A Yao-Simpsons story revisited
Sunday, July 22nd, 2007
by John
With the premiere of The Simpsons movie in the U.S. coming up next Friday, this article from today’s San Jose Mercury News recounts how many athletes over the years have done cameos on the show.
One of those athletes was Yao Ming three years ago during the episode that aired after the Super Bowl. Below is the most relevant excerpt from the article, including my highlighting some humorous dialog from the show involving Yao (remember it?):
Athletes do it not for the cash, but for the cachet. Bill Sanders, the marketing representative for Yao Ming, pursued a cameo soon after his client arrived in the NBA from China.
Back then, U.S. fans knew Yao mostly as a 7-foot-6 novelty – a stoic stick figure from a foreign land. Sanders wanted to show America that Yao was hilarious once you got to know him.
“There are a handful of things a person of celebrity can do to define themselves as an icon,” Sanders said. “There are the traditional ways, like doing the Leno and Letterman shows or getting on the cover of Rolling Stone.
“But in modern-day pop culture, `The Simpsons’ is it.”
Yao wound up on the same show as (Michelle) Kwan, (LeBron) James, (Tom) Brady and the Raiders’ Warren Sapp. The episode parodied his adjustment to the language barrier: He suddenly couldn’t speak English when Marge asked him to do the dishes.
Lisa: “Wait a second, I read that you speak excellent English.”
Yao: “Shut up, kid. I have a good thing going here.”
Read the rest of this entry »
With the premiere of The Simpsons movie in the U.S. coming up next Friday, this article from today’s San Jose Mercury News recounts how many athletes over the years have done cameos on the show.
One of those athletes was Yao Ming three years ago during the episode that aired after the Super Bowl. Below is the most relevant excerpt from the article, including my highlighting some humorous dialog from the show involving Yao (remember it?):
Athletes do it not for the cash, but for the cachet. Bill Sanders, the marketing representative for Yao Ming, pursued a cameo soon after his client arrived in the NBA from China.
Back then, U.S. fans knew Yao mostly as a 7-foot-6 novelty – a stoic stick figure from a foreign land. Sanders wanted to show America that Yao was hilarious once you got to know him.
“There are a handful of things a person of celebrity can do to define themselves as an icon,” Sanders said. “There are the traditional ways, like doing the Leno and Letterman shows or getting on the cover of Rolling Stone.
“But in modern-day pop culture, `The Simpsons’ is it.”
Yao wound up on the same show as (Michelle) Kwan, (LeBron) James, (Tom) Brady and the Raiders’ Warren Sapp. The episode parodied his adjustment to the language barrier: He suddenly couldn’t speak English when Marge asked him to do the dishes.
Lisa: “Wait a second, I read that you speak excellent English.”
Yao: “Shut up, kid. I have a good thing going here.”
Read the rest of this entry »