Omelette du Fromage

Fuck You, Interwebs, Fuck You, Millennials, and Fuck You, Dexter Fans: Let’s Set the Record Straight

Let’s clear this up once and for all: the Frenchoid phrase “omelette du fromage” did not originate with Dexter’s Laboratory in the episode titled “The Big Cheese.”

If you ever watched it, you’ll recall that in the Dexter’s Laboratory episode “The Big Cheese,” Dexter needs to study for a French test at school. Instead of studying the old-fashioned way, and true to form, he opts for a shortcut using his latest invention—a subliminal-learning helmet. Dexter dusts off an old “Learn French” record, loads it into the machine, and lets it play while he sleeps. However, the record is scratched and skips, repeating the phrase “omelette du fromage” over and over again throughout the night. By morning, the only French Dexter knows is this single, nonsensical phrase, which he can’t stop saying.

In reality, the actual origin of the phrase goes back to Steve Martin, who coined this intentionally incorrect French nonsense way back in 1978—decades before Dexter ever stepped foot in his cartoon lab. It was part of Martin’s iconic stand-up album A Wild and Crazy Guy, where he poked fun at Americans struggling to speak French. The correct French phrase is “omelette au fromage” (“omelette with cheese”), something Martin, fluent enough in French in reality, would undoubtedly know. The odds that Dexter’s Laboratory writers accidentally messed up French the same way as Martin? Zero.

Even people familiar with Steve Martin often forget—or never knew—just how unprecedented his fame was in 1978 when A Wild and Crazy Guy was released. He wasn’t just a comedian; he was a cultural phenomenon. Filling arenas with crowds of 20,000 or more wasn’t just impressive—it was groundbreaking. Stand-up comedy had never been a pop-culture force on this scale before. Martin wasn’t performing in small comedy clubs; he was dominating stadiums, a feat previously reserved for rock stars.

His success marked a new era for comedy. With his absurdist, wildly original humor and his “wild and crazy guy” persona, Martin didn’t just entertain; he dominated pop culture. When A Wild and Crazy Guy was released, it became a massive commercial success, selling 900,000 copies in pre-orders alone and eventually going double platinum—a feat unprecedented for a comedy album at the time. So there is little doubt the comedy writers for Dexter knew it.

Their use of the phrase, “omelette du fromage,” couldn’t have been a coincidence. It was a deliberate callback, a nod to a comedy legend whose influence still loomed large two decades later—a joke that the adult writers surely recognized, even if the kids could have no memory of it.

Here’s a transcript of a snippet from Martin’s act:

“So, the only thing I could remember was ‘cheese omelet,’ you know—omelette du fromage. I’m practicing all the time: omelette du fromage. I’m meeting people, ‘Hey! Omelette du fromage!’

“Finally, I go into a restaurant, and go, ‘Omelette du fromage.’ And the problem, if you order in French, the waiter thinks you speak French. He goes, ‘Jaune du sui, le deux deux de soir?’

“You go, ‘Yes!’ And he brings you a shoe with cheese on it. And, you also told him to force it down your throat!

“‘I’ll have a shoe with cheese on it, force it down my throat, and I want to massage your grandmother! OK?’”

So when Martin joked about struggling to order a “cheese omelet” in French, the bit became part of the cultural zeitgeist—recognized by millions and cemented into comedy history. His influence was so enormous that it’s almost impossible to imagine the writers of Dexter’s Laboratory weren’t aware of his work when they chose the episode’s iconic catchphrase, “omelette du fromage.”

Therefore, while Dexter may have introduced a new generation of kids to “omelette du fromage,” let’s give credit where it’s due: Steve Martin penned this joke first. It was smarter, funnier, and delivered with the absurdist brilliance only Martin could bring.

Sure, Dexter’s Laboratory made “omelette du fromage” a nostalgic meme for Millennials, but the joke itself? That belongs to Steve Martin—and the Boomers. You’ve taken everything from us, but you’re not getting this!

The internet needs to stop handing Dexter’s Laboratory credit it doesn’t deserve. The next time someone smugly chirps “omelette du fromage” and credits it to Dexter, set them straight, perhaps force a cheese covered shoe down their throats, because Steve Martin did it first—and he did it better. 🍳🧀👞🎤

#KnowYourComedyHistory