Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Two syllables of pure Italian-American cartoon. Before 1996 Mario's sounds were beeps; with Martinet, 'Mamma mia!' became the way a generation heard him, and the cliche is now self-aware enough that Martinet could answer a question about Mario's last name with a family tree of Mamas Mia. It remains the quickest way to impersonate Nintendo's mascot.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Super Mario 64Show the scene
Super Mario 64 (1996) was the first Super Mario game to give Mario a voice, and the game popularised Charles Martinet's performance as the plumber; he would voice the character from 1991 to 2023. 'Mamma mia!' is one of the Italian-flavoured exclamations that performance made standard. Martinet also joked at San Diego Comic-Con in 2012 that Mario's mother is called Mama Mia Mario.
Sources (3)
- Super Mario Wiki: Super Mario 64IntroductionReference checked
- Super Mario Wiki: MarioName sectionReference checked
- Wikipedia: Charles MartinetLeadReference checked
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