, but this was not ''Happy Days''{{'}} time." Fox also points not only to the success of that episode ("a huge hit" with over 30 million viewers), but also to the continued popularity of the series.<ref name="Fox"/>
| first = John M.
| last = Broder
| title = The Great Seal of Obamaland?
| publisher = The New York Times
| url = http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/the-great-seal-of-obamaland/
| date=June 20, 2008}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' op-ed columnist [[Frank Rich]] wrote, "For me, Mr. Obama showed signs of jumping the shark two weeks back, when he appeared at a podium affixed with his own pompous faux-presidential seal."<ref name="nyt02">{{cite news
| first = Frank
| last = Rich
| title = Wall-E for President
| publisher = The New York Times
| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/opinion/06rich.html?pagewanted=1&sq&st=cse%22jumping%20the%20shark%22&scp=13
| date=July 6, 2008}}</ref>


==== Henry Winkler ====
In September 2011, after Republican presidential candidate [[Michele Bachmann]] repeated an anecdote shared with her claiming that the [[HPV vaccine]] causes "[[intellectual disability]]," radio commentator [[Rush Limbaugh]] said, "Michele Bachmann, she might have blown it today. Well, not blown it – she might have jumped the shark today."<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news
In a 2019 interview with [[NPR]], [[Henry Winkler]] ([[Fonzie]]) told [[Terry Gross]] that the origin of the stunt began with the fact that he had been a water-skiing instructor as a teenager at a summer camp.<ref name=nevernpr/> Thus, his father used to say to him "every day for years—tell [[Garry Marshall]] that you water ski. Dad, I don't think I'm going to do that. No, no. Tell him you water ski. It's very important. I finally tell Garry, my father wants you to know I water ski."<ref name=nevernpr/> Winkler did all of the water skiing for the scene himself, except for the actual jump. The jump was performed by professional water skier Ricky McCormick. <ref name=nevernpr/> Gross then asked Winkler what it was "about that scene or that episode that came to signify when something's time is up—when it's over?" Winkler responded: "You know what? I don't know. To them, the Fonz water skiing was just like the last straw. The only thing is it wasn't to the audience because we were No. 1 for years after that. So it didn't much matter to anybody."<ref name=nevernpr>{{cite web
| first = Richard
| url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/712178030
| title='I Never Had A Plan B': Henry Winkler On His Career, From The Fonz To 'Barry'
| access-date=September 16, 2021
| last=Gross
| first=Terry
| date=April 11, 2019
| work=[[NPR]]
| archive-date=September 16, 2021
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916134140/https://www.npr.org/transcripts/712178030
| url-status=live
}}</ref> In addition, Winkler told [[TheWrap]] in 2018 that he is "not embarrassed" by the phrase. He stated that "newspapers would mention jumping the shark{{nbsp}}... and they would show a picture of me in my leather jacket and swim shorts water-skiing. And at that time I had great legs. So I thought, 'I don't care.' And we were No. 1 for the next four or five years."<ref name=proud>{{cite web
| url=https://www.thewrap.com/henry-winkler-barry-fonzie-shark-jump-very-proud/
| title='Barry' Star Henry Winkler on Why He's 'Very Proud' He Jumped That Shark – Twice (Video)
| access-date=August 30, 2021
| last=Pond
| first=Steve
| date=August 21, 2018
| publisher=[[TheWrap]]
| archive-date=September 30, 2021
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930141545/https://www.thewrap.com/henry-winkler-barry-fonzie-shark-jump-very-proud/
| url-status=live
}}</ref> As Winkler's character [[Barry Zuckerkorn]], in the sitcom ''[[Arrested Development]],'' hopped over a shark in [[Motherboy XXX|episode 13 of the second season]], Winkler also noted that there "was a book, there was a board game and it is an expression that is still used today{{nbsp}}... [and] I'm very proud that I am the only actor, maybe in the world, that has jumped the shark twice—once on ''Happy Days'', and once on ''Arrested Development''."<ref name=proud/>

=== Others ===
Some writers have argued that while ''Happy Days'' did eventually (figuratively) "jump the shark", it was not during that episode.<ref name=fifth>{{cite web
| url=https://www.popmatters.com/happy-days-jumping-the-shark
| title=JUMPING THE SHARK AND SURVIVING: A REAPPRAISAL OF THE FIFTH SEASON OF 'HAPPY DAYS'
| access-date=August 30, 2021
| last=Budnik
| first=Daniel
| date=November 18, 2014
| work=[[PopMatters]]
| archive-date=August 31, 2021
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831061740/https://www.popmatters.com/happy-days-jumping-the-shark
| url-status=live
}}</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jun/01/happy-days-mork-from-ork When did Happy Days jump the shark? The answer may surprise you ...], Rich Pelley, [[The Guardian]], 1 June 2020</ref>

== Broader usage ==

The idiom has been used to describe a wide variety of situations, such as the state of advertising in the [[digital video recorder]] era,<ref>{{cite book |first=Max |last=Lenderman |title=Experience the Message |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YO2Y2k7LM8MC&q=shark+tivo&pg=PA272 |year=2009 |publisher=Basic Books |page=275 |isbn=9780786734856 |access-date=October 18, 2020 |archive-date=September 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929081353/https://books.google.com/books?id=YO2Y2k7LM8MC&q=shark+tivo&pg=PA272 |url-status=live }}</ref> and views on rural education policy,<ref name="rejoinder">{{cite journal |last=Arnold |first=Michael L. |year=2005 |title=Jump the Shark: A Rejoinder to Howley, Theobald, and Howley |journal=Journal of Research in Rural Education |volume=20 |issue=20 |publisher=Center on Rural Education and Communities |url=http://jrre.vmhost.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/20-20.pdf |access-date=July 26, 2016 |archive-date=April 11, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411123719/http://jrre.vmhost.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/20-20.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> the anomalous pursuit of a company acquisition,<ref>{{cite book |last=Sipley |first=Richard |title=Market Indicators: The Best-Kept Secret to More Effective Trading and Investing |year=2010 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |page=142 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t7ovP-gCdkIC&q=%22jumping+the+shark%22&pg=PA142 |isbn=9780470883433 |access-date=October 18, 2020 |archive-date=September 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929081353/https://books.google.com/books?id=t7ovP-gCdkIC&q=%22jumping+the+shark%22&pg=PA142 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the decline of republics into degraded democracy and empire.<ref>{{cite web |title= 'Live at Wiseacres: America Has Jumped the Shark' videotaped performance By Doug Stanhope |website = [[YouTube]]|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar63hdA6gyQ |agency= YouTube.com |date= July 31, 2008 |orig-year= uploaded |access-date= November 29, 2016 |archive-date= July 2, 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160702172830/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar63hdA6gyQ |url-status= live }}</ref>

=== Examples ===
In September 2011, Republican presidential candidate [[Michele Bachmann]] repeated an anecdote claiming that the [[HPV vaccine]] causes "intellectual disability"; this prompted political commentator [[Rush Limbaugh]] to say on his radio show, "Michele Bachmann, she might have blown it today. Well, not blown it&mdash;she might have jumped the shark today."<ref name="The Guardian">{{cite news
| first = Richard
| last = Adams
| last = Adams
| title = Michele Bachmann, the HPV vaccine and the Republican landscape
| title = Michele Bachmann, the HPV vaccine and the Republican landscape
| publisher = The Guardian
| newspaper = The Guardian
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/richard-adams-blog/2011/sep/14/michele-bachmann-republicans-hpv-vaccine
| url = https://www.theguardian.com/world/richard-adams-blog/2011/sep/14/michele-bachmann-republicans-hpv-vaccine
| date=September 14, 2011}}</ref>
| date = September 14, 2011
| access-date = December 17, 2016
| archive-date = March 13, 2016
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160313103441/http://www.theguardian.com/world/richard-adams-blog/2011/sep/14/michele-bachmann-republicans-hpv-vaccine
| url-status = live
}}</ref>

In January 2018, political commentator [[Keith Olbermann]] criticized the inclusion of [[esports]] players on the sports journalism website ''[[The Players' Tribune]]'', saying that they "have jumped the shark by publishing pieces by snotty random kids playing children's games" in response to an article by [[Doublelift]], a ''[[League of Legends]]'' player.<ref>{{cite tweet |last=Olbermann|first=Keith|user=KeithOlbermann|number=950786529122836480|date=January 9, 2018|title=Three years in. That's awfully early to have jumped the shark by publishing pieces by snotty random kids playing children's games, @PlayersTribune|access-date=January 11, 2018}}</ref>

In May 2021, CNBC news anchor [[Carl Quintanilla]] proposed that [[Elon Musk]] had jumped the shark with his advocacy of cryptocurrencies instead of focusing on [[Tesla, Inc.]], as it began to lose market share and its stock price began to plunge.<ref>{{cite tweet |author=[[Carl Quintanilla]] | user=carlquintanilla|number=1393145552238522375|date=May 14, 2021|title="Musk might be in danger of turning himself into an unserious figure, which isn't a great narrative for the CEO of one of the world's largest companies." He is on "the wrong end of a nasty correction, and vulnerable to a new narrative that he has 'jumped the shark.{{' "}} @johnauthers}}</ref>

== Related idioms ==

=== Nuking the fridge ===

In 2008, ''Time'' identified a term modeled after "jump the shark": "nuke the fridge". Specifically applicable to film, the magazine defined the term: "to exhaust a Hollywood franchise with disappointing sequels."<ref>{{Cite magazine | url = https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1855948_1864100_1864105,00.html | title = Top 10 Buzzwords—The Top 10 Everything of 2008 | magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | first = John | last = Cloud | date = November 6, 2013 | access-date = November 6, 2013 | archive-date = November 9, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131109151425/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1855948_1864100_1864105,00.html | url-status = live }}</ref>

The phrase derives from a scene in the fourth ''[[Indiana Jones]]'' film, ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'', in which [[Indiana Jones (character)|Indiana Jones]] survives an [[atomic bomb]] detonation by fitting himself into a lead-lined refrigerator to shield himself from the explosion. The blast completely annihilates its surroundings but sends the refrigerator flying a sufficient distance away for the protagonist to escape unharmed.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/george-lucas-red-tails.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all& | title = George Lucas Is Ready to Roll the Credits | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = January 22, 2012 | access-date = November 6, 2013 | first = Bryan | last = Curtis | archive-date = June 21, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150621044418/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/george-lucas-red-tails.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all& | url-status = live }}</ref> The scene was criticized as being scientifically implausible.<ref>{{Cite magazine | url = https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/02/28/indiana-jones-nuke-the-fridge-plot-is-shockingly-scientifically-impossible/ | title = Indiana Jones' 'Nuke the Fridge' Plot Is, Shockingly, Scientifically Impossible | magazine = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | first = Melissa | last = Locker | date = November 28, 2012 | access-date = November 6, 2013 | archive-date = November 9, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131109151335/http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/02/28/indiana-jones-nuke-the-fridge-plot-is-shockingly-scientifically-impossible/ | url-status = live }}</ref>

Within two days of the film's premiere, the phrase "nuke the fridge" had [[Viral phenomenon|gone viral]], describing film scenes that similarly stretched credulity.<ref>{{Cite news | title = "Jump the Shark", Meet "Nuke the Fridge" | work = [[Newsweek]] | date = June 28, 2008 | archive-date = September 4, 2012 | url = http://www.newsweek.com/id/143782 | access-date = November 6, 2013 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120904050502/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/06/28/jump-the-shark-meet-nuke-the-fridge.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Director [[Steven Spielberg]] later said the scene was "my silly idea" and was glad to have been part of the pop-culture phrase,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32315 | title = Spielberg: More Indy & Jurassic Park? | date = October 26, 2011 | access-date = November 6, 2013 | work = [[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]] | first = Helen | last = O'Hara | archive-date = May 12, 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120512003550/http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32315 | url-status = live }}</ref> while the film's executive producer [[George Lucas]] took similar credit believing that Jones would have had an even chance of surviving the explosion.<ref name="nytimes"/>

=== Growing the beard ===

"Growing the beard" refers to the opposite of jumping the shark; i.e. when a show dramatically improves in quality.{{dubious|date=February 2024}}{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} In the series ''[[Star Trek: The Next Generation]]'' the second season is considered to be better in terms of storytelling over the first season. This shift coincided with character [[William Riker]], who was clean-shaven for the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 1)|first season]], growing a mustache and beard that he retained for the second season and most Star Trek media afterwards.<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 12, 2021|title=Star Trek: Why Commander Riker Grew a Beard for The Next Generation Season 2|url=https://www.cbr.com/star-trek-why-commander-riker-grew-a-beard-for-the-next-generation-season-2/|access-date=November 3, 2021|website=CBR|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gartenberg|first=Chaim|date=September 14, 2017|title=How Seth MacFarlane could save his terminally bland Star Trek clone The Orville|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/14/16307156/the-orville-fox-star-trek-seth-macfarlane-humor-originality|access-date=November 3, 2021|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}


==Nuking the Fridge==
==Further reading==
* {{cite magazine|last=MacGregor|first=Jeff|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/happy-days-fonz-jumped-the-shark-180964399/|title=Why 'Happy Days'—and the Fonz—Never Truly 'Jumped the Shark'|magazine=[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]|date=September 2017}}
In 2008, [[Time (magazine)|''Time'' magazine]] identified a term modeled after "jumping the shark": "nuking the fridge." Specifically applicable to film, the magazine defined the term: "to exhaust a Hollywood franchise with disappointing sequels."<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1855948_1864100_1864105,00.html | title = Top 10 Buzzwords - The Top 10 Everything of 2008 | work = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | first = John | last= Cloud | date = November 3, 2008 | accessdate = November 6, 2013 }}</ref>
*{{cite web|last=Murray|first=Noel|url=https://www.avclub.com/jon-hein-jump-the-shark-when-good-things-go-bad-1798197891|title=Jon Hein: Jump The Shark: When Good Things Go Bad|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=October 7, 2002}}


== External links ==
The phrase derives from a scene in the fourth ''[[Indiana Jones (franchise)|Indiana Jones]]'' film, ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'', in which the hero survives an [[atomic bomb]] detonation by fitting himself into a lead-lined refrigerator. The explosion annihilates its surroundings but sends the refrigerator flying sufficiently distant for the protagonist to escape unhurt.<ref name="nytimes">{{cite web | url = http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/george-lucas-red-tails.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all& | title = George Lucas Is Ready to Roll the Credits | work = [[New York Times]] | date = January 22, 2012 | accessdate= November 6, 2013 | first = Bryan | last = Curtis }}</ref> The scene was questioned on its scientific merit and critically panned.<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/02/28/indiana-jones-nuke-the-fridge-plot-is-shockingly-scientifically-impossible/ | title = Indiana Jones‘ ‘Nuke the Fridge’ Plot Is, Shockingly, Scientifically Impossible | work = [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | first = Melissa | last = Locker | date = November 28, 2012 | accessdate = November 6, 2013 }}</ref>
{{wiktionary|jump the shark}}


* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-J_Srbamu8 Henry Winkler Reflects on "Jumping the Shark" on 'Happy Days']- [[Sirius XM]], October 19, 2020.
Within two days of the film's premiere, the phrase "nuking the fridge" had [[Viral phenomenon|gone viral]], describing film scenes that similarly stretched credulity.<ref>{{Cite news | title = "Jump the Shark," Meet "Nuke the Fridge" | work = [[Newsweek]] | date = June 28, 2008 | archiveurl = http://archive.is/T8WG | archivedate = September 4, 2012 | url = http://www.newsweek.com/id/143782 }}</ref> Co-producer [[Steven Spielberg]] later said the scene was "my silly idea" and was glad to have been part of the pop-culture phrase,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=32315 | title = Spielberg: More Indy & Jurassic Park? | date = October 26, 2011 | accessdate = November 6, 2013 | work = [[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]] | first = Helen | last = O'Hara }}</ref> while the other co-producer [[George Lucas]] took similar credit believing that Jones would have had an even chance of surviving the blast.<ref name="nytimes"/>
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3lyiQwRB-s Jon Hein Tracks When TV Shows "Jump the Shark" and Picks the Best Series Ever]—[[The Howard Stern Show]], September 11, 2019.


{{Henry Winkler}}
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Jumping The Shark}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jumping The Shark}}
[[Category:Happy Days]]
[[Category:Television terminology]]
[[Category:Television terminology]]
[[Category:Pop-culture neologisms]]
[[Category:Popular culture neologisms]]
[[Category:Metaphors referring to animals]]
[[Category:Metaphors referring to fish]]
[[Category:Words coined in the 1990s]]
[[Category:1985 neologisms]]
[[Category:English-language idioms]]

Latest revision as of 08:17, 16 December 2024

For the album by Alex Cameron, see Jumping the Shark (album).
"Jump the shark" redirects here. For the X-Files episode, see Jump the Shark (The X-Files).

Fonzie (Henry Winkler) on water skis, in a scene from the 1977 Happy Days episode "Hollywood, Part 3", after jumping over a shark

The idiom "jumping the shark" or "jump the shark" is a term that is used to argue that a creative work or entity has reached a point in which it has exhausted its core intent and is introducing new ideas that are discordant with, or an extreme exaggeration of, its original purpose. The phrase was coined in 1985 by radio personality Jon Hein in response to a 1977 episode from the fifth season of the American sitcom Happy Days, in which the character of Fonzie (Henry Winkler) jumps over a live shark while on water-skis.

History

[edit]

Origin

[edit]

Future radio personality Jon Hein and his University of Michigan roommate Sean Connolly coined the phrase in 1985 in response to season 5, episode 3, "Hollywood: Part 3" of the ABC-TV sitcom Happy Days, which was originally broadcast on September 20, 1977.[1] In the episode, the central characters visit Los Angeles, where a water-skiing Fonzie (Henry Winkler) answers a challenge to his bravery by wearing swim trunks and his trademark leather jacket, and jumping over a confined shark. The stunt was created as a way to showcase Winkler's real-life waterskiing skills.[2][3]

In 1997, Hein created a website, JumpTheShark.com, to publish a list of approximately 200 television shows, and his arguments as to the moments each "jumped the shark". The site became popular, and grew with additional user-contributed examples.[4] Hein sold his company, Jump The Shark, Inc., for "over $1 million" in 2006.[5]

Responses

[edit]

Ron Howard

[edit]

In 2006, during his contribution to The Interviews: An Oral History of Television, Ron Howard (Richie Cunningham) talked about the Happy Days episode that inspired the phrase:

"I remember Donny Most and I sitting there, looking at the script. Donny was really upset. He said, 'Oh man look at what our show has kind of devolved into. It's not even very funny, and you know Fonz is jumping over a shark' ... and I kept saying 'Hey Donny we're a hit show, relax. You know it's hard to have great episodes one after another. Fonzie jumping over a shark, it's gonna be funny and great ...' I remember thinking that creatively this was not our greatest episode, but I thought it was a pretty good stunt, and I understood why they wanted to do it. And what I remember the most is, it was fun actually driving the speedboat which I did a bit of, noticing that Henry was really a pretty good water skier ... But the thing that has to be remembered about the jumping the shark idea, is that the show went on to be such a massive success for years after that. So, it's kind of a fun expression, and I get a kick out of the fact that they identified that episode (because granted maybe it was pushing things a little too far), but I think a lot of good work was still done after that show, and audiences seemed to really respond to it."[6]

Fred Fox Jr.

[edit]

In a 2010 Los Angeles Times article, former Happy Days writer Fred Fox Jr., who wrote the episode that later spawned the phrase, said "Was the [shark jump] episode of Happy Days deserving of its fate? No, it wasn't. All successful shows eventually start to decline, but this was not Happy Days' time." Fox also points not only to the success of that episode ("a huge hit" with over 30 million viewers), but also to the continued popularity of the series.[4]

Henry Winkler

[edit]

In a 2019 interview with NPR, Henry Winkler (Fonzie) told Terry Gross that the origin of the stunt began with the fact that he had been a water-skiing instructor as a teenager at a summer camp.[2] Thus, his father used to say to him "every day for years—tell Garry Marshall that you water ski. Dad, I don't think I'm going to do that. No, no. Tell him you water ski. It's very important. I finally tell Garry, my father wants you to know I water ski."[2] Winkler did all of the water skiing for the scene himself, except for the actual jump. The jump was performed by professional water skier Ricky McCormick. [2] Gross then asked Winkler what it was "about that scene or that episode that came to signify when something's time is up—when it's over?" Winkler responded: "You know what? I don't know. To them, the Fonz water skiing was just like the last straw. The only thing is it wasn't to the audience because we were No. 1 for years after that. So it didn't much matter to anybody."[2] In addition, Winkler told TheWrap in 2018 that he is "not embarrassed" by the phrase. He stated that "newspapers would mention jumping the shark ... and they would show a picture of me in my leather jacket and swim shorts water-skiing. And at that time I had great legs. So I thought, 'I don't care.' And we were No. 1 for the next four or five years."[3] As Winkler's character Barry Zuckerkorn, in the sitcom Arrested Development, hopped over a shark in episode 13 of the second season, Winkler also noted that there "was a book, there was a board game and it is an expression that is still used today ... [and] I'm very proud that I am the only actor, maybe in the world, that has jumped the shark twice—once on Happy Days, and once on Arrested Development."[3]

Others

[edit]

Some writers have argued that while Happy Days did eventually (figuratively) "jump the shark", it was not during that episode.[7][8]

Broader usage

[edit]

The idiom has been used to describe a wide variety of situations, such as the state of advertising in the digital video recorder era,[9] and views on rural education policy,[10] the anomalous pursuit of a company acquisition,[11] and the decline of republics into degraded democracy and empire.[12]

Examples

[edit]

In September 2011, Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann repeated an anecdote claiming that the HPV vaccine causes "intellectual disability"; this prompted political commentator Rush Limbaugh to say on his radio show, "Michele Bachmann, she might have blown it today. Well, not blown it—she might have jumped the shark today."[13]

In January 2018, political commentator Keith Olbermann criticized the inclusion of esports players on the sports journalism website The Players' Tribune, saying that they "have jumped the shark by publishing pieces by snotty random kids playing children's games" in response to an article by Doublelift, a League of Legends player.[14]

In May 2021, CNBC news anchor Carl Quintanilla proposed that Elon Musk had jumped the shark with his advocacy of cryptocurrencies instead of focusing on Tesla, Inc., as it began to lose market share and its stock price began to plunge.[15]

[edit]

Nuking the fridge

[edit]

In 2008, Time identified a term modeled after "jump the shark": "nuke the fridge". Specifically applicable to film, the magazine defined the term: "to exhaust a Hollywood franchise with disappointing sequels."[16]

The phrase derives from a scene in the fourth Indiana Jones film, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in which Indiana Jones survives an atomic bomb detonation by fitting himself into a lead-lined refrigerator to shield himself from the explosion. The blast completely annihilates its surroundings but sends the refrigerator flying a sufficient distance away for the protagonist to escape unharmed.[17] The scene was criticized as being scientifically implausible.[18]

Within two days of the film's premiere, the phrase "nuke the fridge" had gone viral, describing film scenes that similarly stretched credulity.[19] Director Steven Spielberg later said the scene was "my silly idea" and was glad to have been part of the pop-culture phrase,[20] while the film's executive producer George Lucas took similar credit believing that Jones would have had an even chance of surviving the explosion.[17]

Growing the beard

[edit]

"Growing the beard" refers to the opposite of jumping the shark; i.e. when a show dramatically improves in quality.[dubious – discuss][citation needed] In the series Star Trek: The Next Generation the second season is considered to be better in terms of storytelling over the first season. This shift coincided with character William Riker, who was clean-shaven for the first season, growing a mustache and beard that he retained for the second season and most Star Trek media afterwards.[21][22]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Glenn, Alan (February 19, 2016). "He's a maniac". Michigan Today. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Gross, Terry (April 11, 2019). "'I Never Had A Plan B': Henry Winkler On His Career, From The Fonz To 'Barry'". NPR. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Pond, Steve (August 21, 2018). "'Barry' Star Henry Winkler on Why He's 'Very Proud' He Jumped That Shark – Twice (Video)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Fox, Fred Jr. (September 3, 2010). "First Person: In defense of 'Happy Days' 'Jump the Shark' episode". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
  5. ^ "MarksFriggin.com—Stern Show News—Archive". www.marksfriggin.com.
  6. ^ Rutkowski, Gary (October 18, 2006). "Television Academy Foundation-The Interviews: Ron Howard (Chapter 4: On Jump the Shark, 2:57)". Archive of American Television. The Interviews: An Oral History of Television. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  7. ^ Budnik, Daniel (November 18, 2014). "JUMPING THE SHARK AND SURVIVING: A REAPPRAISAL OF THE FIFTH SEASON OF 'HAPPY DAYS'". PopMatters. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  8. ^ When did Happy Days jump the shark? The answer may surprise you ..., Rich Pelley, The Guardian, 1 June 2020
  9. ^ Lenderman, Max (2009). Experience the Message. Basic Books. p. 275. ISBN 9780786734856. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  10. ^ Arnold, Michael L. (2005). "Jump the Shark: A Rejoinder to Howley, Theobald, and Howley" (PDF). Journal of Research in Rural Education. 20 (20). Center on Rural Education and Communities. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 11, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  11. ^ Sipley, Richard (2010). Market Indicators: The Best-Kept Secret to More Effective Trading and Investing. John Wiley & Sons. p. 142. ISBN 9780470883433. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2020.
  12. ^ "'Live at Wiseacres: America Has Jumped the Shark' videotaped performance By Doug Stanhope". YouTube. YouTube.com. July 31, 2008 [uploaded]. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
  13. ^ Adams, Richard (September 14, 2011). "Michele Bachmann, the HPV vaccine and the Republican landscape". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  14. ^ Olbermann, Keith [@KeithOlbermann] (January 9, 2018). "Three years in. That's awfully early to have jumped the shark by publishing pieces by snotty random kids playing children's games, @PlayersTribune" (Tweet). Retrieved January 11, 2018 – via Twitter.
  15. ^ Carl Quintanilla [@carlquintanilla] (May 14, 2021). ""Musk might be in danger of turning himself into an unserious figure, which isn't a great narrative for the CEO of one of the world's largest companies." He is on "the wrong end of a nasty correction, and vulnerable to a new narrative that he has 'jumped the shark.'" @johnauthers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ Cloud, John (November 6, 2013). "Top 10 Buzzwords—The Top 10 Everything of 2008". Time. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  17. ^ a b Curtis, Bryan (January 22, 2012). "George Lucas Is Ready to Roll the Credits". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  18. ^ Locker, Melissa (November 28, 2012). "Indiana Jones' 'Nuke the Fridge' Plot Is, Shockingly, Scientifically Impossible". Time. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  19. ^ ""Jump the Shark", Meet "Nuke the Fridge"". Newsweek. June 28, 2008. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  20. ^ O'Hara, Helen (October 26, 2011). "Spielberg: More Indy & Jurassic Park?". Empire. Archived from the original on May 12, 2012. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  21. ^ "Star Trek: Why Commander Riker Grew a Beard for The Next Generation Season 2". CBR. May 12, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
  22. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (September 14, 2017). "How Seth MacFarlane could save his terminally bland Star Trek clone The Orville". The Verge. Retrieved November 3, 2021.

Further reading

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[edit]
Look up jump the shark in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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