What Does 'Jumped the Shark' Mean? N/M

[submariner]

.

[Edge34]

If I recall correctly...

"Jumped the shark" is a phrase used to mean something like played out, to the point of being so cheesy and overdone as to no longer be truly entertaining.

I believe it originated from a Brady Bunch episode or something, in which someone was waterskiing and literally jumped a shark. So overdone and unbelievable, and generally viewed as the turning point from being entertaining to just plain crap (and I could be wrong about the show).

[JohnnyFX]

It was Happy Days. Fonzie jumped the shark. In Hawaii.

[JARID]

[ QUOTE ]
I believe it originated from a Brady Bunch episode or something, in which someone was waterskiing and literally jumped a shark. So overdone and unbelievable, and generally viewed as the turning point from being entertaining to just plain crap (and I could be wrong about the show).

[/ QUOTE ]

Happy Days. Fonzi "jumped the shark".

-Jarid

[benfranklin]

The Fonz (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jump+the+shark&r=f)

[Phishy McFish]

Happy Days ran out of things for Fonz to do, jump barrels, bull ride, so they had him water ski jump over a shark.........it means gone too far. Celebrity Poker is TV poker's shark jump in many people's minds.

[otnemem]

Not only did he jump the shark, he did in his usual Fonz style. It's all about the leather jacket and bathing suit. Ayyy.

[tipperdog]

The "Shark Jumping" moment is the threshhold at which a trend, event, or (most commonly) TV show takes an important and unwise step, after which it cannot possibly reclaim its glory.

The origin comes from the TV Show "Happy Days" and takes its name from a ridiculous episode in which Fonzie turns Evil Kenieval and jumps his motorcycle over a pool of sharks.

In TV sitcoms, the common "jump the shark" moment is when the two romantic leads finally hook up, ruining the tension that made the show good (think "Moonlighting" and to a lesser extent, "Cheers.")

It has been said the TV poker "jumped the shark" when celebrity poker appeared. Maybe true, maybe not--but that's what the phrase means!

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Not only did he jump the shark, he did in his usual Fonz style. It's all about the leather jacket and bathing suit. Ayyy.

[/ QUOTE ]
And the hair. Don't forget that. He did the whole thing w/o getting wet.

[Sluss]

Always a fun web site:

web page (http://www.jumptheshark.com)

[otnemem]

I thought he jumped a shark on water skis, not a pool of sharks on his motorcycle. That's why it was even more ridiculous - he jumped a shark on water skis with a leather jacket and bathing suit on. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I thought he jumped a shark on water skis, not a pool of sharks on his motorcycle. That's why it was even more ridiculous - he jumped a shark on water skis with a leather jacket and bathing suit on. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[/ QUOTE ]You're correct, sir.

[submariner]

Wow, thanks for all the replies. I stand educated. Thanks.

[jdl22]

I never really watched happy days so it's still not perfectly clear. Was that episode thought to be the nuts or the simply the first of a series of bad episodes? In the definition they say something like "from that moment on you know the show is going downhill, which could mean either
a) that's the best possible episode of the show
or
b) the show demonstrates that the writers have run out of good ideas and will produce nothing good from then on.

I get the impression that it's B (especially given sfer's post about the poker chips) but I wanted to make sure.

[M2d]

B. definately B.

[Lurshy]

Thats great, I remember that incredibly stupid two-part episode. Never heard the expression before though. How fitting!

[Edge34]

I f***ed up. I knew that, I just wasn't thinking. Oh well.

I was at least right about the general idea in my post /images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[pants5eleven]

http://www.fuckinggoogleit.com

[Nagoo81]

[ QUOTE ]
The "Shark Jumping" moment is the threshhold at which a trend, event, or (most commonly) TV show takes an important and unwise step, after which it cannot possibly reclaim its glory.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, that is the definition of it. For example, the World Poker Tour and Other Televised Events (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/postlist.php?Cat=&amp;Board=tv) forum on TwoPlusTwo has jumped the shark. Why? Look at any thread concerning Annie Duke, Paul Phillips or anything in the last 2 months that doesn't have a user in [/b]<font color="red">Red Letters </font>[/b]posting.

[Regulator]

Using the phrase "jumped the shark" has ... jumped the shark.

[ToledoTommy]

[ QUOTE ]
Using the phrase "jumped the shark" has ... jumped the shark.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I agree with this. I used to go to the website and stuff like that but that's yesterday's news.

[otnemem]

But when did "jump the shark" jump the shark? Hmmm...

[drewjustdrew]

When it becomes a game show in syndication. Like Street Smarts.

Or a board game, like The Kevin Bacon Game.

[mhcmarty]

Somebody actually spent the time to write a book about all of the shows that reached the point. "Jumped the Shark". I think he actually coined the phrase.

[razor]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.fuckinggoogleit.com

[/ QUOTE ]

that rules!

[otnemem]

I actually heard him tell the story of how they came up with the name. I think they were in college or something, and they would watch re-runs of Happy Days, and they realized that at the point that the Fonz jumped the shark, the show was just beyond ridiculous. Then they started referring to other shows' "don't look back" moments as when they "jumped the shark". Weird how it became a big pop culture reference. And for the guy who still can't figure out if it's a bad or good thing, refer to one of the greatest (or worst) shark jumping moments of all time - the addition of cousin Oliver to The Brady Bunch. Or if you really think about it, any time a new kid is added to a sitcom. It's over, Johnny.

[tek]

Yep, like when "Six" was added to Married With Children.