Shortland Street has long had its finger on the pulse of popular culture, but a line uttered in 2017 by core character Chris Warner (Michael Galvin) to his son Harry (Reid Walker) entered the global consciousness. The line deftly addresses a serious issue — the trend of 'sexting' amongst young people — with dad-style humour. Within hours it went viral. The scene made global headlines, including via high-profile Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with host Jimmy Kimmel and surprise guest Alec Baldwin (as Chris Warner) recreating the awkward cliffhanger. Warner recalls the surreal experience of going viral here.
...I don't know much about the show itself, but what I do know is a hell of a cliffhanger when I see one.– American chat show host Jimmy Kimmel introduces his parody of 'penis-gate'
Jimmy Kimmel and Alec Baldwin recreate the penis moment, YouTube, March 2017
The penis moment is named New Zealand's quote of the year, Stuff, December 2017
Article on New Zealand's 'penis-gate' going global, The NZ Herald, February 2017
The Spinoff collects memes inspired by the penis moment, February 2017
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