We’re still on the lookout for an Egyptian Cobra that escaped the Bronx Zoo last Friday (and has since joined Twitter). So I would like to prepare you for a chance encounter with this sinister yet sensual beast in the only way I know how: rattling off snake references in popular culture.
Movies
We start with movies. Because movies could take up this whole post to be honest. Because movies rock. Do you know who else rocks? Samuel L. Jackson. He played a detective, i think, or a cop? I don’t know, I actually never got around to seeing it, in 2006’s Snakes on a Plane (1) (bonus snake reference to Cobra Starship (2) who provided a song for the film’s soundtrack).
The Kill Bill series centers around the former members of the Deadly Vipers Assassination Squad (3), each with snake-themed code names (Copperhead, California Mountain Snake, Cottonmouth, Sidewinder, and of course, Black Mamba).
My great grandfather always used to say “Remember the Anaconda” (4). He was a big J’Lo fan. Come to think of it, he was an even bigger J’Vo fan.
There was that scene (5) in Road Trip with Tom Green. Unleash the fury!
Snake Plissken aka Kurt Russell tries to escape from the post-apocalyptic prison island of Manhattan in 1981’s Escape from New York (6) . He did it again in 1996 but this time for West Coast (7) viewers. No word yet on the third film, Escape from the Bronx Zoo.
And lastly, everyone knows of Indian Jones’ Ophidiophobia (8). “Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes?” Because the Bronx Zoo is apparently trying out a new open-door policy.
Television
Nuclear meltdowns aside (too soon?), the town of Springfield doesn’t usually have much to worry about, except the occasional armed robbery/car jacking by Snake (9), who doesn’t get enough credit for his one-liners. “Um, I must have, like, fallen on a bullet, and it like, drove itself into my gut.” BONUS trivia: His full name is Snake Jailbird.
Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a former WWF star best known by his ring name of Jake “The Snake” Roberts (10), and often brought actual snakes into the ring, including a boa constrictor named Damien. He also reportedly de-venomed his pet cobra, Lucifer.
“Snake” (11) was the nickname of Stefan Brogren’s character Archie Simpson on the Canadian TV series Degrassi High, the third iteration of the Degrassi Series. Never seen it. Meh.
Oh, wait! I almost forgot about the Whacking Day (12) episode of The Simpsons. Barry effin White is in it!
Sports
First thing that comes to mind is Jake “The Snake” Plummer (13). Because I am a relatively young mind. I should really be thinking of Oakland Raiders quarterback Kenny “The Snake” Stabler (14).
The Arizona Diamondbacks (15) are named after a rattle snake.
The Arizona Rattlers (16) play Arena Football. Just so you know.
Kobe’s nickname is the Black Mamba (17). “Bryant assigned himself the nickname of “Black Mamba”, citing a desire for his basketball skills to mimic the snake of that name’s ability to “strike with 99% accuracy at maximum speed, in rapid succession.”
More!!
We can’t just dismiss one of the historically great video games, Snake (18).
Also, Cobra Command (19) is of course the fictional organization that nemesizes GI Joe.
The Cobra (20) is a 2010 thriller novel by Frederick Forsyth about the international cocaine trade
“Snake” is a (probably) sexy song (21) off R. Kelly’s fifth studio album, Chocolate, in 2003.
Cobra (22) is the name of a roller coaster in an amusement park in Montreal called LaRonde.
Alright I’m spent. Did I miss anything crucial? Did I miss Harry Potter on purpose? Maybe? Shout out in the comments or on Twitter.com/sayknowtotrivia.
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