Reference Too Obscure?

[ThisAdamGuy]

I just wrote an Emeril reference into one of my fight scenes, but now I'm wondering if I should change it. Do people even know who Emeril is anymore?

"Let's throw in a little extra spice!" Lucas swooped in, appearing almost out of thin air, and clobbered her on the side of the head. "BAM!"

 

[CharlesEBrown]

Wow, yeah that is a little dated - last time I saw his name on anything was when we were at the Louisville location of his chain restaurant, right after the COVID lockdowns ended. Three years ago I think... The Hell's Kitchen guy seems to have taken over his position in the food media realm.

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

The Hell's Kitchen guy seems to have taken over his position in the food media realm.

You mean Gordon Ramsay? I don't think he has any catchphrases. At least not ones I can use in a PG rated book...

 

[CharlesEBrown]

You mean Gordon Ramsay? I don't think he has any catchphrases. At least not ones I can use in a PG rated book...

True - but he's at least as big now as Emeril was, about ten years back or so. And before that, you had that Hawaiian/Japanese fusion guy who did Wok With Yan, and before that the legendary Julia Childs (who is probably a third or fourth cousin to my wife's dad). Yeah, there were a few other names but those were the biggest ones that I knew about.
Yan's "catchphrase" was to say an amount "exactly," while eyeballing ingredients with no measuring devices.

 

[2wordsperminute]

Isn't that the guy who tried to start an air fryer brand?

 

[theInmara]

Some people are going to get it. Some are not. It's going to date your character, which could be a good thing.

Not getting isn't going to interrupt the flow of the story. People can tell Lucas is making a quip and trying to be funny to himself, and that's really good enough for the storytelling.

Being maybe a little more obscure these days, the people who get it will get a little more dopamine than usual, feeling a little superior to those who wouldn't recognize it. And that's kind of a fun feeling for a lot of readers.

But someone who doesn't get it might not even be confused by it, and not feel inferior. They'll just think that it's Lucas' own schtick.

In the long run, this is the best kind of reference to make.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

That's the only other thing I've seen him do recently (ads for an air fryer). We actually had some of his "Bam!" brand spice blends. Expired faster than most other spices so got tossed after using about half the package.

 

[RedMuffin]

I just wrote an Emeril reference into one of my fight scenes, but now I'm wondering if I should change it. Do people even know who Emeril is anymore?

I know nothing.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

I have no idea who Emeril is. Is it an elf from an old fantasy book?

 

[QuercusMalus]

Use it. Obscure references are half the fun. On a side note, I got it.

 

[miyoga]

I also got it, but if you wanted to change it, go with Guy Fieri. Same vein of catchphrases but more recent.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

I have no idea who Emeril is. Is it an elf from an old fantasy book?

Emeril John Lagasse III started with a cooking show, became famous for a chili recipe and saying "Bam!" after adding seasonings to any recipe, wound up with a line of spices, a line of kitchen gadgets (he still does infomercials for his air fryer), and two restaurant "chains" (a high end one with only a few locations and a "not quite fast food but not quite formal" one with a lot of locations). Started out in Louisiana, IIRC.