Danny DeVito is one of our boldest comedic improvisers, often elevating material with subtle—and sometimes strange—details that only he would think to try. One great example is from a 2006 episode of the long-running FX sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, when he added a seemingly random bit of dialogue that inspired his castmates to reverse-engineer a disco song. Well, sort of.
If you’re confused, so was Sunny creator Rob McElhenney, who appeared opposite DeVito in the aforementioned scene, a highlight from the Season Two episode "Mac Bangs Dennis’ Mom." At this point in the story, McElhenney’s Mac shows up to a nightclub as a reluctant wingman for DeVito’s Frank, who’s decked out in a garish toupee as he awkwardly tries to woo younger women. Frank launches into some hilarious dance moves and starts speak-singing the words "Go for it," the hook of a falsetto-heavy track playing in the background.
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Here’s the thing, though: There wasn’t any music in the original scene; DeVito simply decided to improvise those lyrics for whatever reason. McElhenney thought it was a hilarious choice—you can clearly see him laughing in the episode, even turning his back to the camera. And when he hit the editing room with Charlie Day (Charlie) and Glenn Howerton (Dennis), his co-stars and fellow executive producers, they decided to elevate DeVito’s improv with their doctored disco jam.
"We’re on set that day, in the scene where Frank and Mac go to the discotheque to meet some ladies," McElhenney recalled on the It’s Always Sunny Podcast. "What is in the script is that he’s got a move, a very specific move that he’s dancing to. We’re doing in the scene, and at one point—this is not scripted—he goes back on to the dance floor and says, 'Hey, ladies. I’m Frank, remember?’ Then he [starts singing], 'Goooo, go for it, go for it.' We had no idea why he’s doing that or why he’s saying that or whatever because there’s no music playing. In post[-production], we thought it was so funny, we said, 'What if we wrote a song that we sung?' That’s actually [me and Howerton] singing.’"
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Day clarified that they first found a disco song to add, then realized their lyrical addition would be a perfect connective tissue. "[W]e said, 'Wouldn’t it be funny if he were singing along to the thing?' And we sort of riffed on it. I was very jealous that, when we went to do the recording for that, I’d left for my honeymoon. That’s why it’s you two guys, which always bums me out because I would have liked to have sung 'Go for It' as well."
It seems to be unclear whether DeVito made this decision consciously—or how the dialogue was scripted—but the actor revived his "go for it" line for the cold open of Season 12 episode "Wolf Cola: A Public Relations Nightmare," muttering those words in an erratic rhythm as he excitedly walks into Paddy’s Pub and snorts some cocaine from a plastic baggie.
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In a DeVito-centric episode of the Sunny podcast, the comedy legend touched on the original "Go for it" scene, noting how he also made up a spoken-sung lyric in the 1988 film Twins, co-starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. "I improvised 'Tonight is your night, bro,'" he said. "They were going to use ['Tonight'] from West Side Story, but they didn’t want to pay for it, so I said, 'Tonight is your night, bro' and sang it over and over again until people made me stop."
During an event for the American Film Institute, Jack Nicholson—who appeared opposite DeVito in 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest—praised the actor’s improv skills during a particular scene in that movie. "The first time we did the basketball game, I passed him to the ball like this, and he turned around and threw it right into the fence, where the camera was," he said. "I laughed so hard. I thought, 'What an impulse! Fantastic!'"
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21 products that are gaslighting us into thinking they’re essential when they’re not
Some things in life are actually necessary—clean water, decent healthcare, basic human decency. But then there are the things that feel like they’re gaslighting us. The things we’re told we can’t live without, even though we survived just fine before they existed. Things like "smart" fridges, lawn fertilizer services, and yes—whole body deodorant.
Recently, our sister-site Upworthy asked their Facebook audience the question: What's a product or service that feels like it's gaslighting all of us into thinking it's necessary? More than 8,000 responses poured in. The answers were passionate, funny, and surprisingly unified.
Here are 21 products, services, and systems people called out for pretending to be essential—when they might actually be optional, overpriced, or flat-out invented.
1. Whole body deodorant
"Take a shower," said Shannon H.
“How did we ever manage all those years without it!! 😂😵💫” added Karen R.
Others noted it may help people with medical conditions—but for the average person, it's definitely a marketing creation.
2. Health insurance
It topped the list. Erica L. explained: “My doctor prescribes, the pharmacist issues meds, nurses care for people, surgeons do surgery—Health Insurance stands between health care and patients and says no, exclusively on whether they think it’s financially effective to treat you.”
Important note: Health insurance can provide life-saving access for many—but what people are frustrated by here is the profit-first system, not care itself.
3. The wedding industry
Multiple people slammed the high cost of modern weddings.
JoElla B. put it plainly: “We spend too much time and money planning one day, and not enough thought on how to blend two lives in a mutually beneficial one.”
Others called out expensive dresses, venues, and pressure to perform for social media.
4. Bottled water
Carole D. said: “Water in plastic bottles! Get a cup!”
While bottled water has value in emergencies, it’s often just filtered tap water—sold for profit in plastic.
5. Baby product overload
“Most baby products,” wrote Kelli O. “They really aren’t as needy and complicated as companies want us to think.”
6. Fabric softener
“It’s bad for clothes, bad for the Earth, bad for the wallet, and totally unnecessary,” said Gail H.
Some experts agree—many softeners contain chemicals that can reduce fabric lifespan and irritate skin.
7. Smart appliances
“Adding ‘phone controls’ to every appliance instead of making them last as long as they used to,” wrote Sherry S.
When your fridge needs a software update, something’s gone off the rails.
8. Makeup and anti-aging products
“Anything anti-aging,” said Melissa T., “Please just let me age into the gargoyle I was meant to become.”
Others questioned products designed to “fix” eyelashes, eyebrows, pores, and graying hair.
April S. added, “Products that women are convinced they MUST have in order to be ‘beautiful’ and therefore ‘loved.’”
9. Cosmetic surgery
Ron P. called out the industry as a whole. And while body autonomy matters, many commenters questioned whether insecurities are being commodified and sold back to us.
10. Ticketmaster and “convenience fees”
“Let’s go back to waiting in line at a record store,” wrote Nicole C.
Zaida B. added: “Convenience fee for online purchases—then charging $10 more at the actual event.”
11. Engagement rings
James P. didn’t mince words: “Engagement rings.”
The diamond industry has long been criticized for manufactured scarcity and marketing-fueled necessity.
12. Lawn chemicals and services
“Plant native grasses and you don’t have the pests or need for constant watering,” wrote Jamie B.
Environmental groups have raised similar concerns over runoff and unnecessary pesticide use.
13. AI and generative tech
“This stuff squeezes the lifeblood and individuality out of the human experience,” said Teresa L.
Saskia D. and others echoed skepticism about its necessity, even as many of us are being pushed to use it.
14. Funeral services
Amy W. shared: “My parents both have already paid to have themselves cremated and are very adamant that they do not want anything big done for them. In their words, ‘I won’t care, I’m dead.’”
Of course, some families find comfort in tradition—but the cost and pressure can feel overwhelming and predatory.
15. Rinse and repeat
Amy D. nailed it: “It’s just to sell more. Not even sure you need it at all.”
16. Credit Card Surcharges
Shawn S. took aim at the extra fees popping up at checkout: “That is the cost of doing business and shouldn’t be the burden of the purchaser.”
Many questioned why customers are increasingly being asked to pay extra simply for the convenience of using a card.
17. Constant phone upgrades
“Apple are notorious for releasing the same shit every year,” said Steph S.
Diana H. added, “Needing to upgrade our phones so frequently.”
Built-in obsolescence and marketing cycles drive most of the demand.
18. Vitamins and supplements
“If I took every supplement they say I NEED I wouldn’t need food. Nor could I afford it,” said Tausha L.
19. Fake pockets on women’s pants
Jessica W. said, “I have to buy men’s pants for work because women’s pants would just get torn up too fast!”
Form over function, and then they charge more for it.
20. Disposable everything
“The ‘convenience’ of disposable everything,” said Rick R.
It’s killing the planet—and draining wallets.
21. Tipping
“I’m sick of supplementing for corporations that refuse to pay a living wage,” wrote Susan V.
Tipping culture has evolved into something far removed from its original intent, and for many, it now feels like a burden shifted onto the customer.
The bigger picture
People aren’t saying all these things should vanish tomorrow. But when we start seeing convenience sold as necessity, and insecurity turned into billion-dollar markets, it's worth asking: who benefits from all of this?
And more importantly—who pays?
This article originally appeared earlier this year.