More than any other superstar, Mick Foley is the king of reinvention. He shocked fans as the psychotic Cactus Jack, he scared fans as the deranged Mankind and he entertained them as the king of boogie, Dude Love. All three personas had memorable catchphrases like Cactus Jacks Bang bang! and Dude Loves Ow, have mercy! but it was Mankinds Have A Nice Day! that transcended wrestling and crossed over into the mainstream. Well, its more like it passed through wrestling. The image of the yellow smiley face with Have A Nice Day had been around since the seventies, but in the nineties it was reimagined as something a lot more ironic and cynical. Mankind adopted the catchphrase and made it something sinister. He was saying that he was going to hurt you beyond pain youve ever experienced, but besides that, he hopes you have a nice day. The phrase took on a new life when Mankind transitioned away from the scary burlap covered madman to the more comedy-styled character of the late nineties, and it was so associated it with him that Mick Foleys first autobiography is called Have A Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. Now when you tell someone to Have A Nice Day, dont be surprised to see them flash the finger guns back at you.
