article

The Whammy was the villain of the game shows Press Your Luck and Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck.

In every show, each time a contestant would hit a Whammy, a short animation of the character would appear of the villain doing something to steal the contestant's money and embarrass himself. The contestant would lose all of their money that they had collected up to that point in the game. If a contestant got four Whammies, they were out of the game.

Press Your Luck

The Whammy was created by Savage Steve Holland (who went on to create television cartoon Eek! The Cat on Fox Kids). Bill Kopp provided the voice. The Whammy was patterned after the devils on the game show Second Chance. The Whammy donned a yellow cape, yellow mask and a dollar sign on his torso. Whammy had a girlfriend named Tammy Whammette, and his pet, a big yellow dog named Fang, occasionally appeared with him.

Quotes

  • "All I hear is 'BIG BUCKS, BIG BUCKS!' I got your BIG BUCK!" with an elk.
  • "All right, girls, I wanna see sweat!! 1 and 2, 1 and 2, and OW!!"
  • As a swami: "Umm-hmm, it's coming to me now... I see financial disaster in your future!"
  • As Washington on the dollar bill, "I cannot tell a lie! You lose!"
  • Running for office: "If elected, I will raise your taxes!" and gets pied in the face.
  • Cheerleaders: "Gimme a W-H-A, gimme an M-M-Y!" Megaphone falls on one Whammy's head.
  • Weightlifter: Whammy strains and grunts lifting the barbell, then falls through the floor. "Uhn...uhhn...unn...uhhmmm!..." Crash! "Not again..."
  • Saying goodbye on a cruise ship: "Hasta luego, arrivederci, bon voyage, that means goodbye!" (Often seen when player hits their fourth Whammy)
  • Scrooge: "BAH HUMBUG, gimme all your money, there will be no presents this year!" (Used on Christmas Week episodes.)
  • Slim basketball player: "LOOK OUT BIRD! LOOK OUT KAREEM! LOOK OUT MAGIC! HEE HEE HEE!!" Glass shatters off-screen.
  • As umpire: "You're Out!" (Often seen when player hits their fourth Whammy)
  • Demolition man: "Hee hee!! This oughta do it!!" (explosion) "Oh no..awww."
  • As window washer: "De-de-dee-dee-de...Ok, take it away!" Off screen is CRASH! "Aww geez!"
  • Indian warrior on canoe: "Money Money, Haya Haya, Money Money, OH NOOO..." as the canoe sinks.
  • Making a pizza: "We gotta cheese, pepperoni, tomato, sausa...(dough falls on Whammy's head) How about some spaghetti?"
  • UFO Whammy: Whammy flies in a UFO, gets electrocuted and flies away. This was the Whammy Michael Larson got on his very first spin.
  • Eye doctor: "Can you read this? U-L-O-S-E!" Whammy gets rolled up in the eye chart.
  • Waterskier: "Hit it Tammy!! I'm up, I'm up, I'm up!! and both gets eaten by a shark. Footage of that is used for the German version of Press Yor Luck.
  • Deep sea diver: Whammy rides a shark eating the money. That scene is also used in the German version.
  • Riding a magic carpet: "A thousand and one pardons for taking your money... AAAAAAHHH!!"
  • On a picnic (with Tammy): "Isn't this romantic? Our first picnic! A lovely day, a beautiful girl, and... FANG?!?"
  • Fang chasing a cat: Whammy (holding on to Fang's tail): "Hold it Fang, hold it, DON'T FORGET THE MONEY!!"
  • Suicide bomber: "Fire in the hole!", and the car explodes.
  • Movie star: "Now that I'm a star, I need makeup. Make-up!!" A powder puff is thrown in his face.
  • Holding a credit card: "Hello, do you know me?" Then the name "WHAMMY" is typed in as a spoof of the American Express commercials made popular during the 1980's.
  • A barbershop quartet singing "Goodbye!" one at a time, usually on the fourth whammy in the game eliminating a player.
  • As a toreador: Whammy waves a red cape and is carried away by a bull.
  • Mardi Gras: Six Whammies play a jazz number. The big one slams cymbals accidentally boxing one of them in the ears.
  • As Sherlock Holmes: Whammy walking Fang in detective clothes holing a magnifying glass. "Elementary, my dear Fang, it was greed that killed it." and both disappear in the fog.
  • As a torch bearer: During the 1984 Summer Olympics. Whammy runs with Olympic Torch and gets drenched by a bucket of water. "Anybody got a match?"

References to real-world people

  • Willie Nelson: Whammy sits on a horse, singing "Your bucks again, I can't wait to get your bucks again".
  • Michael Jackson: Whammy moonwalks and spins around with stars in his eyes. Dances to Jackson's "Billie Jean".
  • Cyndi Lauper: This Whammy sings "I WANT MONEY, I WANT MONEY!!"
  • The Supremes: A quartet of female Whammies sing together. "All I need is cash, so gimme all your money. Give back the money. Say gimme all your money. Give back the money."
  • Liberace: Whammy plays a piano, but a chandilier lands on him.
  • Rodney Dangerfield: Whammy does a horrible dance and gets the hook.
  • Tina Turner: Tammy takes Tina's hairstyle and sings "I got money.. it's everything".
  • Paul Revere: Whammy riding Fang says "One if by check, two if by cash the Whammies are coming to steal your stash!"
  • The Beatles: Whammies in black hair sing "OOOOOOHHH.. I'D LOVE TO TAKE IT BACK FROM YOUUU..."
  • Boy George: A Whammy dressed in a wig and coat sings "Who would ever hurt a Whammy" to the tune of "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" and gets hammered on the head.
  • Tarzan: Whammy swings on the vine and hits an angry elephant.
  • Elvis Presley: Does a dance in place before spraining his back.
  • Tammy Wynette: Tammy sings "It's good to have your money back again!" Whammy announces "Ladies and gentlemen, Tammy Whammette!" and gets pied in the face.
  • Tim Brown: "I'm open! I'm open! Throw me the bomb! Throw me the..." Whammy catches a bomb instead of the football and blows up.

Whammy! The All-New Press Your Luck

In the new Press Your Luck, the Whammy is given a huge makeover, complete with a green mask, spiked hairstyle, and a yellow shield-shaped emblem with a black "W" on his belly. He is much slimmer and taller, and he also now has a new space called a "Double Whammy" where the Whammy not only takes all of the contestant's money, but dumps the contents of the cut-scene over the contestant's head.

Here, he sometimes appeared with his gullible fall guy, Dollar Bill.

Quotes

  • "Spell 'loser'." "Loser. Y-O-U LOSER!"
  • "Bungie bungie bungie! Bungie bungie bungie! Bungie bung-"
  • "I'd like to thank my agent, but most of all, YOU!!!!"
  • "Mmmmmmmm. M&M's."
  • "Go Whammy!" "Well, I'm the rapper Whammy, and it ain't no joke, I'm cleanin' you out and leavin' you broke!"
  • "Ooohhhhmmmm. Ohhhhmmmmm. (spins through the air) Money! Hee hee hee hee hee hee!"
  • "Hello Bill! What've we got here? Vacation photos? Pictures of your new baby? A birthday party - oh!"
  • "Work it Superwhammy! C'mon, work it honey!" "I'm so hungry I could eat all your money! *burp*"
  • "*whistle* Drop and give me 20! Hmmmm.... gimme-gimme everything! Hee hee!"
  • "Now just relax, and I'll work on that knot. There, no more knot!"
  • "Sorry, you've got insufficient funds."
  • "Nuh-uh. I'm not the dummy, you're the dummy. You look like you could use a drink. Ha ha! Now who's the dummy?"
  • "Ahuhuh! You are spectacular! I think you will agree, I have captured you beautifully. And your money."
  • "Can you hear me now? Can you hear me now? You're out of range. And money. (imitating the Verizon Wireless commercial)
  • (as Judge Judy) "I don't want to hear about your money problems. Dismissed."
  • (as The Godfather) "Don't ever press your luck with the family!"
  • (as George Foreman) "You can get this lean, green, burnin' machine for (cough) one (cough) easy payment of (cough) all your money!"
  • (as Harry Potter) "(incantation) I'm stealing your winningness."
  • "Hi, this is Whammy Fae Baker here, and I just want to thank you for all your - generous donations!"
  • (as Steve Irwin) "The secret is to catch the crocodile by surprise."
  • (as Martha Stewart) "This is one of my favorite dishes, and it doesn't cost any money. It's a good thing..."
  • (as Anne Robinson) "Who's one spin short of being the winner? Bye-bye!"
  • (as Ozzy Osbourne) "Well (bleep), fabulous (bleep)! All I have to (bleep) do is, walk around being my (bleep) self. And (bleep) get paid for it!"
  • (as Emeril Lagasse) "Hey, let's kick it up a notch. BAM! BAM! BAM!"

Double Whammies
  • (Italian accent) "Though the losers may try, no one makes pizza quite like the Whammy!" (pie drops on contestant)
  • "Mommy's home, and I've got some lovely fruit and vegetables. Oops! (trips, groceries drop on player)
  • "Hmmm....the money's gotta be around here somewhere." (climbs to attic, clothes fall on player)
  • "Money money money, money!" (mows the bucks, grass falls on player)
  • "I better file these important financial documents." (shreds money and it falls on player)
  • "And now, here's Whammy with the Whammy Weather." "Thank you, Jan. It appears we'll have patches of hail moving in today, especially around......your money! HEHEHEHEHEHE!" (takes out umbrella, player is hailed)
  • "Okay, we're gonna take just a little bit off the top, and a little bit off the side, and we're gonna leave you with NOTHING! HEEHEEHEE!" (hair is cut, falls on contestant)
  • "Look out, it's Whamzilla" (a giant Whammy crushes a city, foam bricks fall on the contestant)

Television villains

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Whammy (Press Your Luck)".

Home Page • arts • business • computers • games • health • hospitals • home • kids & teens • news • physicians • recreation• reference • regional • science • shopping • society • sports • world