15 - When Chuck Norris is Waiting, Godot Comes

Summary

The Chuck Norris Facts are a cycle of jokes/memes which revolve around Chuck Norris's invincible, superhuman strength. It can be seen as the latest incarnation of the “tall tale” of the American hero, such as Paul Bunyan, the gigantic oil driller/lumberjack of Western folklore, John Henry, the African-American steel-driver who beat a steam-powered drilling machine, and of course Davy Crockett. However, we will argue, that while the tall tale spirit is still present in the Chuck Norris Facts, a more complex analysis is needed.

Chuck Norris starred in Walker, Texas Ranger a TV series inspired by the film Lone Wolf McQuade, also starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texas Rangers. The series aired between 1993 and 2001. The series is known for its corniness and its main attraction seems to be that of seeing Chuck Norris/Walker kick criminals in the face. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker,_Texas_Ranger#cite_ref-12). In 2010, then governor Ricky Perry made Chuck Norris an honorary Texas Ranger for bringing “renewed attention to our Ranger corps” (https://www.texastribune.org/2010/12/02/gov-perry-designates-chuck-norris-honorary-ranger/).

A People's History of Chuck Norris Facts

The fundamental ambivalence of the Chuck Norris Facts is evident from the very beginning: in 2004, NBC, the TV network on which the show Late Night with Conan O’Brien aired, acquired the rights to Walker, Texas Ranger. This inspired the Late Night with Conan O’Brien to run a gag in which Conan would play a clip from Walker, Texas Ranger by pulling a “Walker, Texas Ranger Lever” (a comically red and yellow stick). Know Your Meme describes the clips as “comically over-the-top scene[s].” It is clear from Conan's introduction and the laughter from the audience that the intention here is to ridicule the show, not to aggrandize it. The skit continued for a while and Mr. Norris even appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien firing a prop gun at Conan O’Brien.

In 2005, the Vin Diesel movie The Pacifier was released. The premise is that a Navy-SEAL is tasked with protecting five children. The film was not a success. It has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 21 percent (see Figure 15.1).

According to Know Your Meme, Something Awful forum member ScootsMagoo started a thread titled “Post Your Vin Diesel Facts.”