At the beginning of every show an off screen announcer would list the guests and then announce “and heeeeere’s Johnny” at which point Carson would walk out and begin the introductory monologue.
Ed McMahon, who was usually on-screen for that intro (IIRC), and was Johnny’s side-kick throughout the show.
Similarly, the Greek gyro also comes from a root meaning “to turn”, again referring to the rotating vertical rotisserie:
Conrad Bain from “Diff’rent Strokes” had a twin brother, Bonar Bain (who played a fictional twin brother “Hank Bain” on SCTV).
It was also used in The Shining when Jack is chasing Wendy and Danny through the hotel. When Jack chops a hole in the door behind which Wendy is hiding, he sticks his face through and yells “heeeeere’s Johnny!” That specific shot was used in the movie’s poster, as well. I suspect that’s where a lot of people first heard that line.
That’s where it was born, but I think the current popularity in memes comes from Jack Nicholson’s use of the phrase in The Shining.
(link to movie clip spoilered for minor gore)
But that scene is a specific call-out to the Carson opening.
As an aside, I find it interesting when cultural memes change with association.
“Buffy” was a preppie name in the early 80s with the implication of a spoiled self-centered girl. Whedon using that name for his central character was a deliberate choice. Now, the preppie association is long gone
Hearing that people are more familiar with Nicholson’s use of the phrase in The Shining than its original use on the Tonight Show makes me feel older than usual today. It also seems strange because The Shining was released in 1980 but Carson hosted the Tonight Show until 1992. But I guess people today watch The Shining more than they watch reruns of the Tonight Show.
It also makes it easier for the kids to learn the part, because each only needs to do half the lines.
In the US, the most famous example of this would be Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who played the cute kid whose name I don’t remember on the sitcom Full House.
Yup - that’s why I said it was born with Carson.
Venus and Saturn out tonight
At 240 degrees SW, Venus is bright white, Saturn a smaller red smudge to the left. I can just fit my thumb between them.
More to come this month
Yeah, we get a rare once-in-a-milennium planetary alignment every couple of years or so.
Around here, we have trouble with people stealing the wire from streetlights. It’s not ‘lots of money’ compared to a big mine, but it’s massively annoying.
Where I live a big problem is people stealing copper cabling from construction sites. Copper is valuable, and it continues to rise in spot price. See chart.
I did not know the reference, but it is a highlight of the Jack Nicholsen film, “The Shining”. (ETA, is that the reference? I thought the movie was referencing some other reference…)
I did enjoy the film as theatre but did not find it very “horror” as it is usually billed. Then again, I watched “Friday the 13th” impassively, despite it being midnight, halloween and I was quite stoned. So my film review skills may not be typical.
I’ve never watched Johnny Carson or seen The Shining, but I did see the Simpsons parody of the film, so I just assumed the reference originated in the film somehow. Live and learn.
In Ankh-Morpork, the Brass Bridge hasn’t any brass left.
I wonder what the current equivalent would be?
I would guess “Shondra” and its many variations.
My guess is a common name with a messed up spelling. NattQalee (the Q is silent).