Charles A. Testa (born 1956) is an American

taxidermist Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proc ...

and owner of Ojai Valley Taxidermy in California.Kelly, David (January 6, 2002)
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.
''

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'' A commercial for Testa's business created by Rhett & Link for the show ''Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings'' became a

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, 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

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store in

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, before he began preserving wildlife.Hernandez, Marjorie (September 28, 2011)
Video of resident Ojai taxidermist goes viral.
''

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Commercial and response

In summer 2011, Testa's future son-in-law posted a commercial for Testa's business on YouTube. The video was originally created by Rhett & Link for the show ''Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings'' on IFC. 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

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and

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, spurring mainstream media coverage, including

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and CBS. The video was also ranked as the #10 best meme of 2011 by ''

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'' magazine's Nick Carbone.

Television appearances

In 2012, Chuck Testa appeared in two episodes of Rhett & Link's Web series,

Good Mythical Morning ''Good Mythical Morning'' (abbreviated as ''GMM'') is an American comedy, talk and variety YouTube series created by Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. The show first aired on YouTube on January 9, 2012, and continues to be uploaded every weekda ...

. 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. In 2015, Chuck Testa was featured in Season 1, Episode 1 of CarbonTV's original series, ''American Elements''. In 2016, Chuck Testa and Ojai Valley Taxidermy were featured in the Web documentary ''Mounted: Chuck Testa and Friends'' on CarbonTV.

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 Robin Alan Thicke (born March 10, 1977) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his 2013 hit single " Blurred Lines", which is one of the best-selling singles of all time. At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, h ...

. The 2019 song "Whip a Tesla" by

Yung Gravy Matthew Raymond Hauri (born March 19, 1996), known professionally as Yung Gravy, is an American rapper. He first gained recognition in 2017, when his song "Mr. Clean" gained traction on SoundCloud, and is now RIAA certified Platinum. Since 201 ...

and Bbno$ mentions Testa in the chorus, referencing the "Nope" meme.

''Told your bitch, "Nope," like I'm fuckin' Chuck Testa''

Testa makes a cameo in the music video.

References

External links

Mounted: Chuck Testa and FriendsOjai Valley TaxidermyWhip a Tesla Music Video
{{DEFAULTSORT:Testa, Chuck Internet memes 1956 births Living people Taxidermists People from Ojai, California Businesspeople from California 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople Viral videos