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sl8

(16,276 posts) Mon Dec 23, 2024, 04:38 PM Dec 23

I Asked 64,182 People About "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells". Here's What I Found Out.

I Asked 64,182 People About “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”. Here's What I Found Out.

Tom Scott

2020 Jun 22

Thanks to Jack from Jacksfilms on piano: / jacksfilms • And thanks to everyone who answered! Sources and a data download are in the description.

History sources:
https://www.cracked.com/blog/the-secret-true-history-jingle-bells-batman-smells
https://www.cbr.com/jingle-bells-batman-smells-secret-origin/

Data spreadsheet link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bVUdszCBsWn5ez9FPFCioirdyNeZu3ctvNYShExpTQo/htmlview
[ link may be broken ]

Audio mix by Graham Haerther: https://haerther.net

[...]

4 replies

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Highlight:

I Asked 64,182 People About "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells". Here's What I Found Out. (Original Post) sl8 Dec 23 OP

It was always, "Robin laid an egg, the Batmobile lost a wheel, and the Joker got away." Intractable Dec 23 #1

Right, but that doesn't explain why that version wasn't common in the UK until the 1990s. sl8 Dec 23 #2

"Robin laid an egg." I never saw the Simpsons episode. And I rarely watch videos, but I did watch chia Dec 23 #3

Pretty sure True Dough Dec 23 #4

Intractable

(681 posts)

1. It was always, "Robin laid an egg, the Batmobile lost a wheel, and the Joker got away."

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 06:11 PM

Dec 23

That's the way I learned it in elementary school some 50+ years ago. So, that greatly preceded the Simpsons.

These were the days of the Adam West batman.

I stopped watching the video after a minute.

sl8

(16,276 posts)

2. Right, but that doesn't explain why that version wasn't common in the UK until the 1990s.

Reply to Intractable (Reply #1)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 06:56 PM

Dec 23

His hypothesis is that The Simpsons might be responsible, because it coincides with the popularity of The Simpsons in the UK in the 90s.

He does point out that the "laid an egg" version was always, overwhelmingly, the most common version in the US and Canada.

chia

(2,420 posts)

3. "Robin laid an egg." I never saw the Simpsons episode. And I rarely watch videos, but I did watch

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 07:01 PM

Dec 23

this one all the way to the end because he was clearly having such a good time with this, and I was interested in the British vs. U.S. take.

Fun way to escape politics for a time, thanks! 🙂

True Dough

(21,213 posts)

4. Pretty sure

Reply to sl8 (Original post)

Mon Dec 23, 2024, 07:02 PM

Dec 23

64,185 people would have made it a scientifically-valid study.

Oh so close...

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