I'm Spartacus!
I'm Spartacus! is the catchphrase from the film Spartacus.
A famous scene of the movie has the recaptured slaves being asked to point out which one of them is Spartacus in exchange for leniency. Instead, they each proclaim themselves to be Spartacus and thus share his fate. A similar scene or event is sometimes called a Spartacus moment in reference to this particular scene.[citation needed] This has sometimes been misidentified as historical fact, notably by Scottish politician George Galloway, who identifies Spartacus as his hero.
Use in popular culture
The phrase has been used outside the film on some occasions:
- In the Mask of Zorro old men hiding the orginal Zorro played by Anthony Hopkins say "I'm Zorro!"
"No I am Zorro"
- Whose Line is it Anyway?, Ryan Stiles performs the scene as Carol Channing.[citation needed]
- In the Johnny Bravo episode "Quo Doofus," various villagers yell "I'm Spartacus!" when Johnny questions them.[citation needed]
- In a Kappa Mikey episode the crowd chants "I'm Mikey" and "I'm Spartacus".[citation needed]
- A Pepsi commercial.
- That Thing You Do! (1996) Guy Patterson (played by Tom Everett Scott) uses the phrase to express his beatnik coolness[citation needed]
- The cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000 have occasionally used the line in appropriate situations in the movies they satirize. Any scene showing a large group of men standing in formation outdoors, especially if they're bedraggled and shirtless, is apt to evoke the line.[citation needed]
- In an episode of the MTV animated television series Undergrads, an RA's effort to identify "G-Prime" prompts the mass rejoinder, "I am G-Prime." A roman soldier then appears to announce, "I am Spartacus".
- On the television show Monk in the episode "Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger", as Willie Nelson is about to be arrested by the police, all of his band members say "I'm Willie Nelson", to which he replies "I don't think that's gonna work".
- In the video game Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko, in the Greek level, Gex will say "I'm Fartacus!" or "I'm Gexicus!"
- The Wayne's World book Wayne's World: Extreme Close-Up! (1992) includes a reference to the movie, along with a story of how Wayne and Garth had been throwing snowballs at cars. Before running away Garth had dropped a text book with his name inside. The book was found, and later a policeman came to the classroom to ask for Garth Algar. One by one the students stood up to say "I am Garth Algar", except for Garth who stood up and mistakenly said "I am Spartacus."
- In the crucifixion scene in Monty Python's Life of Brian a centurion sent to release Brian asks "Where is Brian of Nazareth?!". Various characters on the crosses claim to be Brian, including Gregory, who says "I'm Brian, and so's my wife!".
- In the live-action show, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide's episode about embarrassment, when Ned and other students are accused of flatulence, they all stand and declare "I'm fartacus!" in a similar manner.
- In the Power Rangers In Space Episode Countdown To Destruction, Astronema gives the people of Angel Grove a choice. Either give up the power rangers, or they all die. This leads to a spartacus moment. When she asks for the rangers, Bulk replies and says that he's the blue ranger. Skull and Dr. Phenomenous follow, with the black and red rangers, repsectivally. Then, three more people join in as the pink, yellow, and silver rangers. As the entire crowd joins in, saying they're rangers, this leads to T.J. Johnson, Cassie Chan, Ashley Hammond, Zhane, and Carlos Vallertes to morph in front of the crowd, revealing their identities.