Pizza has an interesting place in pop culture, holding a prominent spot in movies, television shows and even songs. Pizza, which got its start among the poor people of Naples in the late 1700s, came to the United States when immigrants from Naples arrived in the new country. They settled in cities such as Trenton, New Haven, Boston, Chicago and St. Louis, all cities known for their pizza styles. Lombardi’s on Spring Street in Manhattan was first licensed to sell pizza in 1905, making it the first commercial pizzeria in the new world. Prior to the opening of Lombardi’s, pizza was a homemade concoction or sold by unlicensed street vendors. The love of pizza grew, and today pizza locations can be found in almost every city in the country. This iconic food has become a staple in most American diets, and has found a place in pop culture as these great moments attest.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Michelangelo
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles began as a comic book published by Mirage Studios in 1984, developed as a parody of four popular 1980s Marvel Comics – Daredevil, New Mutants, Cerebus and Ronin. In 1986, the creators of the comic were approached to develop a line of toys, and eventually a television series and movies became wildly popular in the 1980s and early 1990s. One of the characters, Michelangelo, is the youngest of the four turtles who has an obsession with pizza. However, Michelangelo did not eat typical pizza, but chose interesting pizza topping combinations including:
- Tuna fish, peanut butter and grape jelly
- Peanut butter and clams
- Marshmallow and pepperoni
- Guacamole and marshmallow
- Butterscotch and onion with anchovies
- Chocolate fudge with extra garlic
The list of interesting combinations of toppings chosen by Michelangelo is seemingly endless. A new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film was released in 2014.
Joey from Friends
Joey Tribbiani, played by Matt LeBlanc on the television show, Friends, was the simple-minded but good natured roommate of Chandler Bing, played by Matthew Perry. In the show, Joey’s friends have a name for his vintage meal, calling it the “Joey Special,” which consists of two large pizzas. In one episode, when Monica is considering not cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving as there would only be three people at dinner, Joey comments “Thanksgiving with no turkey is like Fourth of July with no apple pie, or Friday with no two pizzas.” Next to his friends and sandwiches, pizza is the one true love of Joey’s life.
Two Guys, A Girl and a Pizza Place
The 1998 sitcom, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place, which was eventually renamed to Two Guys and a Girl, starred Traylor Howard, Ryan Reynolds and Richard Ruccolo. The show was originally based on the life of its creator, Kenny Schwartz, and the pizza place in the show, Beacon Street Pizza, was based on a real pizza restaurant, Theo’s, where Schwartz worked while attending college. Ryan Reynolds played Michael “Berg” Bergen, who worked at the pizza restaurant with Peter “Pete” Dunville, played by Richard Ruccolo. David Ogden Stiers also appeared in the initial seasons as a regular at the pizza place who believes that experiences in films are his own.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
One of the most famous pizza scenes on film has to be from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, the 1982 comedy starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold and Phoebe Cates. In the movie, Penn plays Jeff Spicoli, a surfer who irritates history teacher, Mr. Hand, played by Ray Walston with his carefree attitude and constant tardiness. In one scene, Spicoli has a pizza delivered to the history classroom, and when Mr. Hand asks what he is doing, his response is “Learning about Cuba and having some food.” Although there are many more references to pizza in television and movies, these four are iconic, remembered by people of all ages, and therefore, a permanent part of pop culture.
