How Jimmy Fallon’s “Saved By The Bell” Parody Represents All That Is Wrong With Our Society Today

You’re most likely not going to like this article. I don’t blame you for not sharing it. It definitely wont be the popular thing to do. There isn’t a chance on earth I thought I’d ever write something like this in my teenage years or even in my young adult years. But now I’m an old dad…and everything has changed. I’m much more sensitive to the type of world we’re going to leave to our children…and for that reason…I’ll be laughed at for even thinking to write what I’m about to write. If someone wrote this same article and I read it 10 years ago…I might have written him a message calling him an idiot and challenging him to lighten up.

teen sex

Before I get started…I want to be clear…I think Jimmy Fallon is hilarious. I also loved…and I mean loved “Saved by the Bell”. It was by far my favorite show growing up. But times have changed.

Most people with a Facebook account have had the “awesome” new Jimmy Fallon/Saved By The Bell parody come across their news feed in the last week or two. When I saw this video posted over and over again, I figured…”this thing has got to be good!” So I clicked on it and starting watching it.

I was immediately overcome with a flood of good memories. This was the show of my generation! That classic tune immediately put a smile on my face…and then………….

Zack Morris comes on the scene. Zack was the coolest dude at school. Everyone cheers as he comes down those iconic stairs at Bayside High. Most boys my age wanted to be like Zack. They wanted that cool wave in their hair and they wanted one of those cell phones the size of a cinder block. Every boy paid attention to what Zack Morris did.

Then there’s Slater. He cruises out of another hallway still sporting that rolled up shirt and those big ol biceps. Slater’s “mama” aka Jessie…then heads down those stairs and Slater does a ballet dance. Classic! The cheers!

The skit pulls you in…makes you laugh…makes you smile.

And then the garbage starts to creep in. I call it “dog poop cake”.

Here’s how the media operates. They serve you this great looking monster of a chocolate cake. The cake is moist and the frosting delicious. There is fudge mixed in between the layers and they’ve cake dog poopgot people smiling with every bite. What those unsuspecting people (especially kids) don’t understand is that the bakers of that cake have mixed in almost undetectable amounts of poop into that chocolate cake. The cake tastes so good that no one really notices. People just keep smiling and chewing and swallowing and laughing. The poop blends right in with the chocolate and no one really knows the difference.

But over time…consuming too much poop is going to make a person sick. Not with just a stomach ache like you’d get from eating too much normal cake, but with e.coli and the the like.

Our society is screwed up, sick, and depressed because of a mass consumption of “dog poop cake”.

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Go back and watch the video again. I’ll even post it here so that you get to it easily. But this time when you watch it…look at it through the eyes of an unsuspecting young person who is just trying to fit in at their high school. Look at it through the eyes of that “latchkey” kid who is being raised not by parents but by actors and musicians.

Then ask yourself what they’re going to learn as they observe “the coolest kids at Bayside High”

You’ll see trace amounts of dog poop being shoved into you kids chocolate cake.

[Tweet “To all the media companies out there…I’ll pay double for something wholesome.”]

Zack refers to Jessie becoming a stripper and then they all have a great laugh about it. Haha…it’s so funny. We keep laughing and overlook that part.

Then…later on Kelly Kapowski comes cruising on to the scene and has something very important to tell her high school boyfriend Zack.

“I’m pregnant” comes the jaw-dropping announcement.

In a moment of panic…Zack hits the “time-out” button…a right he exercised on a regular basis during the Saved by the Bell series. Everyone is motionless as Zack analyzes the situation. Keep in mind…this is the climax of the skit.

Zack ponders the repercussions of getting Kelly pregnant.

“Well on the downside…I’ll probably be grounded for life…but on the plus side…’I got Kelly Kapowski pregnant”.

He gives a smug nod. His tone and body language depict his accomplishment as a conquest. It was an “I’m the man” kind of moment for Zack. He gives that trademark smile as he beams with pride. He’s the coolest guy in school…

(The cheers erupt like never before)

Zack calls “time-in” and then proceeds to tell Kelly how great it is that she’s pregnant and that they should run off to Vegas to get married and then move to Beverly Hills. [Most of us got the pun intended]

It’s one giant joke to us “old folks” that grew up in the 80’s and 90’s but the young people are consciously and unconsciously thinking…”hey…thats what cool people do.”

The coolest dude at Bayside gets girls pregnant. The coolest girls at Bayside become strippers and get pregnant.

Dog poop.

Everyone claps…there’s hugs and kisses xoxoxoxxoxox …and then Mr. Belding breaks through on the intercom. Everyone sings and dances and life is so freaking awesome at Bayside High.

As of today…there are approximately 26 million people that have watched this video. If each of those 26 million people are like me…they probably laughed their way through this entire 8 minute clip. But then I thought about it for a minute and asked myself…”what the heck are you laughing about…dad”

In classic Hollywood fashion…reality is left out of the performance. Reality doesn’t sell half as good as fantasy right?

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No one tells all those young girls that laughed so hard at that video that “8 out of 10 teen dads don’t marry the mother of their child.” Yeah…80% of those Zack Morris’s out there that promise to take their pregnant girlfriends to the chapel o love never actually make it past Vegas’s state line. (Sources)

But there’s more in store for that poor girl because “more than 50% of teen mothers never graduate from high school” and “less than 2% of teen moms earn a college degree by age 30.” And if all of that wasn’t exciting enough…there’s also an “80 percent chance that unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare.” (Sources)

Mother and child are at a significant disadvantage while dad is on another conquest somewhere.

The media is making people sick with their subtle administrations of their mental dog poo. It’s jacked up…and we just keep laughing at it like it’s all good. We’re laughing at this hilarious parody while the reality behind this parody’s plot is sadness, loneliness, depression, and despair. Mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters being led to believe that life is a certain way when it’s really not. It’s a decoy.

A happiness decoy…and you’ve got to admit it’s pretty effective. 26 million views effective…

I’m sick of the insinuations. I’m sick of the innuendo. Everything in life doesn’t have to be about sex. I’m sick of wondering how much pooooo is laced into every chocolate cake we sit down to enjoy. I’m sick of throwing that chocolate cake in the trash and wasting my money because I don’t want to eat the rest of that cake…

…and at this point you probably think I’m some kind of sensitive weirdo. You might be right.

 

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37 thoughts on “How Jimmy Fallon’s “Saved By The Bell” Parody Represents All That Is Wrong With Our Society Today

  1. Broken bose

    Excellent post, Greg. I couldn’t agree more. I personally couldn’t stand the show. Always a Gilligan’s Island fan myself…

  2. Jim Love

    Greg, First, I am not going to call you an idiot. Ask you to lighten up? Maybe. I get what you are saying, I absolutely do. I do see what you are seeing, I see the same things when you had the post about the Carl’s Jr. ads. However, with that said, I sometimes think that “more” kids escape from real life from TV sitcoms rather than emulate them. I too grew up with Saved By The Bell, I grew up with the Beverly Hills 90210. I remember my mom would actually sit down and watch these TV shows with me and we would laugh together. But one thing that I absolutely remember was a comment my mom made. She said this, “These kids on these shows sure do experience a lot of hard times and struggles, and I hope you know that not everybody is the rich kid and can buy their way out of problems.” But then she said something that I obviously still remember to this day. “I’m glad they have shows where the show kids real life problems, and that the world is not perfect. And they actually show you how to handle problems.” Call my mom crazy, but she used it as a teaching moment. One, to say your going to experience problems son. But it is fixable, and that I could come to her with anything. As a father myself, I have to take responsibility for my kids in teaching them and raising them as best I can. Once they are out the door, albeit small, I don’t have as many opportunities to teach anymore. I took this same advice my mother gave me into todays world. My son liked to watch Zach and Cody on the disney channel. You know those two little rich hulligan brothers that live in a hotel. I have taken many opportunities to watch it with him and make sure he understands that “this is not real, and despite their problems and trouble. If you ever experience anything like that, your first call needs to be to me.” And he gets it. But again, I hear you loud and clear. Hollywood is a problem, but my honest opinion, the vast majority that thinks the way you and I do is to small to fight it. So the next best thing to do is put it on the parents to be just that, a parent. You mentioned latch key kids, I was one of these kids. But my parents still found the time to teach. We just can’t continue to blame everyone else and then 15 to 30 years later reflect back and say “if I had only explained more to my kids they wouldn’t be in this problem. The great thing about growing up in the 70’s and even early 80’s. Parents were just that, parents, rather then trying to be their kids best friend. So if we are going to point the finger at society and media, we need to turn that finger around sometimes. Which I know you do, but how many out there really do. They let the world raise their kids and then blame the world for it. It is not the worlds, fault, it is their own fault for not being a parent. Sorry for the book here, I hope it makes sense. It did in my head, maybe I am the crazy one. Don’t get me wrong. I love your post here, and very much appreciate them. Have a great day man!

  3. Tiffany Gardanier

    I couldn’t agree more with you Greg! I love how you know that by writing an article like this, it will bring upon you the glares and mocking of the people who are in the great & spacious building but despite that, you have the courage to keep holding tight to that iron rod! Thank you for your creative way of sharing your opinions. My life has been so blessed and enriched by your articles. By the way, I have never cared for poo cake!

        • Broken bose

          I love reading the writings of the self-righteous posters who complain that others are being too self righteous…you’re too funny…!

          • daytonadan

            You mean, let me understand this … cuz I … maybe its me, maybe I’m a little messed up maybe.I’m funny how? I mean funny, like I’m a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I’m here to amuse you? Whattya you mean funny? Funny how? How am I funny?…Hey Greg, you ever thought you’d see a “Goodfellas” reference on your site, and please note that I did clean it up for you….

          • Broken bose

            Ok… I’ll give it to you… That was pretty clever and I laughed at that one… Pesci actually ad-libbed that scene, and scared the heck out of me in the process…

          • Mayfinchvh

            Kids emulate what they see on TV. Maybe not actions as much but they will memorize the jokes, the word choice used in the social banter……Greg, your absolutely right about the show and used an excellent analogy. Most of today’s shows are unfunny and full of crap. I don’t let my kids watch mindless tv shows. I’d rather they get cuts and bruises from climbing in trees and bike riding. Good post. Thanks.

  4. Jonathan Liu

    I have to say, I laughed hysterically at the
    clip when I first saw it. It brought back a great sense of nostalgia and
    joy. I loved watching “Saved by the Bell” when first was
    airing, but I was also young and innocent.
    Being more aware of the world today, I definitely see your point – and you
    are right. While reading your article I
    can say that I didn’t necessarily agree, but thinking about it more I
    definitely opens my eyes to just what is wrong.
    I did not see a problem with the clip, at all, and that is the
    problem. The constant barrage of world
    views of things that are “okay” have made me desensitized and oblivious to the
    overall messages that were portrayed that oppose my own personal values and views
    of morality. So I only can say, “thank
    you, Greg” for opening my eyes and reminding me of what values I personally
    hold. While I thoroughly enjoyed the
    clip for nostalgia purposes, I will likely not watch it again.

    • Greg Trimble

      You make a really great point here. That’s how I felt. I just laughed all the way through it but then thought about it and wondered…what the heck? Why does that need to be the main theme?

  5. Shawn

    I think as far as your “chocolate cake” reference is concerned, absolutely there is a lot of crap on TV these days. Things that, if they are indeed influential shows on kids, then that crap is scary if it is raising the younger generations. That said, if anyone who watched that reunion sketch on Fallon feels that that sketch is the “chocolate cake” or what’s wrong with society, then you obviously did not get the joke. That sketch was not written for young people to get some sort of feel good message (as most of the TGIF shows always had that lesson learned moment at the end of the show). This sketch was written sheerly as nostalgia, and for those of us that used to watch the show to see where these actors/characters are now. It was all meant to be funny, and tongue and cheek, not ending with a life lesson. It was also on LATE NIGHT television, again not geared towards young kids. Yes young kids watch You Tube, but again, this was meant for us to see those characters again, and laugh because “Zack got Kelly Kapowski pregnant.” A reference to every teenage or college aged boy who thought Tiffany Amber Theissan was super hot and wanted to date her. Not trying to say, go knock up college cheerleaders. The line about “well that’d be like Jessie becoming a stripper,” was hilarious because of the fact that Elizabeth Berkley was in the movie Showgirls- a reference most kids aren’t going to get because they’re too young. There’s a great line from a movie, “Don’t take life too seriously, you’ll never get alive.” Again you make a good point about the chocolate cake in general, I just don’t think it applies to a late night comedy sketch.

  6. daytonadan

    Nope. Having society’s wrong representing by “A Saved By The Bell” parody is like having the Church represented by the BYU-Memphis football brawl. Us self-righteous types sometimes don’t get satire or take things WAAAAAY out of context. To me, the moment that represented all that is wrong with our society today was the concern some people had about how Ray Rice coldcocking his fiancee would affect their fantasy football teams, but that’s just me. And for the record, I consider myself a “South Park Mormon.”

  7. Scooter Blake

    This whole piece would make more sense if Saved By The Bell was the show originating this type of humor. Problem is, it was a late night talk show PARODY of Saved By The Bell. If kids are up late watching talk shows, thats a parenting issue by itself. Let me know when SBTB, the actual show kids watch, depicts this kind of humor. Then we can have this cake-poop discussion.

  8. MW

    The actress who played Kelly Kapowski really is pregnant right now. I only thought the sketch was partially funny because my mom only let us watch Saved By The Bell occasionally. The point was not teen pregnancy or being a stripper. The point was nostalgia, and the sketch was a lot funnier if you were a big fan of the show back in the day and know what the cast has done since. It’s not funny at all if you don’t know the back story.

  9. Nikki @BedheadDesigns

    Yes, you are sensitive and weird, and that’s why it bothered you. 😉 I wish more people were ‘sensitive weirdos’. Things would be better. Well written. I tweeted your tweet.

  10. Krista Openshaw

    In my opinion, if people were REALLY worried about what their children were watching and the mixed messages they are getting, they wouldn’t be letting them watch late night television. They also wouldn’t have a Facebook account, a Twitter account or an Instagram account. It’s not what the “media” is putting out, but the lack of parental guidance that is the problem. If you’re ACTUALLY worried about what your kids are seeing, and you are allowing them to have access to the things you are so set againt, then maybe YOU are the one spoon feeding them the “dog poop cake” (which, by the way is a HORRIBLE example!

    • IMHO

      It would also help if people instilled values in their own kids so that they wouldn’t be swayed by something they see on a comedy sketch. At some point, parents need to take responsibility, and stop blaming the media. Teach your kids, and you don’t have to worry so much about what other people are putting out there.

  11. Ace

    cleantvshows.blogspot.com screened by a mom who likes some sitcoms but some episodes are not clean while others are totally “poop” free, in her opinion. Glad someone did the work. check it out.

  12. jdf28

    OK Everyone ready? I’m going to weigh in. I think Jimmy Fallon is super talented, but I thought the parody was stupid and not funny. I didn’t even think about the pregnant thing until I read this blog which kind of disturbs me. I’m kind of interested in the chicken and the egg thing. When I watch CNN and NBC, they say poverty caused single parenthood, unwed mothers and dysfunctional families. When I watch Fox and read this blog and read the studies, it says that unwed mothers with children and no father (dysfunctional) leads to poverty. Which is it? The parody was stupid, but what about Greg’s issue? It may be one of the most important socioeconomic issues of the day.

  13. Heather Moller

    Wonderful article!!! When will we open our eyes and leave our “summer cottages in Babylon”? Is it worth the price – loss of the spirit, our most important tool to use to guide us day by day that we may be safe and protected in the arms of the Saviors love? By small and simple things the deceiver of all truth blinds our eyes and our minds and our hearts if we are not vigilantly and actively choosing God, His way, His plan, His Joy and His reward – Eternal Life with Him! It is in the small of acts of obedience, small choices of choosing good versus evil, that will allow us to worship at the feet of the Savior of the world, the Savior of our souls. Choosing the good, the better way is not the “self-righteous way”…many will mock us for our beliefs and call us idiots and not with the times…but these our the times to be on guard, we are at war here and the enemy is surrounding us. We no longer can take this casually, enjoying and partaking of that dog poo cake as you called it…we must shun all evil, and take the higher ground, not because we are “self righteous” but because we know that there is only one path to safety and that is in and through Jesus Christ who is the perfect example of all righteousness. Thank you for your courage and your willingness to stand for truth, at all times, and in all places! Beware of dog poo cake and the likes! God bless you brother!!!

  14. M Hunter

    This is the reason I turned off our cable. What were my kids watching? Shows where disrespectful children are rewarded with laugh tracks? Where kids date and kiss at 10 years old? It’s ridiculous. Hollywood, I’d pay triple, if you made a show about a family with values growing close and developing character.

  15. Kimberly Champion

    Maybe it’s because my oldest child is 10 and doesn’t have a clue who Jimmy Fallon is, but I didn’t think about anyone but adults watching the skit. Adults who watched saved by the bell, knew the inside jokes, and understood that this was a reunion of people who were in high school at least 20 yrs ago. If this had been a skit or tv show aimed at middle school or high school kids (like Glee, Gossip Girl, etc), I would totally agree with you. If only this skit was what was wrong with society. I think we had poop-laced cake growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. Now we’re just being served poop and everyone is saying how delicious it is, and if you disagree, you are a closed-minded, intolerant stick in the mud that is behind the times. We have so much bigger problems than this!

  16. melanie

    The thing nobody has realized is kids and teenagers aren’t stupid. The majority can tell right from wrong and if they can’t, well then they have bigger issues than a fallon skit. Adults said the same things about marylin manson’s music and the shows I grew up with. I loved his music and still do. have I ever committed a crime or felt the need to… NO! Because I can tell right from wrong and entertainment from reality. As can my nieces and nephews who watch far worse things than I ever did such as south park. My teenage nephew can quote every line from that show yet is the most gentle sweet kid on the face of the earth. He has protested for gay rights and condemned hate crimes in his school. Has also stood up for the anti bullying movement. Guess what, he also loves music like marylin manson. The point being, kids are not as impressionable as adults like to think. Teach them good values and they can tell the difference between what’s “cool” and what’s right. Doesn’t mean they can’t find entertainment in asinine tv without learning how to behave from it. Besides, if kids never come across such situations and are sheltered, how do you expect them to know how to behave in the real world once they leave your shelter? Lighten up. Teach your kids values. Have faith in people’s intelligence. They will have to make decisions for themselves one day, give them the tools to do so.

    • dcsouthgw

      I agree that the people and kids are often resilient to influence and change in the short term, but we are not resilient over time, meaning that repeated messages over months and years if allowed in, will take their effect of desensitizing us to standards and beliefs we thought were strong once. For example, I remember being a teenager when NYPD Blue came out that included much more nudity than was usually accepted on network tv. It was a big deal, until other networks on cable upped the anti in subsequent years. Now the nudity content in NYPD Blue is middle of the pack at worst. Why are we OK with more, because after someone pushes a boundary and we forget to be offended, it is no longer a boundary. If Manson or artists use vulgar language or glorify worldly principles and we decide it isn’t bad, then our brains have to rationalize the competing sides. Every bad lyric, image, scene, etc, etc has influence on us. It may be small, but the mind doesn’t negotiate dissonance well, meaning a belief that conflicts with a behavior or another belief. An example could be a church teaching that marriage should only be heterosexual but feeling like your gay friends should be able to marry. Our minds are always, even subconsciously, trying to balance our dissonance, which means that one or both of the two competing sides will have to give. The more we allow ourselves to be influenced by sources outside the church or that contradict church teachings, the more our mind will find a middle ground between the principles and draw us away from a pure belief system. It is a psychologically founded truth that is the basis for modern advertising.

  17. dcsouthgw

    @Greg – You are at the point in your life where you realize that living in s world full of Satan’s influence sucks. I agree, but the answer will never be to complain about our tv. The answer will be how do I vote on tv content with the almighty dollar. Stop watching. Make the transition to a celestial life by cutting out tv all together. You strike me as a guy who would appreciate the change it would bring.

      • dcsouthgw

        I guess that proves my point about the direction you are headed, but why complain about tv if you’ve cut it out already? You’ve already succeeded where 95% of us fail (not aligning our actions with our beliefs). That’s like going totally solar and then complaining about electric bills.

        I know that the state of media is a social ill, but the only 2 ways to combat that are 1st, getting your own house in order, and second, getting people to vote with their money and viewership with the gospel in mind. The shows that we have now are on because this is what sells, not because Christians are supporting it but because Christians are a minority now. Hence the solution to this problem is preaching the gospel, bearing testimony, and conversion. When ever God’s people were plagued with social ills, I remember preaching as the answer, not hyper dwelling on why the ill is bad. You know, “Try the virtue of the word of God.” Venting or debating the issue will always end at a subjective sense of right and wrong.

        We knew our world is degenerating morally from scriptural prophecy, so why are we surprised when we see it happening? I agree with everything you asserted in the post, except that it does any good to say it. Unless we are talking about changing hearts, talking about social ills is moot. Imho.

  18. The White Stone

    I think this is something of a trend. The heroes and icons of the past are being re-written to fit the lower moral standards of the day to remain popular. Look what they did to Superman; he passively lets Pa Kent die out of what amounts to narcissism and when some trucker gives him a hard time he trashes the guy’s truck in a passive aggressive fit worthy of a schoolyard bully. Gone is the last boy scout who would do anything and sacrifice anything to save the ones he loved, and who could out think petty bullies rather than out bully them.

  19. daytonadan

    Boy, I can’t wait to read your take on “50 Shades of Grey:…….

    Hey, Greg, do you mind if I ask– What purpose did writing this article serve?

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