Love Song

How Did "What is Love?" Become So Big and So Queer?


A Night at the Roxbury grew out of a ongoing joke on Saturday Night Live in which the Buttabi brothers (aka the Roxbury brothers) always go out clubbing and always play their favorite song, "What is Love?"

This becomes the climax of the movie:

Steve is in the middle of a wedding to Emily. Doug comes out of his room, holding high a boom box playing their signature tune, “What is Love?” This causes Steve to rethink his marriage to Emily (who promptly marries the best man).

Next scene is of the reconciliation of the Buttabi's.

This scene takes place on a bridge over a river, lots of flowers, traditional romantic imagery.

Doug: I said a lot of bad things before [but] we're brothers . . . When we're together, I just . . . You don't drag me down, I drag me down. You . . . you complete me.

Steve: Shut up, just shut up. You had me at “hello.”

[They hug]


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A Night at the Roxbury. Dir. John Fortenberry. Paramount Pictures, 2 October 1998. Movie. 22 June 2009.

"A Night at the Roxbury Poster." http://www.aktobekino.com. <http://www.aktobekino.com/movie/n/night_at_the_roxbury.jpg>. Web Graphic. 22 June 2009.

Last Modified: June 10, 2009