Music writer and promoter Jeff Gilbert appeared in almost every rock-related sketch on the Seattle comedy show Almost Live! He wore these shoes on “The Lame List,” and was the one who came up with the tagline “What’s Weak this Week.” In the reoccurring sketch, a group is introduced as representing “America’s heavy metal community” and comically responds to issues of the day by shouting “Lame!” “Lame” and “weak” were used as slang at the time for “uncool” or to comment on substandard metal music. Because the literal meaning of the word “lame” refers to a physical disability it is considered ableist and discouraged from use today. Almost Live! aired from 1984 to 1999 on KING 5 in Seattle. Gilbert got connected to the show through host John Keister, who he had worked with at the music and entertainment newspaper The Rocket. In the late 80s and early 90s the metal scene was closely intertwined with what would become the grunge scene. Gilbert commented that the groups could be distinguished by their shoes: “The metal guys would wear their white tennis shoes while the grunge guys always wore Doc Martens.”