I just learned a wonderful new phrase, and in an effort to make sure its usage gets widely established, I will share it with you:
jumping the couch.
Jumping the couch is a modern version of jumping the shark, a phrase that means “such-and-such has finally gone too far; it once was cool and now it’s pathetic.” For those of you too young to understand the reference, it comes from a late episode of Happy Days where the Fonz is waterskiing (in his leather jacket, of course) and he literally jumps over a huge tank containing a shark, heralding the moment when everybody just knew that Happy Days should have ended a loooooong time ago. Where it was once cool, it became simply ridiculous. [Note: the Wikipedia definition for this phrase is rather fascinating, most notably for its "Archetypal jumping-the-shark moments" section, which contains an extensive list of examples and moments that cause TV shows to jump the shark.]
This brings us to jumping the couch. The phrase has the same meaning as its shark counterpart, but references not Fonzie but Tom Cruise, who very famously jumped on Oprah’s couch to shake her and yell, “I LOVE KATIE! I LOVE KATIE!” Now, we all know that Tom Cruise is a douche, and you can see more pictures here if you don’t believe me, so I think it’s fitting to incorporate this phrase into everyday use. As in: When Tom Cruise jumped the couch, we finally realized that his hip Jerry Maguire days were long over; he has finally made the transition from an actor capable of pulling off Rain Man to someone who might want to consider euthanasia.
Or: I heard that the Rolling Stones are back on tour. Talk about jumping the couch.
29 responses so far ↓
1 Lucy_the_Valiant // Aug 29, 2005 at 4:35 pm
Haha! I love this entry!Ah! saw the thing with Tom killing Oprah with the emperor’s powers O.O ;)Thanks, my first day of school went well ^__^~rivkah
2 derf6179 // Aug 29, 2005 at 4:38 pm
That’s very funny. Jumping the couch. I will use it tomorrow and then point them to your blog when the person looks perplexed to what I’m saying.
3 HaveyoumetGreg // Aug 29, 2005 at 4:40 pm
Call me old-fashioned, but I’ll stick with “jump the shark” and be happy with my retro-ness.
4 anth0nyc // Aug 29, 2005 at 6:05 pm
The actor cruise doth protest too much, methinks
5 aropeofsand // Aug 29, 2005 at 7:48 pm
Haha. So glad to learn about jumping the couch, but so sorry I missed the Tom Cruise Opera incident everyone knows more about than I do.
6 Coccinella // Aug 29, 2005 at 8:05 pm
ryc: I absolutely love that you can find humor in anything. : ) but thank you so much for leaving that comment, I appreciate it.
yeah Tom Cruise sucked in that show and sucked even more on the Today Show with the whole Matt Lauer interview…I lost complete respect for him after that….
take care
7 Gabe_Real // Aug 29, 2005 at 8:44 pm
Could Tom Cruise be euthanized? (Could he look anymore more maniacal?) Could we do it? Would it have any effect? Or does his love (and that endless Katie tirade) give him special powers… HehSpeaking of bands jumping the couch… The Rolling Stones touring?I was never a Stones’ fan… Positive Vibes!Gabe
8 chublin // Aug 29, 2005 at 9:30 pm
Wikipedia has been surprising me with its goodness lately. now that the internet is full of crap google doesn’t always get the job done. Wiki has come to the rescue with solid content a few times.
9 x_defying_gravity_x // Aug 29, 2005 at 9:41 pm
That’s hilarious. Funny that Wikipedia had that in there…it seems to have everything you really need a definition for…And YAY for listening to The Shins! I approve…Thank you also for your concern about my friend…I’ve got an update on my blog…
10 TimsHead // Aug 30, 2005 at 1:52 am
Brilliant! I’d put Bon Jovi and Aerosmith with The Stones in that jumping the couch category, but that doesn’t stop ABC from constantly bringing them back to play sports-related events. And what sports fan would need an appearance by the couch-jumped Stones to get psyched up for the first week of NFL football?
11 chicagoartgirl23 // Aug 30, 2005 at 3:27 am
“He has finally made the transition from an actor capable of pulling off Rain Man to someone who might want to consider euthanasia,” made me choke on my breakfast smoothie laughing. Seriously—I’ve got nectarine bits in my nostrils now. Hilarious. Did you read the New Yorker spin on the nightmare that Mr. Cruise has become? If you haven’t, I think you’d get a good laugh out of it. It’s called My Dog is Tom Cruise and it’s at: http://www.newyorker.com/shouts/content/articles/050725sh_shouts (I’d hyper link, but I lost my sticky note telling me how and I always forget). RYC: Yes, I’ve been on sabbatical from Xanga (ha!). We are moving Thursday and it is a nightmare because I am a pack rat. So in addition to packing, there is the selling of shizit on Craigslist and eBay, a sidewalk sale, bagging stuff up for Brown Elephant, and all sorts of other nonsense like the purchasing of a new bathmat (why move the moldy one to a new apartment) and other crap that is better off pitching and buying a new one. So yeah—its spring-cleaning times ten. Plus working and going on all these informational interviews to try to figure out how to get to my dream job (as a teaching writer and one day the founder of a arts not-for-profit for youth)…. my mind is not paying attention to anything right now that’s not moving stuff, which is not at all inspiring. Stay tuned for something on Labor Day. I’m sure I’ll have a creative resurgence given a day off. If I’m not setting up house all over again….ugg.
12 TexasAlan // Aug 30, 2005 at 3:53 am
Tom Cruise IS a douche.
13 x_defying_gravity_x // Aug 30, 2005 at 6:31 am
RYC: She was barely responding…I don’t know exactly what. I am going into work today. My manager who talked to the doctor will know more. Plus we might just hear more about it today…ugh I’m worried. Thank you for your concern…it’s surprising, but nice. Funny how you seem to care more than my friends do that have actaully met her before…
14 kierplablo // Aug 30, 2005 at 6:55 am
Have you seen the 70’s Show episode where Fez dreams of jumping the shark to win the girl? “Wow Fez, you jumped the shark and you’re not even wet!!!”
My dad tried to convince me to buy tickets to the Stones. Except that they were 200 bucks for nosebleed seats. arrrgh. somebody has to pay for Keith’s heroin and Mick’s alimony.
15 brotherpriest // Aug 30, 2005 at 8:10 am
I don’t know why this is so funny to me, but Tom Cruise is like 5′7″. Hilarious.
16 sunshineboy78 // Aug 30, 2005 at 9:03 am
The rolling stones will never jump the couch, they are eternally cool.
RYC: check out explanation in DavisMcDavis’ comments section of pertaining post.
17 thinlizzy17 // Aug 30, 2005 at 9:06 am
I’m going to stick with jumping the shark, because I’ll be able to remember that. “Jumping the couch” I’ll never remember. Mostly because I try not to think about Tom Cruise. You know, I used to feel bad for him because he’s been nominated for tons of Oscars, yet has never won. Now I just find him annoying.
18 Jay_galk25 // Aug 30, 2005 at 9:23 am
The funny thing is just in my last post I mentioned Tom and how I was dropping my beloved catchphrase :).
Jay (I wish I knew how to quit him) “Rawr”
19 PhishChica // Aug 30, 2005 at 9:34 am
Excuse me while I go change my pants…That was hilarious.
20 Justus_X // Aug 30, 2005 at 9:46 am
I wasn’t speaking about people being dusty.
I just don’t think human rights matter if everything is temporary and we came from a long line of slimes and apes.
21 momsahippiechick // Aug 30, 2005 at 1:10 pm
hi. this is jill, i used to be babyboomer64, but i have a new site. i learned “jumping the couch about 3 weeks ago while leisurely reading a People mag on my vacation. i love it, because everytime i think of jumping crazily onto ANY peice of furniture, i think of that whack job, tom cruise!
i resubscribed. i still think your site is awesome!
22 momsahippiechick // Aug 30, 2005 at 1:45 pm
ummm, kinda being harassed by my own personal info. long story. my boyfriend’s ex-wife got a whiff of it all and got on undetected. kinda spoiled the wholr effin’ thing for me. i hope i can eventually get this site up to par.
thanks for your comment!
23 Gnarlysurf // Aug 30, 2005 at 3:40 pm
Wow! That was great. Your entry certainly deserves a nomination for the pointless fact hall of fame. I don’t know if I could top that…at least not for awhile. Its good tho as the next few days I will do some research in the hope to find something at least half as interesting.
RYC: Yeah well maybe my joke was dumb but oh well you and Phred will soon get over it….I hope.
24 TobyWillBiteYou // Aug 30, 2005 at 6:42 pm
Thanks so much for your comment. Uh.. mucho appreciato. (ha ha ha)
Ah, yes…. the ’jumping the couch’ phenomena. Actually, for me, it’s probably a bit more like tripping clumsily over the couch. Which I did do, in fact… maybe five minutes ago. Go me…. Later, gator….. ~:toby:~
25 Jay_galk25 // Aug 31, 2005 at 5:34 am
Ryc: Yeah, I was refering to our darling Kat, the slacker :). Also, posted Alex’s MySpace in my new post.
Jay (I wish I knew how to quit him) “Rawr”
26 Jay_galk25 // Aug 31, 2005 at 8:46 am
Ryc numb 2: I don’t INXS, the show is funny and there’s a snotty bastard hot guy on it, total reason to watch :).
Jay (I wish I knew how to quit him) “Rawr”
27 mas88 // Aug 31, 2005 at 10:02 pm
Maybe the Stones should join up with Blue Oyster Cult for the tour…it would bring new meaning to the song “Don’t Fear the Reaper.” Seriously. I think Death is the now singing backup for the Stones…or at the very least…waiting in the wings.
28 VirtuallySane // Sep 1, 2005 at 3:08 am
Awesome! I can’t think of anyone more deserving of their own, updated version of the ‘jumping the shark’ espression than Mr. Crazy himself.
29 Ivan Bulat // Sep 26, 2006 at 2:04 am
C’est trouis bien. Nice, i mean. Thanks!