‘Jumping the Shark’ as bad in politics as on TV
OKLAHOMA CITY – Growing up as a child in the 1970s, I enjoyed my fair share of television shows. One of my favorites was “Happy Days,” celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
“Happy Days” starred Ron Howard, a Duncan native, who played Richie Cunningham. The show followed the Cunningham family and friends, one of whom was Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli. Fonzie epitomized coolness for his teenage neighbor, and a lot of kids like me.
In Season 5, a threepart episode included a plot where Fonzie jumps over a shark on water skis. The term “jumping the shark” came to mean any creative work that is out of ideas and relies on extreme exaggeration.
Oklahomans saw many candidates “jump the shark” with their campaign literature and promises this year.
People running for
