Mike Myers, King of Catchphrase Comedy, Doesn’t Write Catchphrases Intentionally

As a seasoned movie critic with a penchant for comedy, I can confidently assert that Mike Myers is a true maestro of the genre. His ability to immerse himself in comedic worlds and craft characters that resonate with audiences is nothing short of extraordinary.


In creating comedy, Mike Myers emphasizes the importance of capturing the right atmosphere. As he stated during his Vulture Honorary Degree ceremony, “I believe comedy is akin to setting a scene.” The dance sequence at the start of an Austin Powers movie illustrates this perfectly: The comedic environment is established first, followed by the characters, and lastly, the memorable catchphrases. Myers explained, “I’ve never deliberately designed a catchphrase; I simply appreciate how people naturally speak.” The famous line, “Get in my belly,” for instance, was improvised rather than scripted in advance.

Many comedians have attempted to kick off their acts with a catchphrase and work their way backwards through a joke, but this approach usually falls flat. Myers once imitated his “Wayne’s World” co-star Dana Carvey as a comedian who insisted on starting with a catchphrase in the “Saturday Night Live” writers room to deliberately irritate Lorne Michaels. Some of the mock catchphrases included “I’ve got to got to go!” and simply counting change. “And then Lorne would exclaim, ‘Damn you!’

Myers first encountered Carvey through their shared catchphrase “Isn’t that special.” Prior to joining Saturday Night Live, Myers didn’t watch the show often because it usually clashed with Toronto Maple Leafs games. One evening, while riding in a taxi with Dave Foley from Kids in the Hall, they heard a cab dispatcher using Carvey’s famous catchphrase. Intrigued, Myers asked Foley about it, and Foley revealed that it was Dana Carvey. This encounter sparked their friendship.

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2024-11-17 05:54