Sledge Hammer! - Humor

Humor

Most of the humor in the series is based on Hammer's callous, simplistic, narrow-minded worldview and its unfortunate consequences for those around him. Hammer is like a human tornado, devastating everyone and everything in his path. A camera view of his apartment shows that one of his favorite wall hangings is an "enemy" target on his closet door. He blames gun control, feminism, and rock music for many of the world's ills. One example of such humor (taken from the first episode):

Sledge Hammer: Well, Miss, I was in this store when two thugs entered and threatened the owner with shotguns. At that time I drew my magnum and killed them both. Then I bought some eggs, milk, and some of those little cocktail weenies.

News reporter: Inspector Hammer, was what you did in the store absolutely necessary?

Sledge Hammer: Yes, I had no groceries at all.

Hammer's over-the-top but deadpan antics have ranged from pulling a rocket launcher from his trunk and firing it at the building where a sniper is stationed, to forcing a purse-snatcher to beat himself up in order to avoid brutality charges.

Physical comedy is another important element of the show. Through his Jack Tripper-like clumsiness, Hammer is constantly unintentionally injuring Captain Trunk with, for example, a stray billiard ball to the head, a coffin lid dropped on the fingers, or a misguided attempt at fixing Trunk's sore neck with a little amateur chiropractic adjustment:

Trunk: (yelling in pain) You sadistic, depraved, bloodthirsty, barbaric...

Hammer: Is that why you called me in here? To shower me with compliments?

Another running gag is Hammer's reckless driving; he is continually rear-ending and backing into things with his beat-up green Dodge St. Regis.

The series also features a good deal of self-referential and topical, popular culture-based humor. For example, in the final episode of the first season, Captain Trunk tells a busted criminal "Your show's been canceled!"; Hammer replies, "You talking to me?" (a reference to the show's shaky prospects for a second season). In another episode, Hammer tells a suspect "Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you. That's police talk!", alluding to the 1983 hit song by The Police.

There are numerous references – nearly all of them disparaging – to other popular television shows of the time, such as ALF, The Cosby Show, Miami Vice, Matlock, The Equalizer, Webster, Moonlighting, Max Headroom, Designing Women, Dallas, T. J. Hooker (referred to as J.T. Hooker) and Murder, She Wrote. (Particular scorn is reserved for Mr. Belvedere.) One episode even ridiculed the existence of the Fox Network, which was still in its infancy at the time.

The show lampoons popular films of the 1980s such as RoboCop, Witness, Flashdance and "Crocodile" Dundee, but also alludes to classics such as Casablanca, Cool Hand Luke, Dog Day Afternoon, The Andromeda Strain and A Clockwork Orange.