# Jumping the shark...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-the-shark/117553>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 5, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-the-shark/117553 "2002-07-05T22:52:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-the-shark/117553/1 "2002-07-05T22:52:11Z")

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OK, I don’t frequent other message boards that often but…

I’ve never seen or heard the phrase “jump the shark” outside the SDMB. Is this a commonly used phrase in reference to a TV show that has outlived its crunchy goodness? Seems to me that there are a lot of people who wouldn’t understand what it means, being too young to have caught _Happy Days_ in its first run, thus never having seen the Fonz on water skiis… (this was the first image that popped into my mind when I first saw the phrase here on the SDMB, so I knew what it meant immediately.)

Just wondering.

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**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2002, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-the-shark/117553/2 "2002-07-06T00:12:52Z")

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[www.jumptheshark.com](http://www.jumptheshark.com)

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**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2002, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-the-shark/117553/3 "2002-07-06T00:13:12Z")

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The phrase originalted at [www.jumptheshark.com](http://www.jumptheshark.com)

Most internet-savvy people that I know use the phrase. (I’m not saying that if you don’t use it you’re not, I’ve just never heard the phrase being used by someone who _wasn’t_ on-line)

Fenris

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**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2002, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-the-shark/117553/4 "2002-07-06T00:17:55Z")

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OOoooHhhh! A simulpost with **VogueVixen**

\< sleazy singles-bar voice \>  
Was it good for you too, baby?  
\< /sleazy singles-bar voice \>

😃

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**Author:** ![The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2002, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jumping-the-shark/117553/5 "2002-07-06T01:58:42Z")

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Just checked out the link. Very interesting. Thanks, guys.