Yahoo Serious
 |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2008) |
| Yahoo Serious | |
|---|---|
| Born | Greg Pead 27 July 1953 Cardiff, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Actor, director, composer |
| Years active | 1988 - present |
| Spouse | Lulu Serious (c. 1988 - 2007) |
| Website | |
| http://www.yahooserious.com | |
Yahoo Serious (born 27 July 1953), born Greg Pead[1] (name-change by deed poll in 1980), is an Australian film actor, director and score composer. He is best known for his 1988 comedy Young Einstein. He also created Reckless Kelly in 1993 and Mr. Accident in 2000. Serious writes, directs, produces, stars in, and has composed the scores for his movies.
Contents |
[edit] Early life and career
Yahoo Serious was born in Cardiff, City of Lake Macquarie in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia. He went to Glendale East Public School and Cardiff High School, then worked as a tyre fitter to pay for his tuition at the National Art School in Sydney. After being expelled, Serious co-wrote, co-produced, and directed his first film at age 21, a documentary called Coaltown which explored the social and political history of coal mining. The following year, his television series Lifestyle won the Australian Penguin Award for Best Educational Documentary.
In 1988, Serious co-wrote, produced, and directed Young Einstein, an intentionally inaccurate movie portraying Albert Einstein as a young farmer in Tasmania who discovers hop-skotch, rock music and surfing, romances Marie Curie, and derives the formula E=mc² while trying to discover a means of creating beer bubbles, splitting the lager atom in the process. The movie was an international hit, propelling Serious to stardom.
In 1993, Serious released his next film, Reckless Kelly, a satire about a modern descendant of the notorious Australian bank robber Ned Kelly who also becomes a movie star in Hollywood. While Reckless Kelly was a hit in Australia, it failed outside of the country and ended Serious's bid for mainstream international popularity. In 2000, Yahoo Serious released his third film Mr. Accident, about the most accident-prone man in the world. Like Reckless Kelly, the film was not a commercial success.
Yahoo Serious received an honorary doctorate from the University of Newcastle in 1996.[2]
Yahoo was also one of the guest stars at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
He is also a director of The Kokoda Track Foundation, and has trekked the Kokoda Track a number of times. As of December 2008 he is working on his 4th feature, a war movie about the Kokoda Track campaign.[3]
[edit] Personal life
Shortly after the production of Young Einstein, Yahoo Serious married Lulu Pinkus. Their relationship ended in 2007.[4]
[edit] Lawsuit against Yahoo!
In August 2000, Yahoo Serious tried to sue the search engine Yahoo! for trademark infringement. The case was thrown out because Serious could not prove that he sells products or services under the name "Yahoo" and therefore could not prove that he suffered harm or confusion due to the search engine.[5]
[edit] In popular culture
- In an episode of The Simpsons, "Bart vs. Australia", the family is shown a slide depicting a boarded up movie theatre advertising a "Yahoo Serious Festival" on the marquee. A confused Lisa says, "I know those words, but that sign makes no sense."[6]
- In several episodes of the cult television show Mystery Science Theater 3000, hosts Joel Hodgson and Michael J. Nelson speak derisively of Yahoo Serious, only favourably comparing him to fellow comedian Carrot Top.
- In a Season 2 episode of American Idol, when asked by an audience member who should play him in a film, Clay Aiken responded first with "People say I look like Yahoo Serious".
- In a Carnac the Magnificent sketch on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Carson's answer/prediction was "Yahoo Serious" to the then revealed question, "What are the two stages of sex?"
- In the 2008 Homestar Runner Halloween cartoon, Homestar dresses as Yahoo Serious(ly). At the end of the toon, Homestar points towards Serious' Australian heritage, saying "I'm not Carrot Top! I'm Crocodile Dundee."[7]
- In a spoof commercial on MTV during the "Young Einstein" period, Serious was shown trying to come into the US for a TV appearance. The customs officer asked for his name, to which he replied "Yahoo". The incredulous officer then said, "Yahoo? You can't be serious!" — to which the reply was an emphatic "Yes!"
- In an episode of Community, "Asian Population Studies", when asked if he was serious, Jeff launches into a string of puns on the word serious. Yahoo Serious is included in the jokes.
- In an August, 2011 episode of WWE Raw, John Cena referred to Serious when referring to one-hit wonders. Cena, during an insult to rival CM Punk, also mentioned Buster Douglas and Milli Vanilli.
[edit] See also
- Yahoo (Gulliver's Travels) - the origin of the term
- Roundheads and Pointheads - a musical play by Berthold Brecht and Hans Eisler which takes place in the fictional land of "Yahoo"
- Austen Tayshus
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P2-8131830.html
- ^ Dale, David; Molitoisz, Sacha (19 April 1996). "Stay in Touch". Sydney Morning Herald: p. 24. http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?docID=news960418_0027_1952. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ http://www.news.com.au/story/0,,24347521-1702,00.html - Yahoo serious about Kokoda movie
- ^ Reines, Ros (20 May 2007). "Serious problems for Yahoo and Lulu". Sunday Telegraph: p. 126. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,21759798-5009160,00.html. Retrieved 30 August 2010.
- ^ Morris, Rachel. "Yahoo is really serious - Actor sues internet company over name" The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) 22 September 2001, Local Section, pg. 10
- ^ http://www.snpp.com/episodes/2F13.html - Bart vs. Australia @ SNPP.com
- ^ http://www.homestarrunner.com/ween08.html - 2008 Halloween Episode
