On Delaware Day, a very Delaware salute to the state in pop culture

On Dec. 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state.

And since then, people outside of our little hamlet have often belittled or ignored it altogether.

But every so often, Delaware gets a moment in the spotlight. And it reinforces that the rest of the country has no idea what to make of Delaware.

Here are a few of Delaware's shining moments in pop culture. Kind of.

Hi, I'm in ... Delaware.

Of course we have to start with the one that has delighted and plagued Delawareans for decades.

"Wayne's World," the movie adaptation of the hit Saturday Night Life sketch, hit screens in 1992 and became an instant quote machine.

One of the most lasting scenes is the one in which the two hosts try out a green screen that allows them to "travel through time and space." They try it out by virtually traveling to New York to see a Broadway show and to Texas to rope broncos.

And to Delaware to do ... something. 

"Imagine being able to be magically whisked away to Delaware. Hi. I'm in ... Delaware."

What, no mention of tax-free shopping? 

'Fight Club'

Yes, finally a movie set in Delaware! But there's a hitch: They don't mention Wilmington explicitly.

The movie is set in a city with no name, but sharp viewers can deduce they're talking about the state's largest city. 

Edward Norton at one point talks to Brad Pitt about how fight clubs are springing up in places like Delaware City and New Castle. They also identify the city as the home to a number of credit card companies.

Wilmington was specifically named in the original script, but was dropped for legal reasons, according to this News Journal story from 2001.

There was also a real-life fight club in Wilmington. Here's what we reported about it in 2014.

'Less' by Andrew Sean Greer

The main character in this year's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is from Delaware. Finally!  He spends most of the book, however, traveling the world to escape going to his ex-boyfriend's wedding.

Greer is from Rockville, Maryland, originally, and recently told the Washingtonian that he used Camden, Delaware, as a stand-in for Rockville. He also said he doesn't think he's ever been to Delaware. 

"I picked Delaware because I thought, well, no one will ever ask me about that," he told The Washingtonian.

Did you know: Delaware is the first state. Also, it exists.

'Steven Universe'

Less familiar to the masses but with a healthy cult following is the Delmarva-set "Steven Universe."

The lauded Cartoon Network series is about Steven, a half-human, half-gem young boy who lives with three female superheroes, the Crystal Gems: Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst.  

The show takes place in Beach City, Delmarva. The show's creator, Rebecca Sugar, has shared a map of the town, which is flanked the Atlantic Ocean and Rehoboth Bay.

Sounds familiar.

Her brother, Steven, the inspiration for the series and an artist, told The Washington Post in 2013 that "There are a few not-so-subtle references to Rehoboth Beach in there. The whole town is a sort of amalgam of Rehoboth, Bethany and Dewey." 

'Delaware' by Perry Como

What did Dela wear? A brand New Jersey, of course.

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