History Main / ColbertBump

* In its heyday, a positive review from Webcomic-review blog ''Blog/{{Websnark}}'' could boost a comic's site traffic higher than ever before. In a subversion, the writer of the blog, Eric Burns, never quite seemed all that comfortable with the influence he wrote his way into and was frequently a reason for his sabbaticals from the blog.

An easy way for a relatively unknown or unpopular actor, politician, or musician to experience a sudden increase in popularity is to appear on a more popular work. This usually is because they managed to grab and impress the audience of that show, who then spreads the word via [[ViralMarketing Word of Mouth]] of how good they are. It's the number one reason to appear on certain shows, especially ones where the host enjoys tormenting the guests. This even extends to elements of a [[MarthDebutedInSmashBros relatively obscure work getting featured in a newer work]], which often happens with popular crossover series like ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''.

The {{Trope Namer|s}} is Creator/StephenColbert of ''Series/TheColbertReport''. Whenever politicians, especially ones running for office, experienced a bump in poll numbers after being on his show, Colbert would take credit for it by saying that they received the Colbert Bump. While this claim began as part of Colbert's larger-than-life political pundit persona (he would also claim responsibility whenever authors' books did well or musicians' songs do well), the phrase would be adopted in media, and be subsequently carried over to Colbert's later show ''Series/TheLateShowWithStephenColbert''.

* ''Suika Game'' (also known as ''Watermelon Game'') is a simple puzzle game for the Nintendo Switch that can only be described as "VideoGame/PuzzleBobble with fruits and physics". It was released in 2021 only in Japan, but gained a massive boost in popularity and downloads in September 2023 after Vtubers from ''WebAnimation/{{Hololive}}'' and ''WebAnimation/{{NIJISANJI}}'' began streaming the game. It helps that the game is dirt cheap, costing only 240 yen.

** ComicBook/IronMan was largely unknown to most of the mainstream, considered a B or even C-list character at best by other Marvel fans (who were also largely soured on the character due to his controversial characterization in the then-recent ''ComicBook/CivilWar'' arc), and hardly anyone expected his [[Film/IronMan1 2008 silver screen debut]] would amount to much. [[AndYouThoughtItWouldFail Those doubts were proven wrong]], and the first ''Iron Man'' film essentially made Tony Stark just as well-known as Batman. The [[Film/IronMan2 second movie]] similarly helped boost the popularity of ComicBook/BlackWidow and ComicBook/{{SHIELD}} as well.

* ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'' managed to get more attention after LetsPlay/JackSepticEye began to do a series on the game. At one point, Jack even states that the developers of the game got in contact with him, and thanked him for saving them from bankruptcy.

* ''Suika Game'' (also known as ''Watermelon Game'') is a simple puzzle game for the Nintendo Switch that can only be described as "VideoGame/PuzzleBobble with fruits and physics". It was released in 2021 only in Japan, but gained a massive boost in popularity and downloads in September 2023 after Vtubers from ''WebAnimation/Hololive'' and ''WebAnimation/NIJISANJI'' began streaming the game. It helps that the game is dirt cheap, costing only 240 yen.

** Even pages that already exist are often modified after a Website/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses review: for example, after WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic review of ''Film/{{Flubber}}'', Website/ThisVeryWiki had a sudden influx of mentions on how unlikable Professor Brainard is. Ditto for Ferris Bueller in [[WebVideo/TheSpoonyExperiment Dr. Insano's]] review of ''Film/FerrisBuellersDayOff''.

->''"what the crap where did all you people come from"''

** He also had discussed a once-obscure series called ''WesternAnimation/TheNutshack'' (calling it the worst animated series of the 2000s), which may or may not have helped fuel it into a full-fledged {{meme|ticMutation}}. (Although the first one among the Youtube cartoon community to mention this show anywhere was WebVideo/RebelTaxi.

** He also had discussed a once-obscure series called ''WesternAnimation/TheNutshack'' (calling it the worst animated series of the 2000s), which may or may not have helped fuel it into a full-fledged {{meme|ticMutation}}.

** And if you want your kid to become an engineer or astrophysicist, show them some ''Franchise/StarTrek''

* Creator/StacieLeahRippy, due to her appearances on ''Series/TheMentalist'' and ''Series/TrueBlood''.

* In ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' the LocalHangout comic book shop run by Stuart was in PerpetualPoverty, but after a glowing tweet about the shop from none other than Creator/NeilGaiman the foot traffic tripled in an instant to where Stuart could hire an assistant. Funny thing Gaiman visited when the cast was [[[CavemenVsAstronautsDebate so engaged in one of their nerdy arguments]] and his attempts to join in were ignored while [[PopCulturalOsmosisFailure nobody recognized him]].

* In ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' the LocalHangout comic book shop run by Stuart was in PerpetualPoverty, but after a glowing tweet about the shop from none other than Film/NeilGaiman the foot traffic tripled in an instant to where Stuart could hire an assistant. Funny thing Gaiman visited when the cast was [[[CavemenVsAstronautsDebate so engaged in one of their nerdy arguments]] and his attempts to join in were ignored while [[PopCulturalOsmosisFailure nobody recognized him]].

* Most modern-day fans of Music/HueyLewisAndTheNews got into the band by way of either ''Film/BackToTheFuture'' or ''Film/AmericanPsycho'' (mostly the latter; but also the former).

* In June 2021, C.M. Kosemen's science-fiction/SpeculativeBiology book ''Literature/AllTomorrows'' experienced a huge surge in popularity after the Website/YouTube channel [[https://www.youtube.com/c/AltShiftX/about Alt Shift X]] released [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imNtSPM3-r4 a video covering the work]] and its contents that gained over 3 million views in a single month, resulting in numerous memes and fanworks of the book and its creatures being created online. This led to the previously-small Website/YouTube channel Curious Archive switching their content to cover speculative biology and creature design, leading to a Colbert Bump for speculative biology projects featured on the channel, such as ''WebOriginal/{{Serina}}'', The Birrin, WebOriginal/{{Polinices}}, and Nijin-Konai.

* Creator/FranDrescher and her 90s sitcom, ''Series/TheNanny'', got a surge of popularity in 2023 when she, as president of [[UsefulNotes/UnionsInHollywood SAG-AFTRA]], [[UsefulNotes/TVStrikes led the union in a joint strike with the WGA]]. Especially one episode, season 2's "The Strike" from 1994, where [[TheDanza Fran Fine]] refused to cross a picket line of striking busboys, in defiance of her employer, Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield, who was hosting a party at that restaurant.

* Creator/FranDrescher and her 90s sitcom, ''Series/TheNanny'', got a boost of popularity in 2023 when she, as president of [[UsefulNotes/UnionsInHollywood SAG-AFTRA]], [[UsefulNotes/TVStrikes led the union in a joint strike with the WGA]]. Especially one episode, season 2's "The Strike" from 1994, where [[TheDanza Fran Fine]] refused to cross a picket line of striking busboys, in defiance of her employer, Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield, who was hosting a party at that restaurant.

* Doing stand-up on ''Series/TheTonightShow'' during Johnny Carson's stint was a major career boost for comedians. Being called over to the couch would pretty much guarantee overnight success. More recent comedians to get the honor include Creator/RobinWilliams, Creator/DrewCarey, Creator/EllenDeGeneres, Creator/EddieMurphy, Creator/JerrySeinfeld, Creator/JimCarrey, Creator/StevenWright, Creator/RoseanneBarr, Creator/BillMaher, Creator/JeffDunham and Creator/JeffFoxworthy.

* Music/{{Ween}}'s song [[Music/TheMollusk "Ocean Man"]] gained popularity (and a memetic status) due to it being used in the credits of TheSpongeBobSquarePantsMovie.

* During the 2020 US presidential election, Creator/{{MSNBC}}'s chief poltiical correspondent Steve Kornacki attracted an incredible amount of attention for essentially staying on his feet and talking nonstop for an entire week without showing any sign of fatigue and for doing it all while wearing khakis from the Gap. His tireless performance attracted so much positive attention, that the Gap reported a spike in demand for Palomino brown khakis (Kornacki's favored color).

* Doing stand-up on ''Series/TheTonightShow'' during Johnny Carson's stint was a major career boost for comedians. Being called over to the couch would pretty much guarantee overnight success. More recent comedians to get the honor include Drew Carey, Creator/EllenDeGeneres, Creator/EddieMurphy, Jerry Seinfeld, Creator/JimCarrey, Steven Wright, Roseanne Barr, Bill Maher, Creator/JeffDunham and Creator/JeffFoxworthy.

* ''Film/ManOfTheYear'': Creator/RobinWilliams' character is a Jon Stewart-esque talk show host who satirically runs for President...and wins due to this trope (and a computer glitch).

*** Also, once upon a time LetsPlay/{{Markiplier}} played a little indie horror game called ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys''. Cue huge fandom growing almost overnight, a series of sequel games, and the indie horror series becoming a merchandising juggernaut.