History Trivia / JingleAllTheWay

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: While this film hasn't dated horribly, there are a few elements that date it square to the mid-1990s. The biggest one is how the film uses Myron threatening people (including the police) with mail bombs for comic effect. Not only would this be considered inappropriate in today's terrorist-fearing society - not to mention how just making the threat would be enough to get Myron a lengthy jail sentence today - but it is also a reference to the Unabomber, one of the most notorious terrorists of the 1980s and 1990s, who was captured shortly before the film's release. Additionally, the Christmas parade depicts many 1990s fads, including Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog.

* {{Defictionalization}}: Actual Turbo Man toys were made by Tiger Electronics for the holiday season of 1996 and sold in Wal-Mart chains to promote the film. As the figures were made in a limited supply, they're pretty rare and a hard to find collectors' item, fetching up for a couple hundred dollars ''minimum'' nowadays.

* HilariousInHindsight: Done before the advent of "Black Friday" (which ironically takes place the month ''before'' Christmas) which had stories similar to what happened in this film, only replace toys with various other items (clothes, electronics, video games, etc).

* LifeImitatesArt: The film's theatrical run coincided with the craze for Tickle Me Elmo dolls - one of the most notorious Christmas toy crazes in history. Unexpected demand for Tickle Me Elmo lead to shortages and store mobbing like that depicted for Turbo Man. Taken UpToEleven when a Canadian store clerk was trampled by a crowd after he was spotted handing a crate of Tickle Me Elmo dolls - something specifically depicted in the film.

* InspirationForTheWork: The film draws inspiration from the high demand for Christmas toys, such as the Toys/CabbagePatchKids and ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which often led to intense searching and occasional violence amongst shoppers. Randy Kornfield wrote the film's original screenplay after witnessing his in-laws go to a Santa Monica toy store at dawn in order to get his son a Power Ranger. While admitting to missing the clamor for the Cabbage Patch Kids and Franchise/PowerRangers, Creator/ChrisColumbus experienced a similar situation in 1995 when he attempted to obtain a [[Franchise/ToyStory Buzz Lightyear]] action figure. As a result, he re-wrote Kornfield's script, which was accepted by Creator/TwentiethCenturyFox.

* {{Defictionalization}}: Actual Turboman toys were made by Tiger Electronics for the holiday season of 1996 and sold in Wal-Mart chains to promote the film. As the figures were made in a limited supply, they're pretty rare and a hard to find collectors' item, fetching up for a couple hundred dollars ''minimum'' nowadays.

* LifeImitatesArt: The film's theatrical run coincided with the craze for Tickle Me Elmo dolls - one of the most notorious Christmas toy crazes in history. Unexpected demand for Tickle Me Elmo lead to shortages and store mobbing like that depicted for Turboman. Taken UpToEleven when a Canadian store clerk was trampled by a crowd after he was spotted handing a crate of Tickle Me Elmo dolls - something specifically depicted in the film.
* PlayingAgainstType: Schwarzenegger, to a degree; this is probably the only movie in his career where his build and muscles aren't given some type of display, and the few times he does any kind of fighting he's comically outmatched or hurts himself.
** It's also the one film where he plays a BumblingDad, rather than the OneManArmy ActionHero he's known for.

* NamesTheSame: The first special shares it's name with the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie.

* ActorAllusion: "You can't bench-press your way out of this one!"

** Creator/JoePesci was initially in mind to play Myron, however they went for Sinbad instead, opting for someone who was closer to Arnold's height.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: While there are tons of imagery and attitudes throughout the film alone to land this film squarely in this trope (having Creator/PhilHartman, Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, and Sinbad as your top-billed actors as one), there's the orgy of '90s pop-culture characters that were popular with kids of the era in the "Wintertime Fun" parade sequence near the climax--a [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle]], Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog, Rock-'em-Sock-'em Robots, Literature/TheCatInTheHat, Raggedy Ann, and more obscure characters like WesternAnimation/TheTick.
** There's also the various stores seen in the background during the Mall of America scene; of particular note, the MOA's Suncoast has been closed since 2006.

* PlayingAgainstType: Schwarzenegger, to a degree; this is probably the only movie in his career where his build and muscles aren't given some type of display.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: While there are tons of imagery and attitudes throughout the film alone to land this film squarely in this trope (having Creator/PhilHartman, Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, and Sinbad as your top-billed actors as one), there's the orgy of '90s pop-culture characters that were popular with kids of the era in the "Wintertime Fun" parade sequence near the climax--a [[Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle]], VideoGames/SonicTheHedgehog, Rock-'em-Sock-'em Robots, Literature/TheCatInTheHat, Raggedy Ann, and more obscure characters like WesternAnimation/TheTick.

** Creator/TimAllen was also considered for the role of Howard if Arnold didn't accept.

* ActorAllusion: "You can't bench-press your way out of this one!" Howard's character wouldn't likely have time to work out much...
** During the "You're my number one customer" scenes, he's shown squeezing one of those hand grips, so he does squeeze in some working out in his job, apparently.

* CriticalResearchFailure: Karate Grading. During the Karate session, the boys are promoted from Yellow Belt to Purple Belt, which doesn't happen in Karate gradings of any style. In Goju Ryu, Karate Orange comes after yellow. In Shotokan, Karate Green comes after Yellow (and before purple).

* CriticalResearchFailure: Karate Grading. Durring the Karate session, the boys are promoted from Yellow Belt to Purple Belt, which doesn't happen in Karate gradings of any style. In Goju Ryu Karate Orange comes after yellow. In Shotokan Karate Green comes after Yellow (and before purple).

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Joe Pesci was initially in mind to play Myron, however they went for Sinbad instead, opting for someone who was closer to Arnold's height.
** Tim Allen was also considered for the role of Howard if Arnold didn't accept.

* Time Allen was also considered for the role of Howard if Arnold didn't accept.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Joe Pesci was initially in mind to play Myron, however they went for Sinbad instead, opting for someone who was closer to Arnold's height.