Magic 8-Ball

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The Magic 8-Ball, manufactured by Tyco, is a toy used for fortune-telling. Invented by Abe Bookman in 1946 of the Alabe Toy Company, it is a hollow, plastic sphere resembling an oversized, black and white 8-ball. The fortunes are given by a white plastic die in the shape of an icosahedron, floating in a blue liquid, with answers to yes-no questions in raised letters on its 20 triangular faces. There is a transparent window on the bottom of the 8-ball, and when the ball is held so that the window faces up, the die floats to the top randomly exposing one of its faces in the window. As the raised white letters press against the window, they drive the dark blue liquid to the sides, away from the raised letters, so that the letters appear as white print on a still-dark-blue background (where a thin layer of fluid remains between the raised letters).

To use the ball, the user must hold it with the window down, then turn the ball so that the window faces up. In the window, one face of the die will be visible, revealing the response to the user's question. Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to shake or jostle the ball before turning it, which can consequently create air bubbles that often visually distort the answer.

Contents

[edit] Standard answers

Inside The Magic 8-Ball
Inside The Magic 8-Ball

The 20 standard answers on a Magic 8-Ball are:

  • Signs point to yes.
  • Yes.
  • Most likely.
  • Without a doubt.
  • Yes - definitely.
  • As I see it, yes.
  • You may rely on it.
  • Outlook good.
  • It is certain.
  • It is decidedly so.
  • Reply hazy, try again.
  • Better not tell you now.
  • Ask again later.
  • Concentrate and ask again.
  • Cannot predict now.
  • My sources say no.
  • Very doubtful.
  • My reply is no.
  • Outlook not so good.
  • Don't count on it.

Ten of the possible answers are variations of "yes", five are ambiguous, and five are variations of "no".

[edit] Variations

After the emergence of the the first magic 8 ball, numerous variation of the concept have appeared. Some popular ones are:

  • Affirmation Ball, a variation of the Magic Eight Ball, is a yellow ball with a smiley face on it that gives twenty randomly-chosen affirmations to the user such as "You look marvelous." or "Your breath is so minty."[1]
  • Sarcastic Ball is the antithesis of the Affirmation Ball, and provides answers such as "Do I Look Like I Care?", and "Yeah, Right."[2]
  • The Pink 8 Ball was another version of the Magic 8 Ball based on dating in mind which gave advice on love, romance, and dating (This was often known as the "Magic Date Ball" or "LOVE ball".)
  • In 2002 Mattel released a limited edition Simpsons Magic 8 Ball, colored yellow and red with an image of Bart Simpson spray painting the number 8. The answers are all quotes from the show such as "D'oh!", "Excellent..." and "Okeley Dokeley."
  • In 2005 Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers Featured a line-up of Kirby toys. One of them was a toy which when its arm was pulled, would give the answers: Yes, No, Maybe, Ask Again Later, and ZZZZ...
  • in 2005 GameTime launched the answer wheel Gizmo, an exclusive item that lets kids spin a wheel on a playground apparatus to get similar type answers.
  • In Summer 2006, McDonald's happy meals' toy tie-ins with the movie Pirates of the Caribbean 2 included an Aye Ball, based on the Magic 8 ball. This variation was not a ball, but was instead a skull with an eye patch. The pirates themed answers were revealed by lifting the eye patch.

[edit] In television and film

  • Angel (TV series): At the end of the episode Players, Lorne refers to a Magic 8-ball to find out if Cordy's been bad. Lorne then turns to read the Magic 8-ball, and it says "definitely.".
  • Ghost Rider (film): While waiting in a resturaunt for her date, Roxanne Simpson uses a magic 8-ball.
  • Six Degrees: The character Steven uses a magic 8-ball to answer the question, "Am I still alive?" and receives the answer, "Outlook not so good." He gives the magic 8-ball to his son.
  • Interstate 60: The main character Neal Oliver uses a magic 8-ball to find his route during his journey through the nonexistent Interstate 60.
  • Pontiac Moon: During a father-son road trip, the son Andy frequently asks his magic 8-ball important questions, and it always gives him an uncertain answer. Eventually he becomes fed up with its vagueness and hurls it out of the car, inadvertently saving them from some predicament when it hits a police cruiser.
  • Toy Story: When Woody hears Andy's mother tell Andy that he can bring only one toy to Pizza Planet with him, Woody, who is certain that Andy will pick Buzz to take, picks up a magic 8-ball and asks it if Andy will pick Woody to go with him. Upon reading its response of "Don't count on it", Woody throws the ball aside in disgust exclaiming, "Don't count on it AWWWWW!". The ball then falls off the desk and gets trapped between it and the wall, inspiring Woody to attempt to "lose" Buzz Lightyear, thereby forcing Andy to take him to Pizza Planet, rather than Buzz.
  • Seinfeld: In the episode "The Reverse Peephole", David Puddy acquires a jacket emblazoned with an 8-ball, which Elaine hates. When asked if he plans on wearing it all the time, he replies, "All signs point to yes!", referring to one of the 8-ball's standard answers.
  • Saturday Night Live: In Season 32 Episode 11, there is a Blizzard Man Sketch with Jeremy Piven where Blizzard Man (Andy Samburg) walks into the scene wearing a similar if not the same 8-ball jacket that David Puddy wore in Seinfeld.
  • Spin City: In the episode "Uneasy Rider" (04x19), when Carter Heywood makes a statement that he's tired of giving staff advice on their personal life, Paul Lassiter takes over this chore using his magic 8-ball.
  • "Star Crap: Episode 3" (Star Wars parody): In part two, when Anakin is pondering whether to help Palpatine or Mace Windu, he says, "I know! I'll use my magic 8-Ball!" Then he brings it out, and asks, "Should I help Palpatine, or Mace Windu?", obviously violating the "yes-no" rule. The ball answers, "Maybe...," to which Anakin responds "Maybe?...MAYBE!? You stupid 8-Ball!" and throws it at Mace Windu accidentally, distracting him so Palpatine can kill him.
  • Friends: In "The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS", Emily calls Ross and tells him that she will only stay married if he promises he will never see Rachel again. Ross uses the 8-ball to make that decision, but it repeatedly comes up with the answer "Ask again later". He says to the gang that it is broken, and tries jamming a screwdriver into it to make it give a yes or no answer. Finally, Ross agrees with Emily's demand, but Emily continues to make unreasonable demands and they get divorced.
  • Rocko's Modern Life: In one episode, Ed Bighead is promoted into an administrative position at his company, Conglom-O, in which he must answer yes or no questions on official forms. Lacking the nerve to make his own decisions on the matters at stake, he consults a spoof of the Magic 8-Ball, the Magic Meatball, which "correctly" answers the questions and earns Ed further promotions. However, he becomes so dependent on the Meatball that when he breaks it in an accident, he goes into a fit of hysteria in which he tries to regain the Meatball's wisdom by performing various favors for it, including marriage.
  • Angry Beavers: In one episode, a group of lumberjacks harrass Norbert and Daggett. They turn to a "mystical 7-ball", which gives them specific (and long-winded) solutions, not adhering to the "yes-no" rule. None of the methods it offers manage to get the lumberjacks to leave, and in the end the ball replies, "I can't believe you're taking advice from a plastic billiard ball replica."
  • Fairly Odd Parents: When Timmy gets a bad reply from a "magic 9-ball", he throws it against the wall, revealing his Fairy God-Parents.
  • The Simpsons: In the episode Bart's Friend Falls in Love, Bart asks a Magic 8-ball if he and Milhouse will be friends forever. It answers "I doubt it". Later on that episode, they fight and Bart breaks the ball on Milhouse's head. Bart remarks "I bet the eight ball didn't see that one coming."
  • Charmed: In the episode The Truth Is Out There... And It Hurts (01x08), Phoebe is seen playing with a Magic 8-ball while standing in line at a movie theater. Prue asks her, "You, who can see the future, is now looking for it in a magic 8-ball?" Phoebe replies that her visions are not for her own benefit. Then, Phoebe and Piper tease Prue with the 8-ball, asking it if Prue and Andy will get back together, and refuse to show Prue the answer.
  • Good Will Hunting: In the scene where Skylar and Will are making love in bed, Skylar says that she is tall, and takes an 8-ball and asks it if she will become an NBA Player.
  • Chasing Amy: In a scene wherein Holden McNeil and Banky Edwards are arguing over Holden's chances at seducing Alyssa Jones, Banky remarks "I don't need a Magic 8-ball to tell you what's going to happen." He then proceeds to mime consulting an 8-ball, saying "Will Holden ever fuck Alyssa?" Pretending to turn the imaginary object over, he finishes, "Oh, what a shock: 'Not fucking likely'".
  • Spongebob Squarepants: In the episode "Club Spongebob", Spongebob consults "The magic conch" (which works in the same way, except that you pull a string, and your answer will be said out) on how to survive the kelp forest.
  • Scotland, Pa.: The fortune telling member of the "three hippies" uses a Magic 8-ball.
  • Survivor: The Amazon: Contestant Rob Cesternino had a Magic 8-ball as his luxury item. After extolling the virtues of the 8-ball on the show, he later appeared in commercials for the product
  • The Phil Silvers Show/Sgt. Bilko/You'll Never Get Rich: The Magic 8 Ball is clearly visible on the set in Bilko's room in many of the episodes.
  • House: House asks the Magic 8 Ball (calling it the Great Pool Hall Oracle) which test to do on his patient.

[edit] In popular music

  • Austin area indie/ska band The Impossibles often opened shows with the song "Eightball", which was dedicated to the toy. Strangely, the song recognizes the use of dice in magic 8-balls, but mistakenly identifies them as multiple four-sided dice.
  • Also, a southern rapper goes by the name 8 Ball.

[edit] Other

  • One of the main characters in the Marvel comics series The Craptacular B-Sides goes by the name "Fateball" and uses her "Magic Fateball" as a means of fighting crime. This version has apparently unlimited answers, though still limited to affirmative/negative meanings.
  • A Magic 8-Ball is featured as an item in the computer game Fallout 2. When used, it gives random answers not limited to the ones in the real product (like "Keep shaking me, and there’ll be trouble") and sometimes, with sufficient Luck, actually useful hints.
  • In one Penny Arcade a character uses a "Magic Hate Ball" which insults the user.

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.mcphee.com/items/10519.html
  2. ^ http://www.mcphee.com/items/10500.html

[edit] External links

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