Grunion - Grunion in Popular Culture

Grunion in Popular Culture

• Music: Frank Zappa wrote a song named "Grunion Run" (originally released as a single by The Hollywood Persuaders), as has Jonathan Richman ("Grunion Run" on his album "I, Jonathan"). There have also been "Grunion Run" songs by Peter Yates, the Halibuts and the Insect Surfers. Sandra Tsing Loh, on her "Pianovisions" album has "Night of the Grunion," a jazz piano solo performed by her and a chamber orchestra at Malibu Beach in 1989. The song "The Rodge" by punk band The Vandals features the line "Now shake your onion, like a grunion, tryin' to spawn...".
• Grunion feature at the beginning of the first episode of the 1970s documentary series The Ascent of Man written and presented by Jacob Bronowski.
• Television: In the eighth episode of season one of the series, "Burke's Law", series regular Gary Conway's character begs to be let off of an investigation early, so that he can go to the annual Grunion run. He is told to 'get back on the case', by his boss, Gene Barry (the "Burke" of the title).
• Television: In the twelfth episode of season two of "United States of Tara," Tara's father refers to a grunion run in San Luis Obispo.
• Television: Three episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies (originally aired in 1971) were about an expected grunion run ("The Grunion Invasion", "The Girls from Grun", and "The Grun Incident"). The Hillbillies prepare for an invasion of grunion, which they think are foreign invaders.
• Television: An episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 had the gang at the beach during a grunion run.
• Television: An episode of Three's Company where Larry's sister visited included a grunion run, which (in the series' signature style) had everyone suspect Jack of trying to woo her.
• Television: A humorous reference was made to the unusual—albeit necessary—technique for catching grunion toward the end of the Walker, Texas Ranger episode "The Siege."
• There was a reference to grunions by Paul Drake when he arrived after fishing with Perry Mason in Season 1/Episode 12 (1957)
• Social: The phrase "running of the grunion" was used for several years during the 1950s and 1960s by adolescent boys as part of a seduction "line" to get their dates alone in a site overlooking the sea, much like "the submarine races".
• Poetry: Charles Bukowski in his book "Mockingbird Wish Me Luck" (Black Sparrow Press 1972) wrote several poems about grunion runs including "the hunt" and "grab for grunion". Below is an excerpt from "the hunt":

• Movies: Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead features a romantic scene amidst a grunion mating
• Books: F. Scott Fitzgerald included a scene in which the two main characters are on the beach during grunion mating season in his final unfinished novel, The Last Tycoon.

• Sports: The Santa Barbara Rugby Football Club is known as the Grunions

• Movies: James Cameron's first directed film Piranha II: The Spawning features these fish, despite the title of the film.