Jumping the shark in other media
Sep. 15th, 2003 10:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yendiFor those of you who don't know, "Jumping the Shark" is a phrase applied to tv shows that start out as worthwhile, but eventually head downhill. The phrase itself refers to the defining moment, when the show is clearly hurtling downward and can't be stopped. It refers to the episode of Happy Days when Fonzie jumped (while water skiing) over sharks (while wearing his leather jacket, even). Frankly, the show had started to suck long before that, but this was the defining moment for many people.
The thing is, more things than TV shows jump the shark. So I want to know what phrases you'd apply to items from other genres. I thought about doing this as a poll, but there are too many possibilities, so I'm leaving it open, with a few suggestions. Remember, it doesn't have to be a great series that gets lousy -- Happy Days was fun, but after the first season, was pretty much forgettable, even before it started sucking. Also remember that the Shark Jump usually happens after the series has already sucked for a while. It's just proof that it's never going to get any better (although there are exceptions).
Books:
"Fucked the Micah" (Laurell K Hamilton's now Übersucktastic Anita Blake novels)
"Motherfucking Dolphins?" (Anne McCafferey's Pern books)
"Published the Silmarillion" (Tolkein's Middle Earth books)
"Resurrected Tesla" (Spider Robinson's no-longer-readable hyper-self-indulgent Callahan series)
"Crewly Lyed" (Piers Anthony's Xanth books, which were actually decent fluff for the first few novels)
Movies:
"Jar-Jared" and "Hired Timothy Dalton"are the only ones that come immediately to mind (ignoring horror franchises, which all tend to head in the same direction). Although I suppose you could argue for "Went 3-D".
Music:
"Went Solo" (applies to so many artists, it's not even funny)
Fired Roth/Fired Hagar (depending on where you stand on Van Halen)
"Released New Year's Day"(Stevie Wonder)
"Gave us Boys for Pele" (Tori Amos, who got better, but never as good as she was before that travesty)
"Got haircuts" (Metallica)
"Changed his name to a symbol." (Prince)
Other suggestions?
EDIT: As I was writing this, Voltbang suggested that the phrase "Jump the Shark" had gotten old as well. Is there a better option for TV shows? "Gave Spike a Soul?" "Seven of Nined?" "Gave Alex an over cute Fucking Baby Brother?"
The thing is, more things than TV shows jump the shark. So I want to know what phrases you'd apply to items from other genres. I thought about doing this as a poll, but there are too many possibilities, so I'm leaving it open, with a few suggestions. Remember, it doesn't have to be a great series that gets lousy -- Happy Days was fun, but after the first season, was pretty much forgettable, even before it started sucking. Also remember that the Shark Jump usually happens after the series has already sucked for a while. It's just proof that it's never going to get any better (although there are exceptions).
Books:
"Fucked the Micah" (Laurell K Hamilton's now Übersucktastic Anita Blake novels)
"Motherfucking Dolphins?" (Anne McCafferey's Pern books)
"Published the Silmarillion" (Tolkein's Middle Earth books)
"Resurrected Tesla" (Spider Robinson's no-longer-readable hyper-self-indulgent Callahan series)
"Crewly Lyed" (Piers Anthony's Xanth books, which were actually decent fluff for the first few novels)
Movies:
"Jar-Jared" and "Hired Timothy Dalton"are the only ones that come immediately to mind (ignoring horror franchises, which all tend to head in the same direction). Although I suppose you could argue for "Went 3-D".
Music:
"Went Solo" (applies to so many artists, it's not even funny)
Fired Roth/Fired Hagar (depending on where you stand on Van Halen)
"Released New Year's Day"(Stevie Wonder)
"Gave us Boys for Pele" (Tori Amos, who got better, but never as good as she was before that travesty)
"Got haircuts" (Metallica)
"Changed his name to a symbol." (Prince)
Other suggestions?
EDIT: As I was writing this, Voltbang suggested that the phrase "Jump the Shark" had gotten old as well. Is there a better option for TV shows? "Gave Spike a Soul?" "Seven of Nined?" "Gave Alex an over cute Fucking Baby Brother?"