Vicks Formula 44 Quotes
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Source: Vicks Formula 44
Speaker: Chris Robinson
I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV.
Context
This line was first said in a Vicks Formula 44 commercial by Chris Robinson (1984).
Mmm, cough syrup. That's what Vicks Formula 44 is, and back in the 80s it had a commercial with this wildly popular tagline.
The commercial opened with a nice shot of actor Chris Robinson saying, "I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV." Robinson played Dr. Rick Webber on a daytime television drama called General Hospital from 1978-1986. So, when he took center stage in a commercial about cough syrup, he uses this line to establish some shred of credibility in the medical world. In the commercial, he goes on to tell us about how the cough syrup is a great product that totally works. And hey, why not listen? He played a doctor on TV, so he probably has some knowledge of the medical field, right? Right??
Where you've heard it
You trip on a root outside and slice your leg a little bit on the pavement. Your smarty-pants friend comes over and says, "Huh, well I'm not a doctor, but I think you should put a bandage on that."
Right, thanks.
Additional Notable References:
- A band called Last November has a song called "I'm Not a Doctor but I Play One on TV." Yeah, that'll be in the Top 100 soon.
Pretentious Factor
If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.
Unless you actually play a doctor on TV, then you're gonna sound pretty ridiculous quoting the whole line. Our advice? If you're not a doctor, and you don't play one on TV, steer clear of this one.