Chuck Testa

Charles A. Testa (born 1956) is an American taxidermist and owner of Ojai Valley Taxidermy in California.[1] A commercial for Testa's business created by Rhett & Link for the show Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings became a viral video, and the catchphrase "Nope, Chuck Testa!" became an Internet meme.

Chuck Testa
Born
Charles A. Testa

1956 (age 64–65)
Ojai Valley, California, U. S.
OccupationTaxidermist

Life and career

Testa was born and raised in the Ojai Valley. He managed his father's Baskin-Robbins store in Venice Beach, California, before he began preserving wildlife.[2]

Commercial and response

In summer 2011, Testa's future son-in-law posted a commercial for Testa's business on YouTube.[2] The video was originally created by Rhett & Link for the show Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings on IFC.[3] The commercial asserts that Testa's work is so realistic that people will assume the animals are still alive. It depicts people reacting to what they believe are live animals in unusual situations, e.g., "Look at that antelope driving a car!", only to have Testa appear and declare, "Nope, it's just Chuck Testa!" The phrase became popular on Web sites, such as Reddit and Tumblr, spurring mainstream media coverage, including Fox News[4] and CBS.[5][6] The video was also ranked as the #10 best meme of 2011 by Time magazine's Nick Carbone.[7]

Television appearances

In 2012, Chuck Testa appeared in two episodes of Rhett & Link's Web series, Good Mythical Morning. His shop, Ojai Valley Taxidermy, was promoted in earlier episodes.

In 2015, Chuck Testa was featured in Season 1, Episode 1 of CarbonTV's original series, American Elements.[8]

In 2016, Chuck Testa and Ojai Valley Taxidermy were featured in the Web documentary Mounted: Chuck Testa and Friends on CarbonTV.[9]

Music

The 2019 song, Whip a Tesla, by Yung Gravy and Bbno$ mentions Testa in the chorus, referencing the "Nope" meme.[10]

Told your bitch, "Nope," like I'm fuckin' Chuck Testa

Testa makes a cameo in the music video.

References
  1. Kelly, David (January 6, 2002). Taxidermist's Work Is More Than Skin Deep; Chuck Testa insists his craft is worthy of being called art. Bears, boars and other animals are stretched over forms, not stuffed. Los Angeles Times
  2. Hernandez, Marjorie (September 28, 2011). Video of resident Ojai taxidermist goes viral. Ventura County Star
  3. "Ad men thrive on Chuck take". Au.news.yahoo.com. January 3, 2012. Archived from the original on July 7, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  4. "Viral Videos, Week of November 11th". Radio.foxnews.com. November 11, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  5. Katie (September 18, 2011). "Nope! It's Just Chuck Testa – CBS Early Show". Talknerdytome.net. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  6. "Meme Alert: The 10 Best Examples Of Chuck Testa's Taxidermy Skills". Buzzfeed.com. January 24, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  7. Carbone, Nick (December 7, 2011). "Chuck Testa". Time. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  8. "Chuck Testa : American Elements". CarbonTV. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
  9. "Mounted: Chuck Testa and Friends". CarbonTV. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  10. Yung Gravy & bbno$ – Whip a Tesla, retrieved January 10, 2020
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