Coneheads
Encyclopedia
The Coneheads is a sketch
on Saturday Night Live
which originated on the January 15, 1977 episode, and starred Dan Aykroyd
as father Beldar, Jane Curtin
as mother Prymaat, and Laraine Newman
as daughter Connie.
".
The Coneheads' most distinguishing feature is that the tops of their heads are shaped like large cone
s. Their unearthly appearance, however, is never strongly questioned—a point from which much of the humor was derived. The only time the shape of their head has ever come into question is in the film (by Tom Arnold
in a quick cameo).
Aside from their obvious physical differences, the Coneheads also have a very fast, nasal, monotone speech, and seem to have much larger appetites than average humans. They would eat large amounts of food during meals (which they refer to as "consuming mass quantities"), drink entire six packs of beer
at once, and smoke whole packs of cigarette
s at a time. Despite their distinctions, they are never suspected of being aliens by anyone who encounters them (even when accidentally referring to their neighbors as "Earthlings").
Much humor derives from the Coneheads' use of over-technical dialogue, such as referring to food as "consumables", and saying "I summon you" to ask to speak to another person. The somewhat popular term "parental unit" also comes from the sketches. They engage in strange behaviors, such as rubbing their cones together as a sign of affection ("honing their cones") at which point a bizarre, theremin
-like noise is emitted, presumably from the cones themselves. There is also a game they play involving tossing rings over each other's cones, which is somehow sexual in nature, and is considered taboo
for the underaged Connie to play.
Dan Aykroyd said he developed the idea for the Coneheads based on the Moai
, the mysterious and ancient stone statues of Easter Island
, which have similarly conical heads, and the people of the land of Points from Harry Nilsson's The Point!
.
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 Frenchwomen.
The concept was turned into a Rankin/Bass
animated special, The Coneheads, in 1983, and a movie, Coneheads
, in 1993
, with Aykroyd and Curtin reprising their roles in both. 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 were created, designed by the development team from Pangea Corporation
.
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
which originated on the January 15, 1977 episode, and starred Dan Aykroyd
Dan Aykroyd
Daniel Edward "Dan" Aykroyd, CM is a Canadian comedian, actor, screenwriter, musician, winemaker and ufologist. He was an original cast member of Saturday Night Live, an originator of The Blues Brothers and Ghostbusters and has had a long career as a film actor and screenwriter.-Early...
as father Beldar, Jane Curtin
Jane Curtin
Jane Therese Curtin is an American actress and comedienne. She is commonly referred to as Queen of the Deadpan.First coming to prominence as an original cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1975, she went on to win back-to-back Emmy Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series on the 1980s...
as mother Prymaat, and Laraine Newman
Laraine Newman
Laraine Newman is an American comedienne, actress, and writer, and was part of the original Saturday Night Live cast.-Personal life:...
as daughter Connie.
Summary
The Coneheads are an alien family, natives of the planet Remulak, who find themselves stranded on Earth. When questioned by Earth neighbors as to their strange behavior, they inevitably reply that they are "from FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
".
The Coneheads' most distinguishing feature is that the tops of their heads are shaped like large cone
Cone (geometry)
A cone is an n-dimensional geometric shape that tapers smoothly from a base to a point called the apex or vertex. Formally, it is the solid figure formed by the locus of all straight line segments that join the apex to the base...
s. Their unearthly appearance, however, is never strongly questioned—a point from which much of the humor was derived. The only time the shape of their head has ever come into question is in the film (by Tom Arnold
Tom Arnold (actor)
Thomas Dwaine "Tom" Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films, perhaps most notably True Lies . He was the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years.-Early life:...
in a quick cameo).
Aside from their obvious physical differences, the Coneheads also have a very fast, nasal, monotone speech, and seem to have much larger appetites than average humans. They would eat large amounts of food during meals (which they refer to as "consuming mass quantities"), drink entire six packs of beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
at once, and smoke whole packs of cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s at a time. Despite their distinctions, they are never suspected of being aliens by anyone who encounters them (even when accidentally referring to their neighbors as "Earthlings").
Much humor derives from the Coneheads' use of over-technical dialogue, such as referring to food as "consumables", and saying "I summon you" to ask to speak to another person. The somewhat popular term "parental unit" also comes from the sketches. They engage in strange behaviors, such as rubbing their cones together as a sign of affection ("honing their cones") at which point a bizarre, theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
-like noise is emitted, presumably from the cones themselves. There is also a game they play involving tossing rings over each other's cones, which is somehow sexual in nature, and is considered taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
for the underaged Connie to play.
Dan Aykroyd said he developed the idea for the Coneheads based on the Moai
Moai
Moai , or mo‘ai, are monolithic human figures carved from rock on the Chilean Polynesian island of Easter Island between the years 1250 and 1500. Nearly half are still at Rano Raraku, the main moai quarry, but hundreds were transported from there and set on stone platforms called ahu around the...
, the mysterious and ancient stone statues of Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
, which have similarly conical heads, and the people of the land of Points from Harry Nilsson's The Point!
The Point!
- Musical play :In 1975, Esquire Jauchem, Artistic Director of the Boston Repertory Theater, approached Harry Nilsson about creating a stage musical of "The Point!" Although Nilsson said he had been asked many times and had always turned down the request, this time he granted his permission...
.
Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
wrote a song based on the sketches, titled "Conehead". It appeared on his 1981 album You Are What You Is
You Are What You Is
You Are What You Is is a double album by Frank Zappa. It was originally released as a two-record set in 1981 and later by Rykodisc as a 20-song CD. The album relies on a heavy use of overdubbing. This album was the first one to feature material recorded using Zappa's home studio Utility Muffin...
. When he hosted SNL, Zappa also appeared in a Coneheads sketch as a man dating Connie, where he makes note that he prefers Frenchwomen.
The concept was turned into a Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass
Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. , also known as Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment, was an American production company, known for its seasonal television specials, particularly its work in stop-motion animation. The pre-1974 library is currently owned by Classic Media,while the post-1974 library is...
animated special, The Coneheads, in 1983, and a movie, Coneheads
Coneheads (film)
Coneheads is a 1993 film based on the Saturday Night Live sketches about the Coneheads. The film was directed by Steve Barron and produced by Lorne Michaels...
, in 1993
1993 in film
The year 1993 in film involved many significant films, including the blockbuster hits Jurassic Park, The Fugitive and The Firm. -Events:...
, with Aykroyd and Curtin reprising their roles in both. Michelle Burke
Michelle Burke
Michelle Burke is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Jodi Kramer in the 1993 Richard Linklater film Dazed and Confused and as Connie Conehead in the movie Coneheads...
took over the role of Connie in the film, with Newman appearing as Connie's aunt on Remulak. Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
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 were created, designed by the development team from Pangea Corporation
Pangea Corporation
Pangea Corporation is an entertainment development and creative services company that specializes in the animation and toy industries. The company was part of the original creative team that launched the wildly popular "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" for Playmates Toys and Murakami-Wolf-Swenson, the...
.
SNL appearances
- January 15, 1977: The Coneheads at Home
- February 26, 1977: The Coneheads at Home
- March 26, 1977: The Farbers Meet The Coneheads
- April 16, 1977: The Coneheads At Home
- May 21, 1977: Return Of The Coneheads
- October 29, 1977: Return Of The Coneheads
- January 21, 1978: Family Feud
- March 18, 1978: The Coneheads On Earth
- May 13, 1978: Cone Encounters Of The Third Kind
- October 21, 1978: The Coneheads At Home
- February 24, 1979: The Coneheads At The Movies