Jaws did a lot of things. It made people think twice about going for a swim, it launched Steven Spielberg's career, and it created the summer blockbuster.
It also gave people who talk about film a lazy reference point.
I was recently looking at the poster for Adam Green's Frozen, a film with a premise so dumb that it's probably brilliant: a group of friends get trapped on a ski-lift with no food, no water, no cellphone etc. etc. etc. What caught my attention was the promotional quote from Bloody-Disgusting.com which claims the film “Will do for skiing what Jaws did for swimming”. That is admittedly kind of funny in its absurdity. However, I did think that I had seen this sort of phrasing quite a bit when people talk about films. I decided to use the awesome powers of Google to see how many different instances of this occurrence I could actually find. The exact wording might differ slightly but every one of these quotes makes some claim as to 'What Jaws Did':
It also gave people who talk about film a lazy reference point.
I was recently looking at the poster for Adam Green's Frozen, a film with a premise so dumb that it's probably brilliant: a group of friends get trapped on a ski-lift with no food, no water, no cellphone etc. etc. etc. What caught my attention was the promotional quote from Bloody-Disgusting.com which claims the film “Will do for skiing what Jaws did for swimming”. That is admittedly kind of funny in its absurdity. However, I did think that I had seen this sort of phrasing quite a bit when people talk about films. I decided to use the awesome powers of Google to see how many different instances of this occurrence I could actually find. The exact wording might differ slightly but every one of these quotes makes some claim as to 'What Jaws Did':
“Does for childbirth what Jaws did for the ocean”
- Grace
“Do for adoptees what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for adoptees what Jaws did for swimming”
- Orphan
“Did for My Buddy Dolls what Jaws did for swimming”
“Did for My Buddy Dolls what Jaws did for swimming”
- Child's Play
“Done for Jesus what Jaws did for swimming”
“Done for Jesus what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for anaesthesia what Jaws did for swimming”
- Awake
“Do for sleeping what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for sleeping what Jaws did for swimming”
- Shuteye Hotel
“Does for the jungle what Jaws did for the ocean”
“Does for the jungle what Jaws did for the ocean”
- Cannibal Ferrox
“Do for backpacking what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for backpacking what Jaws did for swimming”
- Wolf Creek
“Did for marital-affairs what Jaws did for swimming”
“Did for marital-affairs what Jaws did for swimming”
- Fatal Attraction
“Does for commercial flying what Jaws did for swimming”
“Does for commercial flying what Jaws did for swimming”
- Snakes on a Plane
“Do for rollercoaster rides what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for rollercoaster rides what Jaws did for swimming”
- Final Destination 3
“Did for insomnia what Jaws did for paddling in open water”
“Did for insomnia what Jaws did for paddling in open water”
- Paranormal Activity
“Do for camping what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for camping what Jaws did for swimming”
- Friday the 13th
“Does for cruising what Jaws did for swimming”
“Does for cruising what Jaws did for swimming”
- The Gentleman Host
“Did for dentists what Jaws did for beaches”
“Did for dentists what Jaws did for beaches”
- Marathon Man
“Do for subways what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for subways what Jaws did for swimming”
- Midnight Meat Train
“Doing for tanning beds what Jaws did for the ocean”
“Doing for tanning beds what Jaws did for the ocean”
- Final Destination 3
“Does to the City of Love what Jaws did to the ocean”
“Does to the City of Love what Jaws did to the ocean”
- 2 Days in Paris
“Do for scuba diving what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for scuba diving what Jaws did for swimming”
- Open Water
“Does for surfing the web what Jaws did for swimming”
“Does for surfing the web what Jaws did for swimming”
- Daemon
“Do for the Australian Outback what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for the Australian Outback what Jaws did for swimming”
- Rogue
“Did for meat-eating what Jaws did for swimming”
“Did for meat-eating what Jaws did for swimming”
- The Silence of the Lambs
“Done for hiking what Jaws did for swimming”
“Done for hiking what Jaws did for swimming”
- The Blair Witch Project
“Do for Japan what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for Japan what Jaws did for swimming”
- The Grudge
“Do for gardening what Jaws did for swimming”
“Do for gardening what Jaws did for swimming”
- The Happening
“Does for air travel what Jaws did for swimming”
“Does for air travel what Jaws did for swimming”
- Final Destination
“Does for mountain climbing what Jaws did for swimming”
“Does for mountain climbing what Jaws did for swimming”
- Vertical Limit
“Did for Judaism what Jaws did for the ocean”
“Did for Judaism what Jaws did for the ocean”
- A Serious Man
“Does for hookers what Jaws did for the ocean”
“Does for hookers what Jaws did for the ocean”
- Monster
“Do for vaginas what Jaws did for the ocean”
“Do for vaginas what Jaws did for the ocean”
- Teeth
“Do for underground parking structures what Jaws did for the ocean”
“Do for underground parking structures what Jaws did for the ocean”
- P2
“Does for seagulls what Jaws did for the ocean”
“Does for seagulls what Jaws did for the ocean”
- The Birds
“Do for VCRs what Jaws did for the ocean”
“Do for VCRs what Jaws did for the ocean”
- The Ring
“Did for Appalachia what Jaws did for the ocean”
“Did for Appalachia what Jaws did for the ocean”
- Wrong Turn 2
“Do for the countryside what Jaws did for the sea”
“Do for the countryside what Jaws did for the sea”
- Day of the Triffids
“Does for snow what Jaws did for the sea”
“Does for snow what Jaws did for the sea”
- 30 Days of Night
“Do for downtown living what Jaws did for beaches”
“Do for downtown living what Jaws did for beaches”
- Panic Room
“Does for dating what Jaws did for swimming”
“Does for dating what Jaws did for swimming”
- The Follower
“Does to dance schools what Jaws did to the ocean”
“Does to dance schools what Jaws did to the ocean”
- Suspiria
“Does for the supermarket what Jaws did for the beach”
“Does for the supermarket what Jaws did for the beach”
- Food Inc.
I got bored after forty.
Did you spot the repeat offender? Has Final Destination 3 ruined both tanning beds and rollercoasters? Of course it hasn't! None of the films (or the books) listed above have made anywhere near the same impact as the original movie. If they had we'd be saying things like The Wolfman does for full moons what Suspiria did for dance schools or Nightmare on Elm St does for remakes what The Ring did for VCRs... No, it's clear that Jaws will always be mentioned when people talk about a film changing the way we think.
Unless of course, reading forty examples at once does for film references what Jaws did for sw-
I got bored after forty.
Did you spot the repeat offender? Has Final Destination 3 ruined both tanning beds and rollercoasters? Of course it hasn't! None of the films (or the books) listed above have made anywhere near the same impact as the original movie. If they had we'd be saying things like The Wolfman does for full moons what Suspiria did for dance schools or Nightmare on Elm St does for remakes what The Ring did for VCRs... No, it's clear that Jaws will always be mentioned when people talk about a film changing the way we think.
Unless of course, reading forty examples at once does for film references what Jaws did for sw-
ah, forget it...
