"Can You Hear Me Now"
Where would Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi be without “No Soup for You!” Would Who Wants to be a Millionaire be half as addicting if it weren’t for “Is That Your Final Answer?” Perhaps you think Rhett Butler should have given a damn. Whatever your preference, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite quotes and slogans from the media.
Where would Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi be without “No Soup for You!” Would Who Wants to be a Millionaire be half as addicting if it weren’t for “Is That Your Final Answer?” Perhaps you think Rhett Butler should have given a damn. Whatever your preference, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite quotes and slogans from the media.
No matter their origin or topic, words can be very powerful; whether they inspire, anger or merely amuse us, they evoke a sensation. Quotes and slogans can capture a moment, instill ambition, promote empathy or make us fall in love. They represent opinions, time periods, generations and movements. Quotes found in the media have a way of sticking around and become staples in American vocabulary. Between politicians, films, commercials and television shows, many memorable quotes can be found.
Ask Not What Your Country Can Dream About
Politicians are known for their communication – positive or negative. They can persuade our decisions one way or the other based on just a few words. No phrase better captures that power than in the inaugural speech by a charismatic, Massachusetts Democrat in 1961. “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for you country.” Former President John F. Kennedy’s quote struck home with many Americans who at the time were campaigning for a new direction for their country. This seemed to be it; a man who wanted and promoted change for his country and its citizens. Another important speech made by a political advocate began, “I have a dream…” and captured the essence of the civil rights movement. The 1963 speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of equality and understanding among the races during a very turbulent and racially charged period in America’s history. The next year, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, and King was awarded the Noble Peace Prize. President Franklin D. Roosevelt also promoted national courage when facing an economic slump in the middle of the Great Depression. “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” from his inaugural speech in 1933 is still used today when trying to counteract negativity over any national decline. Lastly, probably the most infamous statement made by a politician was, “I am not a crook,” spoken by Former President Richard Nixon, when claiming innocence regarding the 1972 Watergate scandal.
There’s No Crying in Baseball When You Have What She’s Having
Dorothy Gale said it best – “I have a feeling we're not in Kansas any more” (The Wizard of Oz). Films take us to faraway places, and provide us with a brief but entertaining break from our busy lives. Perhaps this is why we remember movie quotes so well, and tend to love them even more. While there are a thousand movie quotes worth mentioning, we stuck with the biggest subcategory – the classics. Humphrey Bogart told us, “Here’s looking at you, kid (Casablanca), while Robert De Niro asked us, “You talkin’ to me?” (Taxi Driver). Marlon Brando “could have been a contender” (On the Waterfront) and many years later, told his comrades, “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse (The Godfather).
An older man told a young Scarlett O’Hara, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” (Gone With the Wind), and an older woman remarked “I’ll have what she’s having” (When Harry Met Sally) after seeing Meg Ryan show Billy Crystal that yes, women can fake it. We knew it wasn’t fake when there was a problem with a certain NASA shuttle because Tom Hanks’ serious voice informed us, “Houston, we have a problem” (Apollo 13). Two other memorable Tom Hanks quotes include “Life is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you’re gonna get” (Forrest Gump) and “There’s no crying in baseball” (A League of Their Own). Another baseball movie was an inside look into the life of Lou Gehrig, who said in front of a crowded stadium, “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth” (Pride of the Yankees). A third baseball movie gave us the line, “If you build it, he will come” (Field of Dreams) and captured our love of the sport as well as father-son moments. A not so loving relationship was seen between Jack Nicholson and Tom Cruise in a military courtroom as Nicholson yells, “You can’t handle the truth!” (A Few Good Men). Perhaps the truth, and the best quote of all, is a simple line from that Kansas farm girl: “There’s no Place like Home.”
So Easy a Caveman Can Leggo my Eggo
Unlike movies, advertising slogans are fed to us on a regular basis. Repeated exposure to the same commercials over and over again force the slogans, jingles and taglines to get stuck in our heads. Who hasn’t quoted the recent Subway commercials with the “five dollar foot long” jingle? It has become embedded in our brain; just like we know that “the best part of waking up is Folger’s in your cup” or that pork is “the other white meat.” We also know that Tony the Tiger thinks Frosted Flakes are “Grrrrreat!” and that a rabbit can’t have Trix cereal because “Silly rabbit – Trix are for kids.” Some advertisers ask us questions – Allstate wants to know, “Are you in good hands?”; the Verizon man is always asking his caller, “Can you hear me now?”; and in 1980s, the little old lady at Wendy’s asked, “Where’s the beef?” Others simply tell us who they are, or offer a bit of advice. Geico is so easy “a caveman can do it,” M&Ms “Melt in your mouth, not in your hand,” and Nike reminds us to “Just do it.” Still, other advertisements dangle temptation in front us. Pringles lures us in with the line, “Once you pop, you can’t stop” and Doublemint gum promises us that it’s “Double your pleasure, double your fun.” Lastly, there are those advertisements that are easy to remember because they are simple or child-like. “Uh-oh SpaghettiO’s” and “Mmm mmm good” are two slogans that Campbell’s Soup uses, and rhyming slogans will never fade, as seen by “Leggo my Eggo” from Eggo waffles and “Oscar Meyer has a way with b-o-l-o-g-n-a.”
Doh! Is That Your Final Answer, Willis?
Because television comes into our homes and we watch it while sitting in our pajamas night after night, we have a tendency to feel comfortable with these shows. Because of this, the slogans and lines from them become part of our repertoire. Who hasn’t seen a game show? They will never go out of style – and neither will their signature catchphrases. Some ask us such questions as “Is that your final answer?” (Who Wants to be a Millionaire?) and “Survey says?” (Family Feud). Others merely state a simple line that is to the point and easy to remember, like “You are the weakest link…Goodbye!” (Weakest Link) and “You’re Fired!” (The Apprentice).
Quotes from popular television shows are prime examples of hearing the same repeated catchphrases and soon enough, they become permanent fixtures in our language. “Dyn-o-mite!” (Good Times) was a staple in American households during the ’70s. At the end of the decade, Gary Coleman’s line of “What you talkin’ bout, Willis?” had inserted itself into our social vocabulary (Diff’rent Strokes). In the ’90s, it didn’t really matter what Tim “the Tool Man” Taylor talked about because his sidekick Al was always there to say, “I don’t think so, Tim” (Home Improvement). Another TV character to repeat a catchphrase was Homer Simpson and his “Doh!” as well as his son Bart’s constant rebuttal of “Eat My Shorts” (The Simpsons). The infamous Soup Nazi in NYC dealt with his rebuttal in another way – “No Soup for You!” (Seinfeld). Lastly, we think the most well-known television song was the way its original show ended each episode back in the ’50s; “M-i-c...see you real soon” (Mickey Mouse Club). We’re pretty sure you know the rest.
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