Alka-Seltzer
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Alka-Seltzer is a brand name owned by the German Bayer Corporation for a line of medications sold over the counter and taken by means of rapidly dissolving tablets that form an effervescent solution in water.
The original Alka-Seltzer is a remedy for headache, indigestion and hangover. Made by the U.S.-based Miles Laboratories, Alka-Seltzer is a combination of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and citric acid, designed to treat pain and simultaneously neutralize excess stomach acid (the "Alka" being derived from the word "alkali"). It is provided in the form of large effervescent tablets, about 1 inch (25 mm) in diameter, which are dissolved (two at a time for the usual adult dosage) in a glass of water. As the tablets dissolve, the acid and bicarbonate react vigorously producing carbon dioxide gas (hence the "Seltzer"), which also produces enough agitation to allow the active ingredients to dissolve readily. The resulting solution is then ingested by the patient.
The product has been extensively advertised since the beginning of the mass media era in the U.S. It was formerly marketed as something of a cure-all; at one time its ads even suggested taking it for "the blahs." Subsequent regulation has taken into consideration that aspirin is a relatively powerful drug which is not tolerated by everyone and should not generally be taken at all by children or adolescents due to its linkage to Reye's syndrome; the product is no longer marketed in this fashion.
The product has suffered a decline in popularity in the U.S. in recent decades; there are apparently several factors involved in this.
- The increasing medical awareness of the U.S. general public, most of whom now realize that it is not advisable to take a multi-symptom treatment product unless one has all of the symptoms that it treats (i.e., in Alka-Seltzer's case, a headache simultaneous with stomach upset.)
- A general trend away in the U.S. from aspirin-based products to those based on other pain relievers, notably acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
- The product is believed to have a bland, chalky taste, rather off-putting to some; in recent decades flavored versions have been available as a concession to that fact.
As the sale of the original product has declined, Miles has put the famous brand onto newer products, such as the Alka-Seltzer Plus line of remedies for the common cold. Some of the newer products are now neither effervescent nor aspirin-based. This is because the billions of dollars building the brand through advertising are still yielding benefits; many Americans still remember catch phrases from its ads such as "I can't believe I ate the whole thing", "Mamma mia, that's-a some spicy meatball!", "Try it, you'll like it" and "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz, oh what a relief it is"; a similar slogan in the United Kingdom referred to the "plunk plunk fizz-ics".
In late 2005, Alka Seltzer re-introduced the "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" ad with Peter Boyle, apparently "in character" as Frank Barone from the 1996–2005 TV sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond (his former TV wife, Doris Roberts as Marie Barone, appeared alongside Boyle in some of these commercials). Also well remembered was the "Speedy" character, an American advertising icon, who was either a little boy or an elf (opinions vary) whose body was primarily one Alka-Seltzer tablet while he wore another as a hat; he proclaimed Alka-Seltzer's virtues in his high, squeaky voice (provided by voice actor Dick Beals).
References in pop culture
- Bernard Black in the television comedy Black Books refers to Alka-Seltzer as "fizzygood makefeelnice".
- A reference to the 1970s Alka-Seltzer commercial with the phrase "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" was referenced in a 2006 commercial for Alka-Seltzer. Semi-coincidentally, they celebrated 75 years of Alka-Seltzer in the same advert.
- The 1970s commercial was also featured in the movie Dick. Another "Plop Plop, Fizz Fizz" ad is featured in the 1976 comedy Silver Streak (movie).
- Detective Jack Crawford (FBI) frequently takes Alka-Seltzers in the Hannibal Lecter series of books by Thomas Harris.
- George Raft starred in the 1969 Alka-Seltzer commercial "The Unfinished Lunch". It consists of Raft incarcerated and in the prison lunchroom. He takes a bite of the awful prison food and recoils back. Suddenly he bangs his cup on the steel table loudly in the lunchroom. It ripple effects throughout the room. He starts intoning "Alka Seltzer, Alka Seltzer..." Soon, the other hundreds of inmates do the same. The commercial is regarded as a "classic".
- Alka-Seltzer had a series of commercials during the mid 1960s which utilized a song called "Whatever Shape Your Stomach's In", which was recorded by the T-Bones and was released as a single which became a hit in 1966.
- Another highly regarded Alka-Seltzer commercial is one from 1970 in which an actor (he's referred to as "Jack") is trying to film a commercial for the fictional product "Magdalini's Meatballs" and constantly has to say "Mamma mia, that's-a some spicy meatball!". Take after take gets ruined by some comedic trial or another. "Jack" has eaten so many meatballs at that point that it's Alka Seltzer to the rescue. The commercial is regarded as one of the most classic commercials in history.
- Another clever Alka-Seltzer commercial from the same era is one concerning "The ultimate businessman's lunch". Seeking "revenge" on his underlings for former bad suggestions, "The Boss" [aka "Mr. J.G.", played by long-term character actor Milton Frome ] is taking his "boys" out to lunch in the most out-of-the-way place imaginable. In this instance we see them trudging through the snow in a howling windstorm towards their destination, a Chinese restaurant in the mountains of Tibet. Once inside the restaurant and removing their parkas, J.G. and the boys are greeted by the proprietor, "Moo Chee" [a thinly veiled reference to other oriental food], played by famous character actor Marvin Miller [well-known for playing Michael Anthony, personal assistant to John Beresford Tipton [III] on the 1950's TV series "The Millionaire", and the voice of "Robby the Robot" in the 1950's film Forbidden Planet ]. Moo Chee directs them into the dining room where J.G. orders all the food, including roast yak in a special hot sauce followed by "chocolate moose". One of the boys complains "but J.G., that's a French dessert!". J.G. responds "No, this is a real moose!" followed quickly by Moo Chee chiming in "with special hot chocolate sauce!" [as in hot peppers]. In the next scene we see J.G. and the boys eating and getting sick, when in comes Moo Chee announcing "Important phone call for Mr. J.G.!". In the next scene, we see the hung-up telephone [just a prop in the ruse to get away from the boys], and J.G. is finishing his Alka-Seltzer, thanking Moo Chee for his timely "rescue" from the awful food. Relieved, the boss returns to the now-empty dining room with Moo Chee. "Where are the boys?" asks J.G. The final remark is by Moo Chee "Maybe they too have important phone call, Mr. J.G." Hard to believe all of this is conveyed in a 30-second spot.
- A con man with a weak stomach is seen taking Alka-Seltzer in the movie Ocean's Eleven.
- The band Oasis mention Alka-Seltzer in relation to someone or something named 'Elsa' in their song "Supersonic."
- In the 1976 Columbia Pictures theatrical release "Taxi Driver," Travis Bickle (played by Robert De Niro) puts Alka-Seltzer in his water, during a scene in a luncheonette . Oddly enough, De Niro shares this scene with Peter Boyle, who appeared in a new ad campaign for Alka Seltzer beginning in late 2005 using slightly altered dialogue taken from the 1970s original (see above).
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