Im Here To Kick Ass And Chew Bubblegum

1988Catchphrase / snowcloneclassic

Also known as: "Chew Bubblegum and Kick Ass" · "All Out of Bubblegum" · "Kick Ass and Chew Bubblegum"

Im Here To Kick Ass And Chew Bubblegum is a 1988 catchphrase from pro wrestler Roddy Piper's ad-libbed line in They Live, spawning a snowclone format swapping the punchline across video games, anime, comics, and internet memes.

"I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and I'm all out of bubblegum" is a one-liner from the 1988 sci-fi film *They Live*, ad-libbed on set by pro wrestler Roddy Piper. The quote became one of the most recognizable pre-fight declarations in pop culture, spawning decades of parodies in video games, anime, comics, and internet memes that swap out "kick ass" or "bubblegum" for whatever fits the joke.

movie quote memessnowclone memescatchphrase memesgamingthey live memes

Overview

The quote follows a specific comedic structure: the speaker announces two intentions (one violent, one mundane), then reveals they're "all out of" the mundane one, implying only the violent option is left. In *They Live*, the full line is "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum"1. The reversed version, "kick ass and chew bubblegum," is actually the more common phrasing online, as many people find it flows more naturally7.

The meme format works as a snowclone: swap "kick ass" with any aggressive action, replace "bubblegum" with something harmless, and you've got a joke. People have adapted it to everything from selling propane to playing card games to eating cupcakes7.

The line comes from John Carpenter's 1988 film *They Live*, a sci-fi action movie about a drifter named Nada who discovers that aliens disguised as humans secretly control society1. After finding sunglasses that reveal the aliens' true faces, Nada grabs a shotgun and walks into a bank full of disguised aliens. That's when Piper delivered the line2.

Here's the thing: it wasn't in the script. Roddy Piper, the Canadian pro wrestler cast as Nada, improvised it on the spot. Carpenter himself confirmed that Piper ad-libbed the zinger while the cameras were rolling3. In a 2013 interview, Piper explained how it happened: "It was one of those, 'Roddy, you've got bullets on you, you've got a shotgun, you've got sunglasses, you go into a bank, you're not gonna rob it, say something... action!' 'I'm all out of bubblegum.' 'Lunch!' That was it. No more than that"4.

A possible precursor exists in the 1973 film *Five on the Black Hand Side*, which contains the line "I ain't giving up nothing but bubblegum and hard times, and I'm fresh out of bubblegum"4. Whether Piper had ever heard this earlier version is unknown, but the structural similarity is notable.

Origin & Background

Platform
*They Live* (film)
Key People
Roddy Piper, John Carpenter
Date
1988

The line comes from John Carpenter's 1988 film *They Live*, a sci-fi action movie about a drifter named Nada who discovers that aliens disguised as humans secretly control society. After finding sunglasses that reveal the aliens' true faces, Nada grabs a shotgun and walks into a bank full of disguised aliens. That's when Piper delivered the line.

Here's the thing: it wasn't in the script. Roddy Piper, the Canadian pro wrestler cast as Nada, improvised it on the spot. Carpenter himself confirmed that Piper ad-libbed the zinger while the cameras were rolling. In a 2013 interview, Piper explained how it happened: "It was one of those, 'Roddy, you've got bullets on you, you've got a shotgun, you've got sunglasses, you go into a bank, you're not gonna rob it, say something... action!' 'I'm all out of bubblegum.' 'Lunch!' That was it. No more than that".

A possible precursor exists in the 1973 film *Five on the Black Hand Side*, which contains the line "I ain't giving up nothing but bubblegum and hard times, and I'm fresh out of bubblegum". Whether Piper had ever heard this earlier version is unknown, but the structural similarity is notable.

How It Spread

*They Live* opened at number one at the North American box office in 1988, but the bubblegum line's spread into wider pop culture happened gradually over years rather than overnight.

The biggest early amplifier was Duke Nukem 3D in 1996. The game's wisecracking protagonist delivers a slightly tweaked version of the line in the third episode, "Shrapnel City". Duke Nukem's version became so widely known that many people wrongly believe the quote originated from the game rather than the film. The game itself drew heavily from action movie quotes, pulling lines from *Aliens*, *Dirty Harry*, *Evil Dead II*, *Full Metal Jacket*, and *Pulp Fiction* alongside the *They Live* reference.

The 1993 film *Dazed and Confused* contains a structural cousin of the joke. Ben Affleck's character says "I only came here to do two things, kick some ass and drink some beer," followed by a friend noting "Looks like we're almost outta beer".

Online, the quote became a snowclone template. TV Tropes documents dozens of variations across media: *Samurai Deeper Kyo* swapped bubblegum for mochi balls, *Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series* had Kaiba declare "I'm here to kick ass and play card games, and I'm all out of cards," and a popular *King of the Hill* meme quotes Hank Hill saying "I'm here to kick ass and sell propane, and I'm all out of propane". The Dragon Ball Abridged team even botched the format on purpose: "I'm here to kick bubblegum and chew ass, and I'm all out of ass... wait".

The *Marvel Zombies* series adapted it for the robot Aaron Stack: "I have been programmed to eviscerate your repulsive squishy organic bits and chew gum. And I hate gum".

How to Use This Meme

The template follows a simple three-part structure:

1

Declare two activities — one aggressive or dominant, one completely mundane. "I'm here to [aggressive thing] and [mundane thing]."

2

Reveal the mundane option is unavailable. "And I'm all out of [mundane thing]."

3

The implication is clear: only the aggressive option is left.

Cultural Impact

The line's cultural footprint extends well beyond memes. John Carpenter's *They Live* was originally a political satire targeting Reaganomics and the commercialization of American culture. Carpenter wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym "Frank Armitage," basing it on Ray Nelson's 1963 short story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning". The film has since gained a cult following and is now regarded as one of Carpenter's best works.

The bubblegum quote, along with the film's famously long fight scene between Piper and co-star Keith David, became the two most referenced elements of the movie. Piper, who died on July 31, 2015, saw the line outlive him as one of his most enduring contributions to pop culture. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 by Ric Flair, who called him "the most gifted entertainer in the history of professional wrestling".

Academically, *They Live* and its imagery (including the bubblegum line) have been studied for how the film's anti-establishment messaging has been co-opted across the political spectrum, with various groups using its "hidden truth revealed by special glasses" framework to push their own narratives.

Fun Facts

Piper said he had no idea what the line actually meant. "Yeah, I couldn't tell you what it really means, either," he told interviewers in 2013.

The word order most people use ("kick ass and chew bubblegum") is actually reversed from the original film version, which puts "chew bubblegum" first.

*They Live* was based on a short story from 1963, but the bubblegum line has no equivalent in the source material. It exists purely because Carpenter told Piper to improvise.

A structurally similar line appeared 15 years earlier in the 1973 film *Five on the Black Hand Side*: "I ain't giving up nothing but bubblegum and hard times, and I'm fresh out of bubblegum".

Urban Dictionary's entry for the quote attributes it solely to Duke Nukem 3D, proving how thoroughly the game eclipsed the film as the line's perceived origin for a generation of gamers.

Derivatives & Variations

Duke Nukem 3D version

— "It's time to kick ass and chew bubblegum... and I'm all out of gum." The 1996 game's adaptation is probably more widely recognized among gamers than the original film line[6].

Hank Hill edit

— A popular image macro quotes Hank Hill as saying "I'm here to kick ass and sell propane, and I'm all out of propane," noted as being perfectly in character despite never appearing on the show[7].

Abridged series parodies

— Multiple anime abridged series adapted the format, including Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged ("kick ass and play card games"), Bleach Abridged, and Dragon Ball Abridged, which deliberately mangled it[7].

"Dazed and Confused" variant

— The 1993 film's "kick some ass and drink some beer / almost outta beer" exchange uses the same comedic structure[8].

Inverted versions

— Some parodies flip the joke by having the character discover they actually have plenty of the mundane item, removing the threat entirely. A *Professor Layton* meme and a *My Little Pony* fan work both use this approach[7].

Frequently Asked Questions

Im Here To Kick Ass And Chew Bubblegum

1988Catchphrase / snowcloneclassic

Also known as: "Chew Bubblegum and Kick Ass" · "All Out of Bubblegum" · "Kick Ass and Chew Bubblegum"

Im Here To Kick Ass And Chew Bubblegum is a 1988 catchphrase from pro wrestler Roddy Piper's ad-libbed line in They Live, spawning a snowclone format swapping the punchline across video games, anime, comics, and internet memes.

"I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and I'm all out of bubblegum" is a one-liner from the 1988 sci-fi film *They Live*, ad-libbed on set by pro wrestler Roddy Piper. The quote became one of the most recognizable pre-fight declarations in pop culture, spawning decades of parodies in video games, anime, comics, and internet memes that swap out "kick ass" or "bubblegum" for whatever fits the joke.

movie quote memes snowclone memes catchphrase memes gaming they live memes

Overview

The quote follows a specific comedic structure: the speaker announces two intentions (one violent, one mundane), then reveals they're "all out of" the mundane one, implying only the violent option is left. In *They Live*, the full line is "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum". The reversed version, "kick ass and chew bubblegum," is actually the more common phrasing online, as many people find it flows more naturally.

The meme format works as a snowclone: swap "kick ass" with any aggressive action, replace "bubblegum" with something harmless, and you've got a joke. People have adapted it to everything from selling propane to playing card games to eating cupcakes.

The line comes from John Carpenter's 1988 film *They Live*, a sci-fi action movie about a drifter named Nada who discovers that aliens disguised as humans secretly control society. After finding sunglasses that reveal the aliens' true faces, Nada grabs a shotgun and walks into a bank full of disguised aliens. That's when Piper delivered the line.

Here's the thing: it wasn't in the script. Roddy Piper, the Canadian pro wrestler cast as Nada, improvised it on the spot. Carpenter himself confirmed that Piper ad-libbed the zinger while the cameras were rolling. In a 2013 interview, Piper explained how it happened: "It was one of those, 'Roddy, you've got bullets on you, you've got a shotgun, you've got sunglasses, you go into a bank, you're not gonna rob it, say something... action!' 'I'm all out of bubblegum.' 'Lunch!' That was it. No more than that".

A possible precursor exists in the 1973 film *Five on the Black Hand Side*, which contains the line "I ain't giving up nothing but bubblegum and hard times, and I'm fresh out of bubblegum". Whether Piper had ever heard this earlier version is unknown, but the structural similarity is notable.

Origin & Background

Platform
*They Live* (film)
Key People
Roddy Piper, John Carpenter
Date
1988

The line comes from John Carpenter's 1988 film *They Live*, a sci-fi action movie about a drifter named Nada who discovers that aliens disguised as humans secretly control society. After finding sunglasses that reveal the aliens' true faces, Nada grabs a shotgun and walks into a bank full of disguised aliens. That's when Piper delivered the line.

Here's the thing: it wasn't in the script. Roddy Piper, the Canadian pro wrestler cast as Nada, improvised it on the spot. Carpenter himself confirmed that Piper ad-libbed the zinger while the cameras were rolling. In a 2013 interview, Piper explained how it happened: "It was one of those, 'Roddy, you've got bullets on you, you've got a shotgun, you've got sunglasses, you go into a bank, you're not gonna rob it, say something... action!' 'I'm all out of bubblegum.' 'Lunch!' That was it. No more than that".

A possible precursor exists in the 1973 film *Five on the Black Hand Side*, which contains the line "I ain't giving up nothing but bubblegum and hard times, and I'm fresh out of bubblegum". Whether Piper had ever heard this earlier version is unknown, but the structural similarity is notable.

How It Spread

*They Live* opened at number one at the North American box office in 1988, but the bubblegum line's spread into wider pop culture happened gradually over years rather than overnight.

The biggest early amplifier was Duke Nukem 3D in 1996. The game's wisecracking protagonist delivers a slightly tweaked version of the line in the third episode, "Shrapnel City". Duke Nukem's version became so widely known that many people wrongly believe the quote originated from the game rather than the film. The game itself drew heavily from action movie quotes, pulling lines from *Aliens*, *Dirty Harry*, *Evil Dead II*, *Full Metal Jacket*, and *Pulp Fiction* alongside the *They Live* reference.

The 1993 film *Dazed and Confused* contains a structural cousin of the joke. Ben Affleck's character says "I only came here to do two things, kick some ass and drink some beer," followed by a friend noting "Looks like we're almost outta beer".

Online, the quote became a snowclone template. TV Tropes documents dozens of variations across media: *Samurai Deeper Kyo* swapped bubblegum for mochi balls, *Yu-Gi-Oh! The Abridged Series* had Kaiba declare "I'm here to kick ass and play card games, and I'm all out of cards," and a popular *King of the Hill* meme quotes Hank Hill saying "I'm here to kick ass and sell propane, and I'm all out of propane". The Dragon Ball Abridged team even botched the format on purpose: "I'm here to kick bubblegum and chew ass, and I'm all out of ass... wait".

The *Marvel Zombies* series adapted it for the robot Aaron Stack: "I have been programmed to eviscerate your repulsive squishy organic bits and chew gum. And I hate gum".

How to Use This Meme

The template follows a simple three-part structure:

1

Declare two activities — one aggressive or dominant, one completely mundane. "I'm here to [aggressive thing] and [mundane thing]."

2

Reveal the mundane option is unavailable. "And I'm all out of [mundane thing]."

3

The implication is clear: only the aggressive option is left.

Cultural Impact

The line's cultural footprint extends well beyond memes. John Carpenter's *They Live* was originally a political satire targeting Reaganomics and the commercialization of American culture. Carpenter wrote the screenplay under the pseudonym "Frank Armitage," basing it on Ray Nelson's 1963 short story "Eight O'Clock in the Morning". The film has since gained a cult following and is now regarded as one of Carpenter's best works.

The bubblegum quote, along with the film's famously long fight scene between Piper and co-star Keith David, became the two most referenced elements of the movie. Piper, who died on July 31, 2015, saw the line outlive him as one of his most enduring contributions to pop culture. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 by Ric Flair, who called him "the most gifted entertainer in the history of professional wrestling".

Academically, *They Live* and its imagery (including the bubblegum line) have been studied for how the film's anti-establishment messaging has been co-opted across the political spectrum, with various groups using its "hidden truth revealed by special glasses" framework to push their own narratives.

Fun Facts

Piper said he had no idea what the line actually meant. "Yeah, I couldn't tell you what it really means, either," he told interviewers in 2013.

The word order most people use ("kick ass and chew bubblegum") is actually reversed from the original film version, which puts "chew bubblegum" first.

*They Live* was based on a short story from 1963, but the bubblegum line has no equivalent in the source material. It exists purely because Carpenter told Piper to improvise.

A structurally similar line appeared 15 years earlier in the 1973 film *Five on the Black Hand Side*: "I ain't giving up nothing but bubblegum and hard times, and I'm fresh out of bubblegum".

Urban Dictionary's entry for the quote attributes it solely to Duke Nukem 3D, proving how thoroughly the game eclipsed the film as the line's perceived origin for a generation of gamers.

Derivatives & Variations

Duke Nukem 3D version

— "It's time to kick ass and chew bubblegum... and I'm all out of gum." The 1996 game's adaptation is probably more widely recognized among gamers than the original film line[6].

Hank Hill edit

— A popular image macro quotes Hank Hill as saying "I'm here to kick ass and sell propane, and I'm all out of propane," noted as being perfectly in character despite never appearing on the show[7].

Abridged series parodies

— Multiple anime abridged series adapted the format, including Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged ("kick ass and play card games"), Bleach Abridged, and Dragon Ball Abridged, which deliberately mangled it[7].

"Dazed and Confused" variant

— The 1993 film's "kick some ass and drink some beer / almost outta beer" exchange uses the same comedic structure[8].

Inverted versions

— Some parodies flip the joke by having the character discover they actually have plenty of the mundane item, removing the threat entirely. A *Professor Layton* meme and a *My Little Pony* fan work both use this approach[7].

Frequently Asked Questions