Film at 11
Encyclopedia
The idiom
"Film at 11" originates from television news broadcasting. Traditionally, it follows a promotion aired earlier in the evening for a particular (and often a breaking or sensational) story to be detailed on a later local news broadcast at 11 p.m.
, a traditional timeslot for local news broadcasts in the Eastern and Pacific time zones of the United States.
which would be processed at the station, and edited before it could be aired. The time taken for this process meant that the pictures of an early evening event would only be available in time for the late newscast.
crashes; Film at 11." "Bug found in scheduler; Film at 11." In a more general (but less common) usage, "Film at 11" means that more information will follow in the future.
1977's The Kentucky Fried Movie
turned the phrase into a running gag
. The movie opens with a "newscaster" announcing "The popcorn you're eating has been pissed in. Film at 11."
There exists a well-known joke based on (the more general usage of) "Film at 11", which goes:
This joke demonstrates the idiom
aticity of "Film at 11", using the irony
of the separate literal and non-literal interpretations of "Film at 11:00": Someone unfamiliar with this idiom might interpret "Film at 11:00" (in the context of this joke) literally, as the film that might develop on teeth several hours before full-blown plaque.
Another version of the joke has the breaking story usually depicted as a life threatening and time sensitive issue. For instance, "A common product in your home can kill you while you sleep. Film at 11," or "Russia launches nukes at the United States. Global War is upon us. Film at 11." The joke is a play on the often sensational promotions for news casts that could just as easily warn its viewers. The purpose of these promotions is usually to over sensationalize the story so that a fearful public will tune in and increase the program's ratings. This is a later interpretation of the idiom, as news broadcasts were not counted in ratings during the time 16mm film was used in newsgathering and hence promotions typically took the form of "newsflashes" or "special reports" which simply conveyed the facts of the story.
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
"Film at 11" originates from television news broadcasting. Traditionally, it follows a promotion aired earlier in the evening for a particular (and often a breaking or sensational) story to be detailed on a later local news broadcast at 11 p.m.
11 o'clock news
The 11 o'clock news is a term used for news programs that are broadcast at 11:00 p.m. local time. This is the traditional hour for the late local news broadcast on CBS, NBC, and ABC affiliated stations in the United States that are in the Eastern Time Zone or the Pacific Time Zone.By contrast,...
, a traditional timeslot for local news broadcasts in the Eastern and Pacific time zones of the United States.
Practical implications
Television news gathering originally involved crews using 16 mm film16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
which would be processed at the station, and edited before it could be aired. The time taken for this process meant that the pictures of an early evening event would only be available in time for the late newscast.
Popular culture
The phrase has since entered popular culture, often describing ordinary or mundane events with a sarcastic implication that these events are somehow earth-shattering, such as "ITSIncompatible Timesharing System
ITS, the Incompatible Timesharing System , was an early, revolutionary, and influential time-sharing operating system from MIT; it was developed principally by the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, with some help from Project MAC.In addition to being technically influential ITS, the...
crashes; Film at 11." "Bug found in scheduler; Film at 11." In a more general (but less common) usage, "Film at 11" means that more information will follow in the future.
1977's The Kentucky Fried Movie
The Kentucky Fried Movie
The Kentucky Fried Movie is an American comedy film, released in 1977 and directed by John Landis. The film's writers were the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. This same team would go on to write and direct Airplane!, Top Secret! and the Police Squad! television series and its...
turned the phrase into a running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
. The movie opens with a "newscaster" announcing "The popcorn you're eating has been pissed in. Film at 11."
There exists a well-known joke based on (the more general usage of) "Film at 11", which goes:
- "News flash: The American Dental Association announced today that most plaque tends to form on teeth around 4:00 p.m. Film at 11:00."
This joke demonstrates the idiom
Idiom
Idiom is an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made...
aticity of "Film at 11", using the irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
of the separate literal and non-literal interpretations of "Film at 11:00": Someone unfamiliar with this idiom might interpret "Film at 11:00" (in the context of this joke) literally, as the film that might develop on teeth several hours before full-blown plaque.
Another version of the joke has the breaking story usually depicted as a life threatening and time sensitive issue. For instance, "A common product in your home can kill you while you sleep. Film at 11," or "Russia launches nukes at the United States. Global War is upon us. Film at 11." The joke is a play on the often sensational promotions for news casts that could just as easily warn its viewers. The purpose of these promotions is usually to over sensationalize the story so that a fearful public will tune in and increase the program's ratings. This is a later interpretation of the idiom, as news broadcasts were not counted in ratings during the time 16mm film was used in newsgathering and hence promotions typically took the form of "newsflashes" or "special reports" which simply conveyed the facts of the story.