Original artwork, not a still
The alien-visitor catchphrase, from Alex Graham's 1953 New Yorker cartoon, whose caption was "Kindly take us to your President!"
Take me to your leader.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the first-contact joke, funny because the aliens expect a single throne. The cartoon puts the humour on the speakers, who ask the wrong creature for a leader, and the phrase then became shorthand for any exchange where someone skips straight to the top. It remains the default line for anyone doing a flying-saucer voice.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Take Me to Your Leader (The New Yorker cartoon)Show the scene
The idea of strangers demanding to meet the authorities is older than flying saucers: Wikipedia notes that British captain William T. Wawn described the phrase in 1893 in a South Pacific trading context. Its alien version is believed to come from a 1953 cartoon by Alex Graham in The New Yorker, which showed two aliens addressing a horse. By May 1957, when the Mr. Zero episode of Adventures of Superman aired, the phrase was already a popular cliche and a stock gag in science fiction and parody.
Sources (1)
- Wikipedia: Take me to your leader (phrase)Opening paragraphsReference checked
Context reviewed