Wow! A big clown hankie! — Bart, “Bart Gets Famous”
The scene kicking off Bart’s servitude to Krusty in “Bart Gets Famous” is based on an iconic Super Bowl commercial of the ’80s featuring Steelers DT “Mean Joe” Greene.
Crack an RC and observe:
The commercial, titled, “Hey Kid, Catch!”, was a hit, as far as commercials go, and the boy and the gentle giant thereby entered the pop culture pantheon. In fact, the promo was so popular that it actually went on to inspire a (made-for-TV-)movie, The Steeler And The Pittsburgh Kid, for which pretty much every detail has been erased by the vagaries of time. Turner Classic Movies does offer a synopsis, though:
Based on an award-winning Coca-Cola commercial, the program relates the story of a nine-year-old boy who learns about values, discipline, and relationships when he is temporarily adopted by football star Mean Joe Greene, along with the other members of his team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The men, in turn, are affected and inspired by the boy’s love of football. A strange, sad, bittersweet tale of bitterness, and sweetness, and the power of love!
Could this be the only movie ever adapted from a television commercial? As filmmakers have stooped far lower, my gut tells me there are others, but I was unable to find any in my cursory search. Can you?
