Chuck Testa Explained

Birth Name:Charles A. Testa
Birth Place:Ojai Valley, California, U. S.
Occupation:Taxidermist

Charles A. Testa (born 1956) is an American taxidermist and owner of Ojai Valley Taxidermy in California.[1] A commercial for Testa's business created by Rhett & Link for the show Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings became a viral video, and the catchphrase "Nope, Chuck Testa!" became an Internet meme.

Life and career

Testa was born and raised in the Ojai Valley. He managed his father's Baskin-Robbins store in Venice Beach, California before he began preserving wildlife.[2]

Commercial and response

In summer 2011, Testa's future son-in-law posted a commercial for Testa's business on YouTube. The video was originally created by Rhett & Link for the show Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings on IFC.[3] The commercial asserts that Testa's work is so realistic that people will assume the animals are still alive. It depicts people reacting to what they believe are live animals in unusual situations, e.g., "Look at that antelope driving a car!", only to have Testa appear and declare, "Nope, it's just Chuck Testa!" The phrase became popular on websites such as Reddit and Tumblr, spurring mainstream media coverage, including Fox News[4] and CBS.[5] [6] The video was also ranked as the #10 best meme of 2011 by Time magazine's Nick Carbone.[7]

Television appearances

In 2012, Testa appeared in two episodes of Rhett & Link's Web series, Good Mythical Morning. His shop, Ojai Valley Taxidermy, was promoted in earlier episodes. He again appeared in 2020 as a tie breaking judge during the Ice Cream Taste Test Tournament.[8]

In 2015, Testa was featured in Season 1, Episode 1 of CarbonTV's original series, American Elements.[9]

In 2016, Testa and Ojai Valley Taxidermy were featured in the Web documentary Mounted: Chuck Testa and Friends on CarbonTV.[10]

Music

Testa was featured in Logan-Hugueny Clark's 2013 "Nuketown the Musical". It is a musical parody of the 2013 song Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.[11]

The 2019 song "Whip a Tesla" by Yung Gravy and Bbno$ mentions Testa in the chorus, referencing the "Nope" meme.

Told your bitch, "Nope," like I'm fuckin' Chuck Testa
Testa makes a cameo in the music video.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Kelly, David (January 6, 2002). Taxidermist's Work Is More Than Skin Deep; Chuck Testa insists his craft is worthy of being called art. Bears, boars and other animals are stretched over forms, not stuffed. Los Angeles Times
  2. Hernandez, Marjorie (September 28, 2011). Video of resident Ojai taxidermist goes viral. Ventura County Star
  3. Web site: Ad men thrive on Chuck take . Au.news.yahoo.com . January 3, 2012 . 2012-01-29 . https://archive.today/20120707152437/http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/-/television/12484414/ad-men-thrive-on-chuck-take/ . July 7, 2012 . dead .
  4. Web site: Viral Videos, Week of November 11th . Radio.foxnews.com . November 11, 2011 . 2012-01-29.
  5. Web site: Katie . Nope! It's Just Chuck Testa – CBS Early Show . Talknerdytome.net . September 18, 2011 . 2012-01-29.
  6. Web site: Meme Alert: The 10 Best Examples Of Chuck Testa's Taxidermy Skills . Buzzfeed.com . January 24, 2012 . 2012-01-29.
  7. Chuck Testa . . 7 December 2011 . 30 January 2014 . Carbone, Nick.
  8. live . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/zQF4BitYsx4 . 2021-12-11. Ice Cream Taste Test Tournament (Day 3) . YouTube.
  9. Web site: Chuck Testa : American Elements. CarbonTV. 2016-02-04.
  10. Web site: Mounted: Chuck Testa and Friends. CarbonTV. 2016-10-13.
  11. Web site: Clark . Logan-Hugueny . ♪ NUKETOWN THE MUSICAL FEAT. CHUCK TESTA - Black Ops 2 Zombies Parody . Youtube.com . LHUGUENY . 1 February 2023 . 12.

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