{{short description|American taxidermist and internet meme}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2013}} {{Infobox person | birth_name = Charles A. Testa | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1956}} | birth_place = Ojai Valley, California, U. S. | occupation = Taxidermist }} '''Charles A. Testa''' (born 1956) is an American taxidermist and owner of Ojai Valley Taxidermy in California.<ref name="kelly2002">Kelly, David (January 6, 2002). [https://archive.today/20130131211332/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/98407885.html?dids=98407885:98407885&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current Taxidermist's Work Is More Than Skin Deep; Chuck Testa insists his craft is worthy of being called art. Bears, boars and other animals are stretched over forms, not stuffed.] ''Los Angeles Times''</ref> A commercial for Testa's business created by Rhett & Link for the show ''Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings'' became a viral video, and the catchphrase "Nope, Chuck Testa" became an Internet meme.
==Life and career== Testa was born and raised in the Ojai Valley. He managed his father's Baskin-Robbins store in Venice Beach, California before he began preserving wildlife.<ref name="hernandez2011">Hernandez, Marjorie (September 28, 2011). [http://www.vcstar.com/news/2011/sep/28/ojai-taxidermist-a-youtube-sensation-nope-its/ Video of resident Ojai taxidermist goes viral.] ''Ventura County Star''</ref>
===Commercial and response=== In summer 2011, Testa's future son-in-law posted a commercial for Testa's business on YouTube.<ref name="hernandez2011" /> The video was originally created by Rhett & Link for the show ''Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings'' on IFC.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/-/television/12484414/ad-men-thrive-on-chuck-take/ |title=Ad men thrive on Chuck take |publisher=Au.news.yahoo.com |date=January 3, 2012 |access-date=2012-01-29 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707152437/http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/entertainment/a/-/television/12484414/ad-men-thrive-on-chuck-take/ |archive-date=July 7, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The commercial asserts that Testa's work is so realistic that people will assume the animals are still alive. It depicts people reacting to what they believe are live animals in unusual situations, ''e.g.'', "Look at that antelope driving a car!", only to have Testa appear and declare, "Nope, it's just Chuck Testa." The phrase became popular on websites such as Reddit and Tumblr, spurring mainstream media coverage, including Fox News<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://radio.foxnews.com/2011/11/11/viral-videos-week-of-november-11th/ |title=Viral Videos, Week of November 11th |publisher=Radio.foxnews.com |date=November 11, 2011 |access-date=2012-01-29}}</ref> and CBS.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Katie |url=http://www.talknerdytome.net/2011/09/nope-its-just-chuck-testa-cbs-early.html |title=Nope! It's Just Chuck Testa – CBS Early Show |publisher=Talknerdytome.net |date=September 18, 2011 |access-date=2012-01-29}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/jpmoore/meme-alert-the-10-best-examples-of-chuck-testas |title=Meme Alert: The 10 Best Examples Of Chuck Testa's Taxidermy Skills |publisher=Buzzfeed.com |date=January 24, 2012 |access-date=2012-01-29}}</ref> The video was also ranked as the #10 best meme of 2011 by ''Time'' magazine's Nick Carbone.<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2101344_2100875_2100876,00.html | title=Chuck Testa | magazine=Time | date=7 December 2011 | access-date=30 January 2014 | author=Carbone, Nick}}</ref>
== Television appearances == In 2012, Testa appeared in two episodes of Rhett & Link's Web series, Good Mythical Morning. His shop, Ojai Valley Taxidermy, was promoted in earlier episodes. He again appeared in 2020 as a tie breaking judge during the Ice Cream Taste Test Tournament.<ref>{{cite AV media |url-status = live |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/zQF4BitYsx4 |archive-date = 2021-12-11| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQF4BitYsx4&t=307s |title = Ice Cream Taste Test Tournament (Day 3) |website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
In 2015, Testa was featured in Season 1, Episode 1 of CarbonTV's original series, ''American Elements''.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Chuck Testa : American Elements|url = http://www.carbontv.com/videos/0_d5nkz2r2|website = CarbonTV|access-date = 2016-02-04}}</ref>
In 2016, Testa and Ojai Valley Taxidermy were featured in the Web documentary ''Mounted: Chuck Testa and Friends'' on CarbonTV.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Mounted: Chuck Testa and Friends|url = http://www.carbontv.com/shows/mounted-chuck-testa-and-friends|website = CarbonTV|access-date = 2016-10-13}}</ref>
== Music == Testa was featured in Logan Hugueny-Clark's 2013 "Nuketown the Musical". It is a ''Call of Duty: Black Ops II'' musical parody of the 2013 song Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Clark |first1=Logan-Hugueny |title=♪ NUKETOWN THE MUSICAL FEAT. CHUCK TESTA - Black Ops 2 Zombies Parody |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsP1VJAWXSw&ab_channel=LHUGUENY |website=Youtube.com |date=August 29, 2013 |publisher=LHUGUENY |access-date=1 February 2023 |ref=12}}</ref>
The 2019 song "Whip a Tesla" by Yung Gravy and bbno$ mentions Testa in the chorus, referencing the "Nope" meme.<ref>{{Citation|title=Yung Gravy & bbno$ – Whip a Tesla|url=https://genius.com/Yung-gravy-and-bbno-whip-a-tesla-lyrics|language=en|access-date=2020-01-10}}</ref><blockquote>''Told your bitch, "Nope," like I'm fuckin' Chuck Testa''</blockquote>Testa makes a cameo in the music video.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.carbontv.com/shows/mounted-chuck-testa-and-friends/ Mounted: Chuck Testa and Friends] *[http://www.ojaitaxidermy.com/ Ojai Valley Taxidermy] *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyOGIsds2C4 Whip a Tesla Music Video]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Testa, Chuck}} Category:Internet memes Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:Taxidermists Category:People from Ojai, California Category:Businesspeople from California Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:21st-century American businesspeople Category:Viral videos