jump the snark
v. phr.— «Well, American Idol. You know, when Simon Cowell told that unfortunate-looking contestant that he looked like a bush baby, causing a shudder to go through any decent human being who may have been watching? When a show reaches that point, there’s a term for it: jumping the snark.» —“Where Eagles Dare to Tread” by Roy Blount Jr. Time Feb. 2, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
When there’s no evening meal planned at home, what do you call that scramble to cobble together your own dinner? Some people apply acronyms like YOYO — “you’re on your own” — or CORN, for “Clean Out your Refrigerator...
A librarian opens a book and finds a mysterious invitation scribbled on the back of a business card. Another discovers a child’s letter to the Tooth Fairy, tucked into a book decades ago. What stories are left untold by these forgotten...
The term is actually “jumping the SHARK” referring to the painful last episodes of Happy days in which arthru fonzerelli aka ‘the fonze” jumps over sharks on water skis while simultaneously wearing his trademark leather jacket. Jumping the shark occurs when a show has hit and alltime low and has to do something drastic and crazy to maintain its viewers and keep them interested.
Example- Hey did you hear that Sean and Christian are moving troy/ macnamara to LA for the new season of Nip/tuck?
No, you’re wrong. THIS term IS “jump the snark,” which is a play on “jump the shark,” just as “jump the couch” is.