Yahoo Serious
Encyclopedia
Yahoo Serious born Greg Pead (name-change by deed poll
in 1980), is an Australia
n film actor, director and score composer. He is best known for his 1988 comedy Young Einstein
. He also created Reckless Kelly
in 1993 and Mr. Accident
in 2000. Serious writes, directs, produces, stars in, and has composed the scores for his movies.
, City of Lake Macquarie in the Hunter Valley
, New South Wales
, Australia. He went to Cardiff High School, then worked as a tyre fitter to pay for his tuition at the National Art School in Sydney
. After being expelled, Serious co-wrote, co-produced, and directed his first film at age 21, a documentary called Coaltown which explored the social and political history of coal mining
. The following year, his television series Lifestyle won the Australian Penguin Award for Best Educational Documentary.
In 1988, Serious co-wrote, produced, and directed Young Einstein
, an intentionally inaccurate movie portraying Albert Einstein
as a young farmer in Tasmania
who discovers hop-skotch, rock music and surfing, romances Marie Curie
, and derives the formula E=mc² while trying to discover a means of creating beer bubbles, splitting the lager atom in the process. The movie was an international hit, propelling Serious to stardom.
In 1993, Serious released his next film, Reckless Kelly
, a satire about a modern descendant of the notorious Australian bank robber Ned Kelly
who also becomes a movie star in Hollywood. While Reckless Kelly was a hit in Australia, it failed outside of the country and ended Serious's bid for mainstream international popularity. In 2000, Yahoo Serious released his third film Mr. Accident
, about the most accident-prone man in the world. Like Reckless Kelly, the film was not a commercial success.
Yahoo Serious received an honorary doctorate from the University of Newcastle
in 1996.
Yahoo was also one of the guest stars at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
He is also a director of The Kokoda Track Foundation, and has trekked the Kokoda Track
a number of times. As of December 2008 he is working on his 4th feature, a war movie about the Kokoda Track campaign
.
. Their relationship ended in 2007.
for trademark
infringement. The case was thrown out because Serious could not prove that he sells products or services under the name "Yahoo" and therefore could not prove that he suffered harm or confusion due to the search engine.
Deed of Change of Name
A deed of change of name is a legal document in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, which enables a single person or a family to officially change his or her name...
in 1980), is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n film actor, director and score composer. He is best known for his 1988 comedy Young Einstein
Young Einstein
Young Einstein is an Australian comedy film directed by and starring Yahoo Serious, released in 1988.-Plot:Albert Einstein, the son of an apple farmer in Tasmania in the early 1900s, splits a beer atom with a chisel in order to add bubbles to beer, discovers the theory of relativity and travels to...
. He also created Reckless Kelly
Reckless Kelly
Reckless Kelly is a 1993 Australian comedy film written, directed and starring Yahoo Serious. The story is a satirical take on a modern day Ned Kelly who is forced to Hollywood in order to make enough money to save his family's land. As it goes against his belief, he cannot simply rob banks for...
in 1993 and Mr. Accident
Mr. Accident
Mr. Accident is a comedy written, directed, produced by, and starring the Australian actor Yahoo Serious. It was released in the USA by United Artists...
in 2000. Serious writes, directs, produces, stars in, and has composed the scores for his movies.
Early life and career
Yahoo Serious was born in CardiffCardiff, New South Wales
Cardiff is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, located west-southwest of Newcastle's central business district. It is part of the City of Lake Macquarie local government area....
, City of Lake Macquarie in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia. He went to Cardiff High School, then worked as a tyre fitter to pay for his tuition at the National Art School in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. After being expelled, Serious co-wrote, co-produced, and directed his first film at age 21, a documentary called Coaltown which explored the social and political history of coal mining
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
. The following year, his television series Lifestyle won the Australian Penguin Award for Best Educational Documentary.
In 1988, Serious co-wrote, produced, and directed Young Einstein
Young Einstein
Young Einstein is an Australian comedy film directed by and starring Yahoo Serious, released in 1988.-Plot:Albert Einstein, the son of an apple farmer in Tasmania in the early 1900s, splits a beer atom with a chisel in order to add bubbles to beer, discovers the theory of relativity and travels to...
, an intentionally inaccurate movie portraying Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
as a young farmer in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
who discovers hop-skotch, rock music and surfing, romances Marie Curie
Marie Curie
Marie Skłodowska-Curie was a physicist and chemist famous for her pioneering research on radioactivity. She was the first person honored with two Nobel Prizes—in physics and chemistry...
, and derives the formula E=mc² while trying to discover a means of creating beer bubbles, splitting the lager atom in the process. The movie was an international hit, propelling Serious to stardom.
In 1993, Serious released his next film, Reckless Kelly
Reckless Kelly
Reckless Kelly is a 1993 Australian comedy film written, directed and starring Yahoo Serious. The story is a satirical take on a modern day Ned Kelly who is forced to Hollywood in order to make enough money to save his family's land. As it goes against his belief, he cannot simply rob banks for...
, a satire about a modern descendant of the notorious Australian bank robber Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly
Edward "Ned" Kelly was an Irish Australian bushranger. He is considered by some to be merely a cold-blooded cop killer — others, however, consider him to be a folk hero and symbol of Irish Australian resistance against the Anglo-Australian ruling class.Kelly was born in Victoria to an Irish...
who also becomes a movie star in Hollywood. While Reckless Kelly was a hit in Australia, it failed outside of the country and ended Serious's bid for mainstream international popularity. In 2000, Yahoo Serious released his third film Mr. Accident
Mr. Accident
Mr. Accident is a comedy written, directed, produced by, and starring the Australian actor Yahoo Serious. It was released in the USA by United Artists...
, about the most accident-prone man in the world. Like Reckless Kelly, the film was not a commercial success.
Yahoo Serious received an honorary doctorate from the University of Newcastle
University of Newcastle, Australia
The University of Newcastle is an Australian public university that was established in 1965. The University's main and largest campus is located in Callaghan, a suburb of Newcastle in New South Wales...
in 1996.
Yahoo was also one of the guest stars at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
He is also a director of The Kokoda Track Foundation, and has trekked the Kokoda Track
Kokoda Track
The Kokoda Trail or Track is a single-file foot thoroughfare that runs overland — in a straight line — through the Owen Stanley Range in Papua New Guinea...
a number of times. As of December 2008 he is working on his 4th feature, a war movie about the Kokoda Track campaign
Kokoda Track campaign
The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 between Japanese and Allied—primarily Australian—forces in what was then the Australian territory of Papua...
.
Personal life
Shortly after the production of Young Einstein, Yahoo Serious married Lulu PinkusLulu Pinkus
Lulu Pinkus is an Australian screenwriter, producer, stage, film and television actress. She made appearances on numerous television crime and police dramas during the 1970s and early 80s, including a nine episode stint on Prisoner, as well as supporting roles in a number of feature films...
. Their relationship ended in 2007.
Lawsuit against Yahoo!
In August 2000, Yahoo Serious tried to sue the search engine Yahoo!Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
for trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
infringement. The case was thrown out because Serious could not prove that he sells products or services under the name "Yahoo" and therefore could not prove that he suffered harm or confusion due to the search engine.
In popular culture
- In an episode of The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, "Bart vs. AustraliaBart vs. Australia"Bart vs. Australia" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 19, 1995. In the episode, Bart is indicted for fraud in Australia, and the family travels to the country so Bart can apologize...
", the family is shown a slide depicting a boarded up movie theatre advertising a "Yahoo Serious Festival" on the marquee. A confused Lisa says, "I know those words, but that sign makes no sense." - In several episodes of the cult television show Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
, hosts Joel HodgsonJoel HodgsonJoel Gordon Hodgson is an American writer, comedian and television actor. He is best known for creating Mystery Science Theater 3000 and starring in it as the character Joel Robinson. In 2007 MST3K was listed as "one of the top 100 television shows of all time" by Time.com...
and Michael J. NelsonMichael J. NelsonMichael John Nelson is a U.S. comedian and writer, most famous for his work on the cult television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's 11-year run, and spent half of that time playing the on-air host, also named Mike Nelson...
speak derisively of Yahoo Serious, only favourably comparing him to fellow comedian Carrot TopCarrot TopScott Thompson , better known by his stage name Carrot Top, is an American comedian known for his bright red hair, prop comedy, and self-deprecating humor.-Early years:...
. - In a Season 2 episode of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, when asked by an audience member who should play him in a film, Clay AikenClay AikenClayton Holmes "Clay" Aiken is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and author who began his rise to fame on the second season of the television program American Idol in 2003. RCA Records offered him a recording contract, and his multi-platinum debut album Measure of a Man was released...
responded first with "People say I look like Yahoo Serious". - In a Carnac the MagnificentCarnac the MagnificentCarnac the Magnificent was a recurring comedic role played by Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. One of Carson's most well known characters, Carnac was a "mystic from the east" who could psychically "divine" unseen answers to unknown questions...
sketch on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Carson's answer/prediction was "Yahoo Serious" to the then revealed question, "What are the two stages of sex?" - In the 2008 Homestar RunnerHomestar RunnerHomestar Runner is a Flash animated Internet cartoon. It mixes surreal humor with references to retro pop culture, notably video games, classic television, and popular music.The cartoons are nominally centered on the title character, Homestar Runner...
Halloween cartoon, Homestar dresses as Yahoo Serious(ly). At the end of the toon, Homestar points towards Serious' Australian heritage, saying "I'm not Carrot Top! I'm Crocodile DundeeCrocodile Dundee"Crocodile" Dundee is a 1986 Australian comedy film set in the Australian Outback and in New York City. It stars Paul Hogan as the weathered Mick Dundee and Linda Kozlowski as Sue Charlton....
." - In a spoof commercial on MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
during the "Young Einstein" period, Serious was shown trying to come into the US for a TV appearance. The customs officer asked for his name, to which he replied "Yahoo". The incredulous officer then said, "Yahoo? You can't be serious!" — to which the reply was an emphatic "Yes!" - In an episode of CommunityCommunity (TV series)Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that airs on NBC. The series is about a group of students at a community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado. The series heavily uses meta-humor and pop culture references, often parodying film and television...
, "Asian Population Studies", when asked if he was serious, Jeff launches into a string of puns on the word serious. Yahoo Serious is included in the jokes. - In an August, 2011 episode of WWE Raw, John Cena referred to Serious when referring to one-hit wonders. Cena, during an insult to rival CM Punk, also mentioned Buster Douglas and Milli Vanilli.
See also
- Yahoo (Gulliver's Travels) - the origin of the term
- Roundheads and Pointheads - a musical play by Berthold Brecht and Hans Eisler which takes place in the fictional land of "Yahoo"
- Austen TayshusAusten TayshusAusten Tayshus is the stage name of Jewish Australian comedian Alexander Jacob Gutman. He is best known for the comedy single "Australiana", a spoken word piece filled with Australian puns.-Biography:...