I have often heard the "Jumping the Shark" idiom used in a negative light. When a person talks about jumping the shark they refer to a specific moment when quality is sacrificed and what could have been great pretty much turns into self parody. So where did this come from? The shark jumping reference refers to the Happy Days episode where the Fonz decided to literally jump a shark on water skis. What made this a landmark moment was the fact that Happy Days would never be the same after.
To me it's fair to say that people jump the shark when they go overboard thinking that extreme decisions and outlandish actions will improve an idea or existing formula. To me jumping the shark is like driving a car in a foreign country, you just don't do that shit. I think we al jump the shark every day in some respect, even if it's just in terms of things we think or say.
My advice is simple, remember the Fonz and try not to jump the shark.
No comments:
Post a Comment