Coneheads
The Coneheads are a fictional family of
Summary
The Coneheads are natives of the planet Remulak, stranded on Earth. Their distinguishing feature is the tops of their heads, shaped like large, bald
Physiology
The Coneheads speak in a very fast, nasal monotone. Their speech is characterized by the failure to understand idioms used by native English speakers, and their unnecessarily formal use of the language. They refer to food as "consumables", and say "I summon you" when asking to speak to another person. The adults refer to Connie as "the young one" and themselves as her "parental units". They will say "Maintain low tones!" (one of their catchphrases) when voices rise in heated family discussions. They use the word "Mebs!" as an expletive when highly upset.
The Coneheads have much larger appetites than Earthlings, eating large amounts of food during meals (which they identify by another one of their catchphrases, "consuming mass quantities"). They drink entire six-packs of beer at once, and smoke whole packs of cigarettes at a time. On the 1977 Halloween episode (October 29), a neighbor complains about their choice of trick-or-treat handouts: beer and fried eggs. They also consume substances and items inedible to Earthlings, such as cleaning fluid, pencil shavings, and fiberglass insulation.
Coneheads have sex by rubbing their cones together and placing "senso-rings" over them. When the neighbors bring a dessert coffee ring to a dinner invitation, Beldar, who takes it to be an edible senso-ring, grabs it and shouts, "No! Not in front of the young ones!"
Conceptual origins
Dan Aykroyd said he was inspired to create the Coneheads by marijuana consumption[1] and based the characters' appearance on the Moai, the mysterious and ancient stone statues of Easter Island, which have similarly long heads, and the people of the land of Points from Harry Nilsson's fable The Point!.[2] Dan Aykroyd also mentioned in an interview that he drew inspiration from the film This Island Earth where the very tall foreheads of the aliens go largely unnoticed by humans.[3]
Music
Frank Zappa wrote a song based on the sketches, titled "Conehead". It appeared on his 1981 album You Are What You Is. When he hosted SNL, Zappa also appeared in a Coneheads sketch as a man dating Connie, where he makes note that he prefers French women.[4]
Adaptations
The concept was turned into a
A live-action film, Coneheads, released in 1993, starring Aykroyd and Curtin. Michelle Burke took over the role of Connie in the film, with Newman appearing as Connie's aunt on Remulak. Marvel Comics produced a comic book limited series, with all-original stories set after the events of the film. The feature film was licensed to Playmates Toys and a line of action figures was created, designed by the development team from Pangea Corporation. The film was a box office disaster.[6]
SNL appearances
- January 15, 1977: The Coneheads at Home (Host: Ralph Nader)
- February 26, 1977: The Coneheads at Home (Host: Steve Martin)
- March 26, 1977: The Farbers Meet The Coneheads (Host: Jack Burns)
- April 16, 1977: The Coneheads At Home (Host: Elliott Gould)
- May 21, 1977: Return Of The Coneheads (Host: Buck Henry)
- October 29, 1977: Return Of The Coneheads (Host: Charles Grodin)
- January 21, 1978: Family Feud (Host: Steve Martin)
- March 18, 1978: The Coneheads On Earth (Host: Jill Clayburgh)
- May 13, 1978: Cone Encounters Of The Third Kind (Host: Richard Dreyfuss)
- October 21, 1978: The Coneheads At Home (Host: Frank Zappa)
- February 24, 1979: The Coneheads At The Movies (Host: Kate Jackson)
Source:[7]
Licensed usage
As of late May 2015,
See also
- Recurring Saturday Night Live characters and sketches
References
- ^ Irwin, Corey (January 16, 2022). "How "Coneheads" Went from "Pothead Sketch" to "SNL" Classic". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ^ Irwin, Corey (January 16, 2022). "How "Coneheads" Went from "Pothead Sketch" to "SNL" Classic". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ^ Irwin, Corey (January 16, 2022). "How "Coneheads" Went from "Pothead Sketch" to "SNL" Classic". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ^ Zappa, Frank (September 23, 1981). ""Conehead". You Are What You Is". Barking Pumpkin Records. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
- ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ISBN 9781555849160.
- ^ SNL Archives Archived 2012-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "State Farm Commercial 2015 Coneheads Jake From Planet State Farm". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2015-05-17. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
- ^ Sternberg, Brian. "The Coneheads Are Latest ‘SNL’ Characters to Turn Up in Commercials" Variety (May 11, 2015)