Did Indiana Jones set the new standard in ridiculous? Many movie geeks think Dr. Jones’ ability to survive a nuclear blast by hiding in a refrigerator in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was so outrageous that “nuking the fridge” should replace “jumping the shark” in pop-culture parlance, Noam Cohen writes in the New York Times—especially where movie franchises are concerned.
“Jumping the shark” has become a pretty mainstream phrase, but referencing Happy Days isn’t exactly fresh. “‘Jump the shark’ is for people over the age of 60,” says the founder of nukingthefridge.com. But, cautions the founder of jumptheshark.com, time will tell if the phrase sticks. After all, after Tom Cruise’s Oprah appearance, “‘Jump the couch’ was going to be the new phrase.” (More Indiana Jones stories.)