Jeff Gordon in popular culture

Gordon during the 2015 season

Former American stock car racing driver Jeff Gordon has become an iconic figure in popular culture. While Gordon became a household name among NASCAR fans for his driving career in the Sprint Cup Series, he has introduced the sport to a wider audience, largely through the media of the United States.

Topics

Acting

Gordon has acted in films and television shows as both himself and fictional characters. He has also appeared in videos for Pepsi's YouTube channel, two of which have gone viral: Harlem Shake (Jeff Gordon Edition)[1] and Pepsi MAX & Jeff Gordon Present: Test Drive. Two years before, in 2011, Gordon had worked with Pepsi Max to create the Road Trip to the Race Track video as a promotion prior to the Coke Zero 400.[2] In September 2013, Gordon worked with actor Ron Howard in a series created by NASCAR known as The Crossing.[3]

Films
Year Title Role
1997 Steel Chariots Himself
2003 Looney Tunes: Back in Action Himself
2004 Taxi Himself (uncredited)
2005 Herbie: Fully Loaded Himself
2011 Cars 2 (American release) Jeff Gorvette[4] (voice)
Television shows
Year Title Role Notes
1998 Arliss Himself Episode: "Where Do Clients Come From?"
1998 Spin City Himself[5] Episode: "The Kidney's All Right"
2001 The Drew Carey Show[6] Himself Episode: "Mr. Laffon's Wild Ride"
2009 Speed Racer: The Next Generation Turbo McAllister (voice)[7] Episode: "The Secrets of the Engine: Part 3"
2012 The Simpsons Himself (voice) Episode: "Adventures in Baby-Getting"[8]
2015 Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero Wacky Bustgutty (voice) Episode: "Chuckle City 500"[9]

Documentaries

Gordon is the subject of a 2004 episode of the ESPN documentary television series SportsCentury. Gordon is also featured in other episodes of the program covering fellow drivers Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart.

Gordon's life on and off the track is profiled in the 2007 documentary television film 24 x 24: Wide Open with Jeff Gordon.[10]

Gordon is featured in two documentary television films about Hendrick Motorsports: Together: The Hendrick Motorsports Story (2009)[11] and Beyond 200: The Hendrick Motorsports Story (2012).[12]

Television appearances

Gordon has appeared as a guest on Live! with Regis and Kelly,[13] and has co-hosted the show[14] ten times on days when Regis Philbin was unavailable.

In 2001, Gordon appeared on the Sports Superstars edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire which aired on September 10.[15] He walked away with $32,000 after missing the $125,000 question.

In January 2003, Gordon became the first NASCAR driver to host Saturday Night Live, during its twenty-eighth season.[16]

In 2010, Gordon made an appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition which aired on April 11. Gordon helped the team rebuild a home for the Suggs family of Loris, South Carolina.[17]

On January 9, 2013, Gordon appeared on an episode of I Get That a Lot. Gordon worked as an AutoZone employee, and attempted to sell Quaker State motor oil to customers without being recognized.[18]

Gordon has also made appearances on: 60 Minutes, The American Athlete, American Idol,[19] Celebrity Poker Showdown,[20] Charlie Rose, Crook & Chase, The Ellen DeGeneres Show,[21] Fashion Police,[22] Fox & Friends,[23] Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Knock Knock Live,[24] Larry King Live,[25] The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,[26] Late Night with Jimmy Fallon,[27] Late Show With David Letterman, Life & Style, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Players, Rachael Ray,[28] Sesame Street,[16][29] Sidewalks Entertainment,[30] Today, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tony Danza Show, Top Gear, Unique Whips,[31] The View, The Wayne Brady Show[32] and WindTunnel with Dave Despain.[33][34]

Fictional portrayals

In the King of the Hill episode "Life in the Fast Lane – Bobby's Saga," Gordon is portrayed less than favorably, screaming "Daddy!" in a nasal tone when his car spins out and hits the wall, alluding to earlier comments about how the main cast do not care for him because his father pulled strings to get him the car.[35]

In the Celebrity Deathmatch episode "Sex, Lugs and Rock 'n' Roll," Gordon and Dale Earnhardt fight each other in a "demolition derby to the death."[36]

In the South Park episode "Poor and Stupid," Gordon, along with fellow drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart, are lampooned in addition to NASCAR itself. Commenting on the episode, Gordon said he thought that, although the episode was making fun of NASCAR, it was still good publicity for the sport.[37]

In a March 2015 Tank McNamara comic strip written and illustrated by cartoonist Bill Hinds, Gordon is portrayed as a private driver for the title character.[38]

Media references

In the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode "Kidney Car," Carl says "Hold on there, Jeff Gordon!" to Meatwad as the latter is going to claim the former's wrecked car, which was donated to the Aqua Teens by the "Kidney Foundation" after Meatwad was ruled inoperable for a kidney transplant. In the Danny Phantom episode "What You Want," during the flying car scene, Danny says to the driver, "Hey, slow down, Jeff Gordon!".[39]

In the film Couples Retreat, Gordon is mentioned when Jason says, "If Jeff Gordon told you the oil was low, you'd want to change it."

Comedian Jeff Foxworthy jokes about Gordon's elocution in the track "Jeff Gordon Enunciates," featured on the album Big Funny.

Comedian and country artist Tim Wilson pokes fun at Gordon in "The Jeff Gordon Song," featured on the album Certified Aluminum: His Greatest Recycled Hits, Volume 1. Hip hop artist Nelly raps the lyrics "I drive fastly, call me Jeff Gord-on, in the black SS with the naviga-tion" in the song "E.I.," featured on the album Country Grammar.[40] Country music parodist Cledus T. Judd sings "Just watchin' Jeff Gordon plow up a wall, puts a smile on Dale Jr.'s face" in the song "I Love NASCAR," featured on the album Bipolar and Proud.[41]

Magazines

Gordon has appeared on the cover of several magazines, including TV Guide;[42] Bluff;[43] Autoweek;[44] Sports Illustrated;[45] and NASCAR Illustrated.[46][47][48][49][50][51][52]

Video games

Gordon is the feature driver of the video game Jeff Gordon XS Racing,[53] and is a guide for gamers to progress through the game, and also is an opponent in a later duel in the game.[54] Gordon has appeared on the covers of the EA Sports NASCAR series games NASCAR 98[55] and NASCAR Thunder 2002,[56] while Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson are on the cover of NASCAR 06: Total Team Control, highlighting Team Control, the main addition of the game;[57] he also appears on the cover of NASCAR 09, in which he serves as a mentor for players in the "Sprint for the Cup" mode.[58] On May 15, 2015, he was announced as the cover driver of Eutechnyx's NASCAR '15.[59]

Gordon appeared in Gran Turismo 5 as himself, providing tutorials on racing in NASCAR,[60] which had been newly added to the series.[61]

References

  1. ↑ "Jeff Gordon shows off his moves in Harlem Shake video". USA Today. February 14, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
  2. ↑ Cherner, Reid (June 30, 2011). "Video: Jeff Gordon takes a Pepsi truck out for a spin". USA Today. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  3. ↑ Cain, Holly (September 29, 2013). "Jeff Gordon Q&A: Movies, racing future & more". NASCAR. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  4. ↑ John Neff RSS feed. "NASCAR star Jeff Gorvette will compete in CARS 2". Autoblog.com. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  5. ↑ "Jeff Gordon Makes His Sitcom Debut". Gordon Online. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  6. ↑ Glase, Tim (October 24, 2002). "Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr. Named Most Marketable NASCAR Drivers". Sports Business Daily. Retrieved August 31, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Jeff Gordon's "Speed Racer" Episode Airs Tonight!". Jeff Gordon. March 13, 2009. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Sports Figures on The Simpsons". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on August 9, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  9. ↑ Ciampaglia, Dante (August 7, 2015). "Exclusive First Look: Jeff Gordon Zooms Onto Disney XD's "Penn Zero"". Sports Illustrated Kids. Retrieved August 8, 2015.
  10. ↑ "'24 x 24: Wide Open With Jeff Gordon' Extended Version DVD To Be Released July 10". StarPulse. July 6, 2007. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  11. ↑ Newton, David (September 30, 2009). "Hendrick film pulls 'on your heartstrings'". ESPN. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Current, past Hendrick Motorsports drivers gather to share stories in exclusive SPEED special". Hendrick Motorsports. October 31, 2012. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Catch Jeff on Live with Regis and Kelly!". Jeff Gordon. June 7, 2009. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Jeff Co-Hosts With Regis". Gordon Online. January 15, 2001. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  15. ↑ Callahan, Terry (August 31, 2001). "Jeff Gordon to be on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire'". The Auto Channel. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
  16. 1 2 "NASCAR Controversy: Famed Driver Jeff Gordon Crosses the Line". ABC News. November 12, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  17. ↑ Smith, Marty (April 8, 2010). "Gordon thankful for 'Extreme' view". ESPN. Retrieved July 18, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Jeff Gordon to star on CBS show 'I Get That A Lot'". Sporting News. January 6, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2013.
  19. ↑ Jeff Gordon swings by American Idol with an invitation | FOX Sports
  20. ↑ Parker, Dave (October 19, 2004). "Gordon isn't gambling in Nextel Cup title chase". USA Today. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  21. ↑ "Jeff Gordon Has a Racing Family!". The Ellen DeGeneres Show. March 24, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Jeff Gordon on E!'s 'Fashion Police'". Hendrick Motorsports. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Jeff Gordon Talks Racing Regrets and the Importance of Getting the Pertussis Vaccine". Fox News Insider. June 13, 2012. Retrieved August 9, 2013. “We definitely made the wrong decision,” Gordon admitted on Fox and Friends.
  24. ↑ "KNOCK KNOCK LIVE: GORDON SURPRISES FAN ON FOX". NASCAR. July 28, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  25. ↑ Callahan, Terry (March 17, 2001). "Jeff Gordon to appear on 'Larry King Live' Monday". The Auto Channel. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Jeff Gordon/Philip Bolden/Andrew Donnelly". TV.com. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  27. ↑ Lay, Josh (June 14, 2011). "Tuesday's Guest: Jeff Gordon". Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  28. ↑ "Jeff Gordon, His Mom". Rachael Ray. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  29. ↑ "Jeff's Sesame Street episode scheduled to air on Dec. 28". Jeff Gordon. November 16, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2013.http://jeffgordon.com/Jeffs-Sesame-Street-episode-scheduled-to-air-on-Dec-28/
  30. ↑ "Jeff Gordon & Youngbloodz". TV.com. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  31. ↑ Arneson, Eric (May 1, 2007). "Gordon Gets 'Whipped' for NASCAR All-Star Week". Speed. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  32. ↑ "Untitled". MSN TV. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  33. ↑ Englehart, Megan (October 12, 2012). "Despain Reflects On A Young Gordon As The NASCAR Champ Co-Hosts Wind Tunnel Sunday". Speed. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  34. ↑ "Jeff Gordon bids farewell to Dave". Foxsports.com. August 13, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  35. ↑ "King of the Hill Quotes: "Life in the Fast Lane, Bobby's Saga"". Geocitiessites.com. September 23, 2009. Retrieved July 6, 2012.
  36. ↑ "Episode 41". TV.com. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  37. ↑ "Drivers approve of South Park's 'Poor and Stupid' spoof of NASCAR". The Birmingham News. October 9, 2010. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
  38. ↑ "Tank McNamara Comic Strip, March 15, 2015". GoComics. March 15, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  39. ↑ "What You Want". TV.com. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  40. ↑ "E.I. Lyrics – Nelly". MetroLyrics. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
  41. ↑ "I Love Nascar Lyrics". MetroLyrics. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  42. ↑ "TV Guide Cover Features Jeff Gordon". Jeff Gordon Online. January 21, 2002. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  43. ↑ "Meet The Fastest Man In Poker: Jeff Gordon". Bluff. December 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
  44. ↑ "Download the Jeff Gordon issue FREE". Autoweek. November 20, 2015. Retrieved January 9, 2016.
  45. ↑ "SI national cover features NASCAR's Jeff Gordon ahead of his final race". Sports Illustrated. November 17, 2015. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  46. ↑ "October 2009". NASCAR Illustrated. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  47. ↑ "December 2011". NASCAR Illustrated. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  48. ↑ "August 2013". NASCAR Illustrated. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  49. ↑ "January 2015". NASCAR Illustrated. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  50. ↑ "February/March 2015 - Jeff Gordon". NASCAR Illustrated. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Book of Lists". NASCAR Illustrated. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  52. ↑ "December 2015". NASCAR Illustrated. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
  53. ↑ "Jeff Gordon XS Racing". IGN. November 13, 1998. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  54. ↑ "Jeff Gordon XS Racing". IGN. May 23, 2000. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  55. ↑ "NASCAR 98 – PlayStation". IGN. December 17, 1997. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  56. ↑ Hayward, Andrew (March 12, 2008). "Jeff Gordon on Cover of NASCAR 09". 1UP.com. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  57. ↑ Berardini, César (August 22, 2005). "NASCAR 06: Total Team Control Cover Athletes Announced". TeamXbox. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  58. ↑ "EA Announces Jeff Gordon as NASCAR 09 Cover Athlete". IGN. March 12, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
  59. ↑ "JEFF GORDON TO BE ON COVER OF NASCAR '15". NASCAR. May 15, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  60. ↑ "NASCAR® Driver Jeff Gordon Comes To Gran Turismo 5". Gran Turismo. November 17, 2010. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2012.
  61. ↑ Martinez, Nate. "Gran Turismo 5 Gets Its NASCAR On". Motor Trend. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
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