Query from Wired: "more cowbell"

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On Mon, 6 Jun 2005 16:50:22 -0700, Geoffrey Nunberg
<nunberg at CSLI.STANFORD.EDU> wrote:

>I had this question from Mark Robinson, an editor at Wired. Can
>anybody help with suggestions? Please copy your answer to
>Mark_Robinson at wiredmag.com.
>
>>  i was hoping you could give me some quick advice. we're doing a
>>>  little item in the front of the magazine about the phrase "more
>>>  cowbell." it has had a sudden resurgence in the last year or so. we
>>>  wanted to trace that resurgence. (the term, as you may recall,
>>>  originated in a hilarious saturday night live skit spoofing the
>>>  creation of blue oyster cult's landmark song "don't fear the
>>>  reaper.")
>>>
>>>  our theory on this is that, like ebola or bird flu, catch phrases
>>>  from pop culture can go underground for years only to surface and
>>>  suddenly explode into popularity. we were hoping to use "more
>>>  cowbell" as an example. any suggestions on how to trace the sudden
>>>  upsurge in usage?

The SNL sketch has had something of a cult following ever since it
appeared in 2000, allowing Christopher Walken's "cowbell" lines to
continue to circulate among those in the know.  More recently, I think
ESPN might have had something to do with the renewed popularity.  One of
the SportsCenter anchors, Scott Van Pelt, has done the "cowbell" shtick
quite a lot lately, and Bill Simmons (aka "The Sports Guy") has a blog on
ESPN.com called "More Cowbell."  These are probably influential figures
for the young male demographic.

Like other catchphrases cultivated by the ESPN anchors, the "cowbell" bit
works because it has a certain modularity -- Van Pelt can apply it to just
about any sports context ("So-and-so's got a fever, and the only
prescription is more cowbell!" -- said in a Walkenesque manner).  Very
often these modular catchphrases become stale quite quickly (e.g, Steve
Berthiaume imitating Al Pacino in "Scarface" saying, "Say hello to my
little friend!"), but "More cowbell" seems to have real staying power.

(ADS-Lers who are unfamiliar with the SNL sketch can view it here:
<http://content.collegehumor.com/media/movies/cowbell.wmv>.)


--Ben Zimmer