From January 2, 1989, until May 27, 1994, he had a Paramount contract to host a nationwide syndicated late night talk show, "The Arsenio Hall Show". The show became a breakout, late-night success, especially rating high among the coveted younger demographic and known for its audience's distinctive alternative to applause in chanting, "Woof, woof, woof!"(which originated in the Cleveland Browns' Dawg Pound in the east end zone), while pumping their fists. The practice soon became such a ritual that by 1991 it had become a "pop culture stamp of approval" — one that Hall said had become "so popular it's getting on people's nerves". The gesture was so well known that it appeared in films such as "Pretty Woman", "Passenger 57", "Aladdin", and "The Hard Way".