Entertainment
Top 10 NERF-Obsessed Celebrities
Pretty much every Millenial remembers the fond days of running around their backyards/neighborhoods with their Nerf guns, playing war or culturally insensitive games with their friends. It turns out that that “gun” was actually called a “Blaster” and the reason that we know that is because there is an amazing (and fervent, in a good way) collective of Nerf purists/fans online that not only talk about everything Nerf but that also get together in groups around North America to engage in Nerf battles/wars. That enthusiasm for all things squishy foam doesn’t just stop with people online, as there are celebrities who are also into Nerf culture. So, let’s take a look at the Top Ten Nerf “Obsessed” celebrities!
10. Omar Epps
In the #MeToo era, it’s hard to talk about Omar Epps without discussing the semi-recent lawsuit stating that he broke the arm of a woman on the set of a ‘Shooter’. The accident apparently happened during a scene, where she said that he went “Off-Script” and pushed her harder than the scene apparently called for. That enthusiasm appears to extend beyond filming as the above Instagram post shows, with Epps engaging in a Nerf war with his son, Omar. It’s extra special because Amir, his son, has struggled with health issues and was hospitalized in 2015 for unspecified reasons (although that was also posted on Instagram, with an image of Omar walking with his son during a three day stay in the ICU, with an oxygen tank). This post shows a couple things, one being that Epps is a good/fun father and also that Nerf is the perfect way for people of all ages to engage in good, clean fun.
9. Justin Bieber/Hailey Baldwin/Kendall Jenner
Depending on your age, this entry should either be a lot higher on the list or not on this list at all. The reality is, though, that you won’t find many more people that are more influential than the people in this entry, especially Justin Bieber and Kendall Jenner. Apparently there was a lot more behind this post, that was from way back in 2014, in terms of relationship rumors between… Really, who cares? What matters is that outside of all of that, is that that the trio was taking part in the #NerfWar campaign that was popular back then. Outside of that, the Biebs will make another apperance on this list in a few entries, so if you’re one of the few remaining Beliebers out there, calm down. We’ve most likely already pissed off the entire online Nerf community (again), we don’t need beef with the Beliebers, also.
8. Hamish and Andy
Hamish and Andy might be on a first name basis in their native Australia, where their show The Hamish & Andy Show (and it’s multiple follow-ups) have made them one of the top comedy duos down under. Some may question why they’re listed higher than people like Justin Bieber, and the real reason is because the content they created with #NerfWars in mind, which as you’ve now seen is some of the most entertaining on this entire list. Basically, they targeted a member of the offices of one of their shows and essentially assassinated him by shooting one of the Nerf blasters that has automatic firing capabilities (don’t assassinate us if that’s not the right terminology!) at him until he ran out of the office screaming “What the hell is wrong with you?”. Outside of that looking like a fun office to work in it shows that Nerf still is as popular as ever and can bring a smile to the face of people of all ages (at least the people on the other end of the blaster).
7. Justin Bieber, Solo (and Again)
Justin Bieber has already been on this list, but it was as part of a group and just as John Lennon is listed as the artist with the most Top 500 albums of all-time by Rolling Stone as both a member of the Beatles and as a solo artist, we too must look at Bieber’s affinity for all things Nerf as part of the above group (See entry number 9) and as a solo Nerf… Herder? This image also gets extra points for showing the Biebs with a Nerf bow and arrow, one of the most bad ass of all the blasters and one that you don’t see as often as the general blasters that most of you are familiar with/stroking angrily as you read this list. Should he be higher on this list? Maybe, but he also lost points for taking his shirt of in the picture, no one needs to see that, Justin.
6. Seth Green
This one is sort of a technicality because clearly Seth Green (of Austin Powers, Family Guy and Robot Chicken fame) was hired to portray the kid in this commercial back in the day and so that doesn’t technically mean that he’s a big Nerf enthusiast. However, the commercial so perfectly sums up both the 90’s in general as well as the 90’s “Cool-Kid”/Nerf community that it gets high marks, I mean, just look at his hair. Also, kids don’t really hang out in malls anymore, because they’re all mostly empty (not counting the raccoons that moved into the spot where that arcade used to be), but it is true that “hitting the mall” with a Nerf slingshot makes it more fun, despite the fact that you’d definitely end up talking to that sad mall security guard if you actually brought and used a slingshot of any type to any mall, both pre-and-post 9/11. Although, that could’ve perhaps stopped those raccoons from moving into the arcade, so perhaps Seth Green was right after all.
5. One Direction
Speaking of feral raccoons (as if there’s any other kind?), the British boy band One Direction is the next celebrity entry on our list of Nerf enthusiasts. They actually score extra points because of how they actually used their Nerf blasters. As you’ve seen, some people made this list just for posing (shirtless like the Biebs *shutter*) with their blaster(s), however the fellas in One Direction basically managed to use their blasters as they were originally intended, to wound the paparazzi (while also keeping their clean cut, good guy personas intact). Unfortunately, the paparazzi actually enjoyed it and kept asking for more, because that would mean that they could email TMZ the photos and actually have enough money to go to the liquor store to forget, if only for one evening, what they do for a living. Well done, One Direction, keep up the mediocre work.
4. Adam Savage
Part of what makes the online (and offline, to be fair) Nerf community so awesome is the fact that a lot of the people who get, or stay, into everything Nerf spend a lot of time basically turning their blasters into amazing psuedo-weapons. Those modders typically start with blasters that have available tactical rails that allow people to customize their blasters in a few, Nerf approved, ways. While we’ve been told, or angrily shouted at, that adding Nerf scopes or shoulder stocks to a blaster isn’t technically modding, it is what gets a lot of people into modding in the first place. One of those people happens to be Adam Savage, the previous host of Myth Busters on the television set. If you’re not familiar with that show, the title should tell you all you need to know with one other caveat, that being that Adam was the funny/goofy one on the show that typically got the goat of the other host who (in Jamie Hyneman) was the more rational and emotionless one. Savage’s pre-television career was in special effects and industrial designing/fabricating and that really came in handy when he got his hands on a Nerf Longstrike CS-6 rifle, which was already a pretty bad ass blaster. Not only did he improve the power (in terms of shooting length and power) but he also improved the aesthetics of the CS-6, while adding a real scope and really making it pretty Sci-Fi in the process. Why did he do this? Outside of the clicks for his YouTube channel? Well, it turns out he was partaking in the Secret Santa giveaway on Imgur and decided to give it to one super lucky, and probably a bit confused Imgur user. Wow.
3. Ajit Pai
If you’re not from the United States or into politics you’re probably not aware of who Ajit Pai is. But since you’re either reading or listening to this online, you should be, as he’s the new FCC chairman that was appointed by President Trump and the man whose nearly solely responsible for the downfall of Net Neutrality. While BabbleTop is headquartered in Montreal, it is still very important for everyone who wants the internet to remain fair and balanced (ironically) to understand how Net Neutrality works and what it means. Granted, since it’s been overturned you’re probably not able to watch this video without adding quarters to the new government mandated coin slots for all PC’s and mobile devices, but we promise that the rest of this entry and list is worth your $2.75! While our site is probably the furthest thing from a political site/channel that you’ll find, it’s important for us to delve into the specifics of Net Neutrality because Pai actually released a “viral” video titled “Seven Things You Can still Do Online After Net Neutrality” (or as he calls it, his plan to restore “Internet Freedom”), they’re all probably the most cringe inducing attempts at reaching millenials that it felt like a Saturday Night Live skit about the exact things he was doing in the video. The reason it makes this list is that part of the list is about ordering things online for Christmas, which means of course he’s got a fidget spinner in one hand and a Nerf blaster in the other. It’s awful on every level and while you can watch it here, I’d suggest that you immediately take whatever device you’re watching it on and bury it in your backyard. http://dailycaller.com/2017/12/13/ajit-pai-wants-you-to-know-you-can-still-harlem-shake-after-net-neutrality-video/
2. Kevin Hart
One of the greatest examples of what makes Nerf amazing comes from none other than comedian/actor Kevin Hart. Hart, who has children, shows like Omar Epps above, that nothing brings different generations or parents and children together like the promise of a Nerf battle. While Hart is way more famous than Epps, the real reason that he gets such a high spot on this list is because his video shows that he definitely takes his Nerf battles very seriously. He appears to be rocking a tactical vest, that is fully decked out to the nines with extra Nerf darts (NOT BULLETS), showing that he means business. If you’ve ever played the game GoldenEye for the Nintendo 64 on a semi-serious basis against your friends, you’ll remember that most players always had a rule that no one could play as the player Oddjob because he was so short that most of the bullets flew right over his head (unless you aimed down, which was a huge advantage for a game that didn’t have two joysticks for horizontal and vertical movement). While he’s playing his young children, you have to think that in a year or two they’ll develop a no-Dadjob rule based on the fact that Hart is like five feet tall. So, enjoy your Nerf wars while you can, Kevin, based on that video we know that you definitely will. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYg_h6ZvXRU
1. Nick Jonas
Nick Jonas, formerly of the Jonas Brothers “Band” and also a direct competitor of the above mentioned Justin Bieber, lands the top spot on this list. While the evidence of his Nerf love is short, he gets points for using his blaster to shoot another celebrity in Jack Black, as well as for the fact that he managed to keep his shirt on and avoid any and all Kardashian/Jenner women, which is next to impossible if you live in the Los Angeles area. Jack Black is a national treasure and his response to getting shot really makes you think that he and Jonas were engaged in some sort of either Nerf battle, war or some version of the assassins game that mostly high school kids play across the country (in which you develop teams with hit lists that can only be taken care off outside of school), or played, before the kids started bringing real guns to school and those games were banned (despite being off school grounds to begin with). What’s great is that clearly people are still playing games like that both at meetups for the Nerf community or at their respective offices from regular working stiffs like you and us to famous people who are on the set of a movie. That’s why Jonas gets the top spot as he really brings that idea home and shows that regardless of age, gender, profession, celebrity status or ability to create palatable music… Nerf is amazing.