is a Metaphor that has been used by US TV Critic s and fans since the 1990s to denote the Tipping Point at which a TV Series is deemed to have passed its peak. Once a show has "jumped the shark," fans sense a noticeable decline in quality or feel the show has undergone too many changes to retain its original charm.
The phrase was popularized by Jon Hein on his Website , Jumptheshark.com . It alludes to a scene in the TV series, '' Happy Days '', when the popular character, Arthur " Fonzie " Fonzarelli, on water skis, literally jumps over a shark.
Jump-the-shark moments may be scenes like the one described above that finally convince viewers that the show has fundamentally and permanently strayed from its original premise. In those cases, they are viewed as a desperate and futile attempt to keep a series fresh in the face of a decline in ratings. In other cases, the departure or replacement of a main cast member or character or a significant change in setting changes a critical dynamic of the show.
The term has also evolved to describe other areas of Pop Culture , including Movie series, music or acting Celebrities , or authors for whom a drastic change was seen as the beginning of the end. These changes are often attempts to attract their fans' waning attention with over-the-top statements or increasingly overt appeals to sex or violence (see Circling The Drain ). As this idiom grows in popularity, it is being broadened to simply describe any decline in viewer appeal for the TV series in question, without requiring a significant "jump the shark" moment as justification.
The phrase refers to a scene in a three-part episode of the American TV series, ''Happy Days,'' first broadcast on September 20 , 1977 . In the "Hollywood" episode, Fonzie ( Henry Winkler ), wearing swim trunks and his trademark leather jacket, jumps over a penned-in Shark while Water Skiing (you can find a video clip of this scene among the External Links ).
Many have noted the shark episode as the moment when they realized the show was no longer worth watching, considering the scene to be unrealistic and of poor quality, making it impossible to maintain Suspension Of Disbelief . Even before "jumping the shark" was employed as a pop culture term, the episode in question was cited many times as an example of what can happen to otherwise high-quality shows when they stay on the air too long in the face of waning interest. Producer Garry Marshall later admitted that he knew the show had lost something as the crew prepared to shoot the scene. However, as he pointed out in the reunion special that aired on February 3 , 2005 , ''Happy Days'' went on to produce approximately 100 more episodes after the "jumping the shark" episode. During the same special, in response to an audience member's question, Marshall introduced the notorious clip and noted how the show had inspired the term.
The first use of the phrase as a direct metaphor is reported to have been on December 24 , 1997 , when the ''jumptheshark.com'' Website was launched by Jon Hein. According to the site, the phrase was first coined by Hein's college roommate, Sean J. Connolly, in 1985 . In print, the term first appeared in the May 29 , 1998 '' Jerusalem Post '' Newspaper article, "It's All Downhill," written by Jeff Abramowitz.
More recently, the phrase has been used outside the realm of popular culture, representing anything that has reached its peak and has turned mediocre. For example, if one thinks a stock or a sports team has reached its peak, one can say that it has "jumped the shark."
On December 22 , 1963 , the '' Bonanza '' episode, "Hoss and the Leprechauns", aired, in which Hoss Cartwright ( Dan Blocker ) meets a Leprechaun . Several viewers have logged on to ''jumptheshark.com'' and noted that the phenomenon now known as "jumping the shark" was once called "seeing the leprechaun."
A "jump-the-shark" moment is usually specific to what makes a series popular, or to a show's original premise. Common scenes or situations listed below only qualify as "shark-jumping" moments when they cross a line that, in retrospect, can be cited as a sign of the show's decline. Series can recover from most examples listed below, and many popular shows negotiate major cast changes and remain successful. However drastic changes alter the chemistry of the show. Where this is upset in some significant way and the series has difficulty recovering from the changes they become "jump-the-shark" moments.
Just because a moment appears on this list does not necessarily mean that the series it appears in has jumped the shark. Each series is different and a lot depends on the execution. Also relevant are differences in viewer tastes — what may constitute a shark-jumping moment to one viewer will not necessarily be seen that way by another. Sometimes, an episode considered to have "jumped the shark" that is followed by a string of adequate or good episodes may be overlooked as a simple writing slump.
Soap Opera s will often use several of these ploys repeatedly, yet (perhaps by their very nature) manage to maintain their loyal viewers, even in Extreme cases.
Typical moments may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- Changing the format of the series' episodes, such as moving from stand-alone episodes to arc storytelling, or vice-versa. Examples include the final season of '' Batman '' when the series shifted from two-episode stories to single episode stories; later episodes of ''The X-files'' that focused heavily on a multi-season story arc.
- A Game Show airing more celebrity episodes and fewer "real people" episodes ('' Who Wants To Be A Millionaire '', '' The Weakest Link '').
- When the key premise of the series is altered (e.g. the shift of '' M---A---S---H '' from pure comedy to politically oriented drama).
- A female character becomes pregnant and eventually gives Birth (e.g., '' Angel '', '' Friends '', '' Murphy Brown '' and '' Mad About You '').
- Main characters have '').
- Main characters '').
- Main characters Divorce after a tempestuous marriage (e.g., Lionel Jefferson and Jenny Willis on '' The Jeffersons '').
- When a key premise of the show is altered, but the producers of the series write the situation so the characters are obliged to interact with one another like before (e.g., on '' Full House '', Jesse continues to live with the Tanner family after marrying Rebecca).
- A Supporting Character or group of characters play a disproportionately large role in the series (e.g., Steve Urkel on '' Family Matters '').
- A show's genre is altered, as when a Sitcom starts using Sci Fi -like plot devices (e.g., Time Travel , Cloning and Virtual Reality on ''Family Matters''; or when a Sitcom starts using dramatic themes more often than comedic themes.)
- Change in the principal setting of the show, either permanently or as the theme of a series of episodes (e.g., on '' The Drew Carey Show '', when Drew changes jobs and is inexplicably accompanied by his hated assistant Mimi, and boss Mr. Wick; '' Laverne & Shirley '' when all the main characters move from Milwaukee to Los Angeles .
- Loss of a key prop or location (e.g., Arnold's in ''Happy Days'').
- When the show is in an academic setting, the main characters Graduate and the setting changes from High School to a University (e.g., on '' Buffy The Vampire Slayer '', Buffy and her friends all go on to the same college while trying to maintain the same relationships with family and friends; similar shifts took place on '' Saved By The Bell '', '' Beverly Hills 90210 '' and '' The Worst Witch '').
- A specific episode that irreparably strains the credibility or premise of the series or one of its main characters (e.g., on the original '' Battlestar Galactica '' series, it was revealed that the Cylon Imperious Leader was created with the assistance — and even the voice — of Satan himself, with real-live Angel s flying around the Galactica while Satan was onboard).
- The " Very Special Episode ", in which a sitcom or Drama addresses a serious social issue in a forced or awkward way (such as Drug Addiction , Child Abuse , or Racism ). The sitcom, '' Blossom '', used this device from the beginning, but it grew troublesome, due to the disconnection between the actual episodes and how the network promoted them. Drama '' 7th Heaven '' often used this episode format to address a number of themes.
- The Crossover episode with other series (e.g., '' ER '' and '' Third Watch '', '' The Golden Girls '' and '' Empty Nest '', '' Ally McBeal '' and '' The Practice '').
- Use of a Plot Device which is regarded as a Cliché , such as a story involving the Evil Twin of a main character (e.g., on '' Knight Rider '', when KITT meets his bad-minded "brother", KARR and Michael Knight faces his evil Doppelgänger , Garthe Knight ).
- Poor use of retroactive continuity ( Retcon ) (e.g., the "shower scene" involving Patrick Duffy 's return to '' Dallas '' or '' Roseanne '''s winning of the lottery Retconned as her novel).
- The resolution of a story arc or Season Finale Cliffhanger with a disappointing resolution. Examples includes "shower scene" on '' Dallas '', the Moldavian Wedding Massacre on '' Dynasty '', and the Valentine's Day "frog-eating clone" episode of ''Lois and Clark'', where the two central characters married, only for it revealed that Clark had not married Lois, but her clone.
- The "Vacation" episodes — including '' Family Ties '' sending the Keatons to London , and the Barones' Italian getaway on '' Everybody Loves Raymond ''. The "shark jumping" episode of ''Happy Days'' was a vacation episode set in Hollywood.
- Excessive use of the Clip Show , which provides a retrospective of funny clips from earlier episodes, usually presented in the form of the lead characters reminiscing.
- The same main Character played by a different actor (e.g., the oft-mentioned switch from Dick York to Dick Sargent in the role of Darrin Stephens on '' Bewitched '').
- A show continues after the death of a cast member (e.g., '' Dennis The Menace '' after the death of Joseph Kearns ; '' Petticoat Junction '' after the death of Bea Benaderet ; '' Bonanza '' after the death of Dan Blocker ; '' Chico And The Man '' after the death of Freddie Prinze ; '' NewsRadio '' after the death of Phil Hartman ; '' Cosby '' after the death of Madeline Kahn ; or '' 8 Simple Rules '' after the death of John Ritter ).
- A show continues after the departure of a cast member who played key character (e.g., '' Happy Days '' after the departure of Ron Howard ; '' The X-Files '' after David Duchovny left).
- Child Actor s enter Puberty (e.g., Jerry Mathers on '' Leave It To Beaver ''; the sons on '' Home Improvement '' and '' Malcolm In The Middle '').
- Off the set, a key cast member is charged with a crime, is a defendant in a major lawsuit, has well-publicized marital problems, or is involved with some other Scandal (e.g., Mackenzie Phillips ' drug problems during the run of '' One Day At A Time ''; Suzanne Somers ' salary dispute with the producers of '' Three's Company ''; ''The Cosby Show'' 's Lisa Bonet , and her involvement in the sexually explicit movie '' Angel Heart '' during the show's run.
- Overexposure of the actors in the media or of their characters on other shows (e.g., '' Queer Eye For The Straight Guy '' or '' The Osbournes '').
- Increasing frequency of gimmicky guest stars or those unsuited to the series they are appearing in (e.g., Violent Femmes ' guest shot on '' Sabrina The Teenage Witch '').
Ted McGinley has been dubbed the "patron saint" of shark jumping by Jon Hein because of the number of series which jumped the shark after he joined the cast. This is a controversial shark jumping category since several of McGinley's shows continued for many more seasons after he joined the cast, most notably '' Married ... With Children '', '' The Love Boat '' and '' Happy Days '' (which had already had the shark-jumping episode by the time he joined). Though McGinley himself is not regarded as responsible for a show jumping the shark, he is notable because he frequently served as a ''replacement'' actor (itself a jump the shark category) on several successful shows, joining late in their runs and continuing with the series as it went into decline.
- The loss of key characters from a series, such as the loss of Mike and Gloria , and that of Edith Bunker , from '' All In The Family ''; the replacement of Valerie Harper on '' The Hogan Family ''). Often the characters are replaced by similar character, such as Bert & Ernie quitting Sesame Street
- Introduction of new characters to revive interest, often during a show's waning years, such as when when '' The Cosby Show '' introduced Clair's cousin Pam. This plot device has been lampooned in several episodes of '' The Simpsons '' (most notably, the episode " The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show ").
- Young, cute children clearly intended to replace child stars who have reached (or are nearing) adulthood (e.g., Cousin Oliver on '' The Brady Bunch ''.
- Change in a character's personality, usually from negative attributes to positive ones. For example, Nellie Oleson on '' Little House On The Prairie '', who started out as belligerent, antagonistic characters and eventually morphed into nice, friendly characters.
- A character ostensibly presented by the series as a heterosexual Comes Out of The Closet as Gay . '' Ellen '' is a frequently-cited example.
- A key writer or producer leaves the show, is fired or decreases his or her involvement (e.g., Aaron Sorkin 's departure from '' The West Wing '', Larry David 's departure from '' Seinfeld '', David Lynch 's drifting from '' Twin Peaks '').
- A show switches to color broadcasts if previously shown in Black And White . This was most notable for shows broadcast during the 1960s , such as '' The Beverly Hillbillies '' and '' The Andy Griffith Show ''.
- In cartoon series, a switch from one method of animation to another. For instance, a switch from traditional methods (hand-drawn, ink-and-paint, edited clips) to computer production, often to cut down on costs or increase production speed (e.g., '' Dexter's Laboratory '', '' The Powerpuff Girls '', '' Johnny Bravo '', and '' Sealab 2021 '').
- Change in where the show is produced, usually a move back to Southern California by a show produced somewhere else (e.g., '' The X-Files '' relocating from Vancouver to Los Angeles late in the series). This is often seen as a sign that the actors and producers are beginning to tire of a current show and want to be available for other projects.
- Change in length of episode, usually when a 30-minute show attempts hour-long episodes or vice-versa (e.g., '' Soap '', '' The Bill '' and '' The Twilight Zone '').
- When a show's star begins writing or directing a majority of the episodes, and becomes involved in virtually every aspect of the show. Frequently, the episodes' morals will reflect the beliefs, opinions, etc. of that star (hence, the show becomes "The gospel according to ... "). The most famous occurrence of this was when Alan Alda took control of ''M---A---S---H''.
- When a high-profile guest writer-director (e.g., Woody Allen , Quentin Tarantino , Hal Prince or, in the case of The Simpsons, Ricky Gervais) is brought onto the show's crew to write or direct one or more episodes. These are usually people from the theater or film industry with a long-standing record of writing or directing critically or commercially acclaimed films and stage productions.
- A theatrical or straight-to-video movie based on the series runs between seasons (e.g., '' Hey Arnold '', '' Family Guy '', ''The X-Files'', '' SpongeBob SquarePants '', and '' South Park '').
- A central plot line of the show is resolved (e.g., the solving of Laura Palmer 's murder on '' Twin Peaks ,'' the revelation that Extraterrestrials definitely do exist on ''The X-Files,'' the solving of the central murder mystery on '' Crossing Jordan '').
- The producers start to dilute the show's Brand with too many Spinoffs (eg. ''Happy Days'').
- The show gets into Merchandising or its stars start doing ads.
- A substantial reduction in the show's budget in a way that is noticeable on screen (e.g., the game show '''' and '' Batman '').
- Excessive or obvious use of Product Placement (e.g., '' American Dreams '' during its final season).
- Recycling of old plots, scripts, characters and continuity points from previous seasons (e.g., '' Bewitched '', '' Charmed '').
- '' Arrested Development '' has a character played by Henry Winkler , who played the Fonz in Happy Days . In the episode "Motherboy XXX", while conversing with other characters on a dock, he remarks, "I missed breakfast, so I’m on my way to Burger King ," and then hops over a shark that's in front of his path.
- It has been argued that '' Buffy The Vampire Slayer '''s sixth season can be viewed as an extended reference to various shark-jumping moments (including a musical episode, a wedding episode, a major character leaving and a character being killed off); it has also been suggested that the writers really were running out of ideas, although this theory may not fully explain the sheer density of such moments in that season. The presence of the "loan shark" character in the episode immediately following the aforementioned musical has been cited as a self-referential jumping of the shark.
- '' That '70s Show '' had an episode in which Fez imagines jumping over a shark, thinking how cool it would be to be the Fonz, then commenting on how he never really watched the show after that episode.
- ''The X-Files'' episode "Jump the Shark" in the last season ( Season 9 ) concluded the roles of The Lone Gunmen in the series by killing them off.
- '' Mad TV '' reenacted a skit in which the infamous "jump the shark" episode was partially redone in mock Spanish , featuring dialogue such as Laverne saying "Aww, Shirl, Fonzie es jumpo el sharko!"
- The Canadian black comedy '' Made In Canada '' (titled ''The Industry'' elsewhere) had an episode entitled "Beaver Creek Jumps the Shark", where it becomes obvious to the characters that the lead show that they produce (''Beaver Creek'') has jumped the shark, and several of the main characters reminisce about how their own lives did the same. It would be the fifth-to-last episode of the series to air.
- An episode of '' Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide '' featured Loomer and Cookie in a competition where they had to use ramps to jump over a pool full of sharks on a bike. Cookie decided not to do it, and Loomer attempted to do it and failed. Mat Hoffman then successfully jumped the sharks.
- The Production Logo at the end of the credits for the TV show '' Stargate Atlantis '' features a shark riding a Tricycle jumping over a Typewriter and getting hit by a falling Anvil . (Falling anvils are another television-themed metaphor used to describe excessively heavy-handed writing.)
- '''' featured a clip show episode consisting almost entirely of its four main characters reminiscing about previous incidents from the series. This was the second of the six produced episodes, and most of the incidents were in fact entirely new. At one point, the characters reminisce about their favorite ''Happy Days'' episodes, the shark-jumping episode among them.
- '' Dora The Explorer '' began its 2003 season with an episode in which the title character literally jumped a shark. Subsequent changes to the show made fans wonder if the writers were trying to tell them something.
- The '' Ed, Edd N Eddy '' episode "The Good Old Ed" is a spoof of the ubiquitous Clip Show . In the episode, the boys collect items for a time capsule, several of which prompt memories of schemes from previous episodes. However, the only "flashbacks" are to incidents not yet seen on the show, and when Ed tries to flashback (to about ten minutes before in the same episode), Eddy cuts Ed off by hitting him on the head and protesting "I clip shows!"
- In the '' Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends '' episode "Sweet Stench of Success", Bloo gets a job as "Deo", a spokesperson for Deodorant , which leads to a job on a sitcom titled ''What's The Big Deo?'', and at the end of the pilot episode of this Show Within A Show , there is an announcement saying "Tune in next week when Deo jumps a shark."
- In one episode of '' Sealab 2021 '' Sharko jumps over a pool of Fonzies during a montage.
- In '' What's New, Scooby-Doo? '', Scooby water-skis over a shark, following which Velma says, "I never thought Scooby-Doo would jump the shark."
- '' The Fairly OddParents '' had a music video on the DVD movie "Channel Chasers" called "If I Lived In TV" which featured Timmy Turner waterskiing with Fonzie, in which they eventually jump over a shark.
- The '' South Park '' episode " Probably " begins with a "Previously on ''South Park"'' segment, in which interspliced with actual clips are cartoonized scenes of Fonzie about to jump over a shark. In the ''South Park'' versions of events, Fonz doesn't make it. The ''South Park'' episode " City On The Edge Of Forever " also spoofs the ubiquitous clip show by showing clips from earlier episodes but altering them such that each one ends happily with the children receiving ice cream. Toward the end of the episode they even flashback to previous points in the episode, but again replace tragedy with ice cream in their recollections. After each flashback at least one character always says, "Now that's what I call a sticky situation." (this episode also has a clip of Fonzie jumping over a bus on his motorcycle, crashing into Kenny, then handing out ice cream.)
- An episode of '' Teen Titans '' had Robin jump a shark while on skis. This same episode spoofed countless television shows and movies.
- In an episode of '' Bonus Stage '', Joel Dawson says, "Phil, come look, we're about to travel over Sharkworld, I'm surprised we haven't done this already." In a later episode, Joel repeats the gag by saying "There are some sharks I refuse to jump."
- An episode of '' Drawn Together '' entitled " A Very Special Drawn Together Afterschool Special " parodies Very Special Episode s. At one point, silhouetted figures inside a bar can be seen while a shark hovers overhead, implying that shows which do very special episodes jump the shark.
''The Simpsons'' has referenced jumping the shark in its opening credits, as well as in the following scenes:
- " Itchy & Scratchy Land ", which depicts the family's visit to an amusement park built around '' Itchy & Scratchy '' (a cartoon cat and mouse duo based on '' Tom And Jerry ''). In one scene, Bart and Lisa visit a gift shop, where they see stuffed toys of the characters "Uncle Ant", "Disgruntled Goat" and "Ku Klux Klam". Bart explains these characters were hastily created to provide a supporting cast for ''The Itchy & Scratchy and Friends Hour'', and subsequently forgotten by most viewers. A pre-JTS reference, ''The Itchy & Scratchy and Friends Hour'' spoofed several cartoon shows of the 1970s (including one built around ''Tom and Jerry''), where extra characters are created (usually with little or no thought put in their character development or stories) and introduced for no apparent reason other than to pad-out an hour-long show.
- The show built An Entire Episode around the ill-fated attempt of ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' to reinvigorate the show by introducing a new character, Poochie , voiced by Homer but so unpopular with the show's fans (the Comic Book Guy introduced the Catchphrase "Worst. Episode. Ever.") that he was killed off in his second appearance. The episode abounded with knowing references to how this affects TV shows. In one scene, Lisa complains that it's a sign of TV shows going stale when they suddenly add new characters, and immediately we see a new college-aged man, Roy (who looks suspiciously like Poochie), sitting at the Simpsons' breakfast table and saying "Morning, Mr. S." (a sideways reference to Fonzie, who referred to Mr. Cunningham as "Mr. C") He does nothing during the episode and disappears at the end of the episode claiming that he's moving into an apartment with "two sexy ladies" (a reference to Three's Company ).
- " The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase " (4F20), the series' eighth season finale, which features three pretend spin-off shows starring minor characters, is also mainly a parody of jumping the shark. The show ends with a preview of the new season, which includes magic powers, multiple weddings, lost cousins (all of whom bear a striking resemblance to Bart) and a tiny green space alien named Ozmodiar that only Homer can see. Ozmodiar is a parody of The Great Gazoo , a character introduced in the last season of '' The Flintstones ''. They even show a ''Simpsons Comedy Hour'' where Lisa is replaced by an older woman (a parody of ''The Brady Bunch Variety Hour''). Ironically, many critics consider this episode itself a "shark jumping" moment for ''The Simpsons'', due to its perceived poor quality and a general change in the series' tone the following season. The Ozmodiar reference is intentionally ironic, since Matt Groening once said that fans would know the series was out of ideas when he introduced a Great Gazoo like character. Ozmodar returned for a brief cameo in the episode HOMЯ .
- The parody documentary " Behind The Laughter " (BABF19), the Season 11 finale, also spoofs sneak peeks of future episodes, including one with Homer's bold declaration, "The Simpsons are going to Delaware!" This is a joke on the fact that after the family's many contrived vacation destinations, future possibilities have been nearly exhausted (in the season 12 finale, the Simpsons actually ''do'' go to Delaware, with Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa reciting their lines verbatim). This episode itself is closed with Homer reassuring a crew member about the low quality of these various episode ideas with a smug "This is our last season." Of course, it was not (''The Simpsons'' is currently in its 17th season).
- The clip show " Gump Roast " (DABF12) ends with many jumping-the-shark allusions, including a shot of Homer water skiing over a shark. It includes a song (an indirect parody of Billy Joel 's " We Didn't Start The Fire ") in which (apparently) Matt Groening and his staff answer to fans worried over comments he made that he was running out of ideas, saying "Have no fears, we got stories for years." They then give examples of supposedly upcoming episode premises such as Marge becoming a robot, Bart owning a bear, Moe getting a cell phone, and "a crazy wedding where something happens". Some of these suggestions are actually happening. In one episode Ozmodiak appears for three seconds, talking to Bart. In one of Homer's daydreams, he sees Marge as a robot (and pretends to be one in a completely whole other episode). In a later episode Homer seeks out a bear for revenge, but ends up taming and befriending it. Also, the crazy wedding could mean Patty Bouvier's fake lesbian wedding in which she thought she was marrying another woman, but it actually was a Transvestite .
- Certain episodes have also been centered around an act of jumping the shark listed above, such as Maude Flanders's sudden death during a sports event, Barney Gumble's change from an alcoholic to a character we rarely see (he has since relapsed), Principal Skinner turning out to be an imposter after the real Seymour Skinner turns up, or when Marge's sister Patty Bouvier suddenly reveals that she is a lesbian in the episode " There's Something About Marrying " (though there have been previous clues, such as her easily-recognized voice on the "closeted" float during Springfield's Gay Pride Parade).
- The Simpsons has featured four clip shows to date, each parodying the concept to a certain degree. True to the series' frequently self-deprecating humour, these episodes make few attempts to disguise their nature, with titles such as and Another Simpsons Clip Show . In I Am Furious Yellow (a story that aired the week after one such episode), Bart observes Homer's clumsy antics so he can adapt them into a comic strip. When Homer shows no signs of doing anything funny, Bart pleads "don't make me do a clip show".
Though the term generally refers to television programs and other kinds of episodic fiction, “jump the shark” has been applied to musical artists. Common reasons are:
- A shift in musical direction, either to A More Commercial Sound or to a self-indulgent one, that alienates the established fanbase.
- --- Aerosmith , The Clash , Genesis , Green Day , Jewel , KISS , Split Enz and Metallica have all been accused of adopting a more commercial sound. Often this accusation is raised at musicians who became popular within a certain Subculture or subgenre of music and later found broader success.
- --- Elvis Costello , Peter Gabriel , Joe Jackson , The Kinks , Van Morrison , Alanis Morissette , Sinéad O'Connor , and Sting have all been accused of adopting a self-indulgent sound. This often includes Surrealism , acoustic tours and albums, and forays into genres such as World Music , Jazz and Electronic Music .
- A popular member of the band either leaves, is fired, or dies and the band continues on without that person, perhaps replacing him or her with someone else. Prominent examples include Black Sabbath after the dismissal of Ozzy Osbourne , The Commodores after the resignation of Lionel Richie , The Doors after the death of Jim Morrison , Pink Floyd first after continuing without Syd Barret and again after reuniting without Roger Waters , Van Halen after the departure of David Lee Roth , The Who after Keith Moon , and the Dead Kennedys without Jello Biafra
- A band member asserts too much creative control of the band, disregarding input from others. This charge has been leveled at Robbie Robertson of The Band , Paul McCartney of The Beatles , Roger Waters of Pink Floyd , Dennis DeYoung of Styx , Jeff Tweedy of Wilco , and Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses .
- A controversy that haunts an artist's career. said the band was ashamed that President George W. Bush was from their home state of Texas , and Janet Jackson has lessened in cultural importance since the Super Bowl XXXVIII Halftime Show Controversy .
- An artist begins performing in stadiums and other large venues and charges a higher price for concert tickets. KISS , Jimmy Buffett , and The Rolling Stones are common examples.
- An artist begins accepting gigs in Las Vegas, on cruise ships, or at local casinos, signifying that the artist is a Has-been . David Lee Roth , Elvis Presley , Tom Jones , and Celine Dion are examples.
- Evel Knievel retired after his attempt to literally jump the shark in the winter of 1976; hence the Fonzie stunt.
- The computer game '' Jumpman Zero '' has a level titled ''jump the shark'', which requires the player to do just that.
- The '', by Jon Stewart and the writers of '' The Daily Show '', features a caption regarding the 2000 elections, in which the entire news media, led by Fox News , was said to "jump the shark" by prematurely predicting George W. Bush the winner.
- In the skateboard video game '' Tony Hawk's American Wasteland '', the player is required to jump over a shark named Fonzie. The Tony Hawk series was thought by some, to have jumped the shark with its previous installment '' Tony Hawk's Underground 2 '' and the focus of its story mode shifting to destruction and crude humor.
- In the game ''), the player will come upon various different objects with the choice to either "talk", "fight" or "jump" them. Using the "jump" action when encountering a shark, the response is ''"You jump the shark. Just like ''Homestarrunner.com''. ---0 points---''
- In an Op-ed on August 27 , 2005 , Maureen Dowd stated that George W. Bush "jumped the shark by landing on that ' Mission Accomplished ' carrier."
- "Weird Al" Yankovic 's album '' Poodle Hat '' has a song called "Couch Potato", which contains the lyrics:
: ''and '' King Of Queens '' jumped the shark the first minute''
: ''I can't believe Richard Simmons ain't in it.''
- Some terms, such as "crashed into the fried chicken stand" (also based on a ''Happy Days'' moment) and "growing the beard" ('') have been coined as an opposite to jumping the shark, when a TV series shows a noticeable increase in quality or begins to take hold in popular culture and becomes a hit.
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