Highlights of Paper Originally Presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C., August 7, 2000
HASTA LA VISTA, BABY
(7th most popular movie quote for all respondents)
SHOW ME THE MONEY
(Most popular movie quote, #1, with female respondents)
FRANKLY, MY DEAR, I DON’T GIVE A DAMN
(4th most popular for respondents under 26 years of age)
GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY
(2nd most popular movie quote for respondents over 50 years of age)
I HAVE HEMORRHOIDS SMARTER THAN YOU
(only one person listed it, but it was so funny we had to put it in
this news release.
It’s from the 1994 sci-fi western, Oblivion)
California State University, Los Angeles Media Psychology Lab, under the directorship of Stuart Fischoff, Ph.D., Professor of Media Psychology, releases the results of its study conducted between June, 1999 and May, 2000.
A nationwide, cross-sectional sample of 1,083 respondents ranging in ages from 10 to 90, representing the four major ethnic groups and an equal number of males and females, were surveyed as to their favorite movie quotes. Quotes were tallied, and categorized according to the emotion expressed (positive, negative, neutral) and also according to the sentiments expressed (sexual, romantic, physically or verbally aggressive, despair, etc.)
Commentary:
“While Americans have a place in their hearts for romantic movie quotes and words of wisdom, they prefer movie quotes which express aggression and sarcastic one-upmanship. America is embracing well-formed phrases that say, GOTCHA!” said Stuart Fischoff, Ph.D. Director of the study. “It looks like Americans are feeling annoyed, frustrated, resentful and fed-up. To characterize and to summarize what Americans prefer in their movie quotes, it’s hasta la vista punk, you’ve made my day.”
“It is noteworthy that of the top 20 quotes for all respondents (actually more because of ties), only four (15%) are out of the mouths of women actors. It is not surprising that females list more favorite movie quotes spoken by male characters than females. Most movies are made for men, the dialogue is written by men for men,” said Fischoff.
“Young people are into flip, smart-ass, aggressive put-downs and kiss-offs, said Fischoff. “People over 50 years of age show a departure from the preference for hostile-aggressive movie quotes. It is not that people over 50 are less angry, it is that they choose sarcasm and bitchiness over physical or verbal violence.”
“Although we asked the respondents for their ethnic identification, (Asian, White etc.), ethnicity did not make a difference. Everyone, Asians, Latinos, Whites, African-Americans etc. preferred aggressive movie quotes. The differences in specific choices were in gender and in the three age groups, young (under 26), middle (26-49) and over 50 years of age,” added Fischoff.
“Some quotes, of course, are just irresistibly cool, especially those from the 007 series. “Bond, James Bond” and “Shaken, not stirred” possess a sang froid that seems magnetic. Humans fantasize about being self-possessed in the most dangerous or consequential situations. Recalling James Bond’s words may give us the spine we need,” commented Fischoff.
LIST OF TABLES ATTACHED: (Please note that in each top list, there are ties for position)
TABLE 2 Top Quotes, all respondents
TABLE 3 Top 20 Quotes, respondents under 26 years of age
TABLE 4 Top 20 Quotes for respondents 26-49 years of age
TABLE 5 Top 20 Quotes for respondents over 50 years of age
TABLE 6 Top 20 Quotes for males
TABLE 7 Top 20 Quotes for females
POINTS AND DETAILS:
PEOPLE RECALL PREDOMINANTLY NEGATIVE SENTIMENTS.
MALES CITE MORE NEGATIVE VALENCE QUOTES THAN FEMALES.
MALES CITE MORE AGGRESSIVE/HOSTILE QUOTES THAN FEMALES.
FEMALES CITE MORE ROMANTIC AND AFFECTIONATE QUOTES THAN MALES.
AGE IS A DETERMINING FACTOR IN THE SENTIMENT OF THE QUOTE THAT IS REMEMBERED.
TABLE 2
TOP QUOTES ALL RESPONDENTS
1 I’ll be back (The Terminator)
2 Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. (Gone with the Wind)
3 Show me the money. (Jerry Maguire)
4 Go ahead, make my day. (Sudden Impact)
5 Mama always said life is like a box of chocolates...(Forrest Gump)
6 You can’t handle the truth (A Few Good Men)
7 Hasta la vista, baby. (T2)
8 May the force be with you (Star Wars)
9 There’s no place like home (The Wizard of Oz)
10 Yeah, baby (Austin Powers)
11* Here’s looking at you, kid (Casablanca)
11* E.T., phone home (E.T.)
12* (I’ll) make him an offer he can’t refuse (The Godfather)
12* Bond, James Bond (James Bond films)
13 Are you talking to me? (Taxi Driver)
14 I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore (Network)
15 Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night (All
About Eve)
16 You complete me (Jerry Maguire)
17 Hakuna Matata (The Lion King)
18* Play it again, Sam (Casablanca)
(Actually: Play it
once, Sam, for old time’s sake. Play ‘As Time Goes By’)
18* Run, Forrest, run. (Forrest Gump)
18* Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more (The Wizard of
Oz)
18* We don’t need no stinking badges (Treasure of Sierra Madre)
(Actually: Badges? We ain’t go no badges. We don’t need
no badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges.)
19 I love the smell of napalm in the morning (Apocalypse Now)
20 Say hello to my little friend (Scarface)
TABLE 3
TOP 20 MOVIE QUOTES
YOUNG: UNDER THE AGE OF 26
1 I’ll be back (The Terminator)
2 Show me the money (Jerry Maguire)
3 Mama always said life is like a box of chocolates...(Forrest Gump)
4 Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn (Gone with the
Wind)
5 Hasta la vista, baby (T2)
6 May the force be with you (Star Wars)
7 Yeah, baby (Austin Powers films)
8 Go ahead, make my day (Sudden Impact)
9 Do I make you horny? (Austin Powers)
10 You can’t handle the truth (A Few Good Men)
11 E.T. phone home (E.T.)
12 You complete me (Jerry Maguire)
13 (I’ll) make him an offer he can’t refuse (The Godfather)
14* Oh, behave (Austin Powers)
14* There’s no place like home (Wizard of Oz)
14* You got knocked the fuck out (Friday)
15 To infinity and beyond (Toy Story)
16 Say hello to my little friend (Scarface)
17 You had me at hello (Jerry Maguire)
18 Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth? (Rush
Hour)
19* Hakuna Matata (The Lion King)
19* Here’s looking at you, kid (Casablanca)
19* Use the force, Luke (Star Wars)
19* As if...(Clueless)
19* Run, Forrest, run (Forrest Gump)
20* Are you talking to me? (Taxi Driver)
20* Luke, I’m your father (Star Wars)
TABLE 4
TOP 20 MOVIE QUOTES
MIDDLE: 26 TO 49 YEARS OF AGE
TABLE 5
TOP 20 MOVIE QUOTES
OLDER: 50+ YEARS OF AGE
1 Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn (Gone With the Wind)
2 Go ahead, make my day (Sudden Impact)
3 There’s no place like home (The Wizard of Oz)
4 I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore (Network)
5 You can’t handle the truth (A Few Good Men)
6 Show me the money (Jerry Maguire)
7 Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night (All
About Eve)
8 Here’s looking at you, kid (Casablanca)
9 I coulda been a contender (On The Waterfront)
10 Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates...(Forrest Gump)
11 We don’t need no stinking badges (Treasure of Sierra Madre)
Actual quote: Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We
don’t need no badges. I don’t have to show you any stinking badges.
12 (I’ll) make him an offer he can’t refuse (The Godfather)
13 Play it again, Sam (Casablanca)
(Actually: Play it once, Sam, for old time’s sake. Play
‘As Time Goes By’)
14* Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more (The Wizard
of Oz)
14* Bond, James Bond (James Bond films)
14* I vant to be alone (Grand Hotel)
15 May the force be with you (Star Wars)
16 I’ll be back (The Terminator)
17 Plastics (The Graduate)
18* Round up the usual suspects (Casablanca)
18* That’ll do pig, that’ll do (Babe)
19 I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille (Sunset Boulevard)
20* We’ll always have Paris (Casablanca)
20* What do we do now? (The Candidate)
20* The horror, the horror (Apocalypse Now)
TABLE 6
TOP 20 MOVIE QUOTES
MALES
1 I’ll be back (The Terminator)
2 Go ahead, make my day (Sudden Impact)
3 Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn (Gone With the Wind)
4 Show me the money (Jerry Maguire)
5 You can’t handle the truth (A Few Good Men)
6 May the force be with you (Star Wars)
7 Hasta la vista, baby (T2)
8 Mama always said life is like a box of chocolates (Forrest
Gump)
9 Bond, James Bond (James Bond movies)
10 Here’s looking at you, kid (Casablanca)
11 Are you talking to me? (Taxi Driver)
12 I love the smell of napalm in the morning (Apocalypse Now)
13 E.T. phone home (E. T.)
14* Yeah, baby (Austin Powers films)
14* (I’ll) make him an offer he can’t refuse (The Godfather)
14* I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more (Network)
15* Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night (All
About Eve)
15* I coulda been a contender (On the Waterfront)
16 Play it again, Sam (Casablanca)
(Actually: Play it once, Sam, for old time’s sake. Play
‘As Time Goes By’)
17 There’s no place like home (The Wizard of Oz)
18 Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more (The Wizard of
Oz)
19 We don’t need no stinking badges (The Treasure of Sierra Madre)
Actual quote: Badges? We ain’t got no badges. We
don’t need no badges.I don’t have to show you any stinking badges.
20 Round up the usual suspects (Casablanca)
TABLE 7
TOP 20 MOVIE QUOTES
FEMALES
1 Show me the money (Jerry Maguire)
2 Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn (Gone With The Wind)
3 Mama always said life is like a box of chocolates (Forrest
Gump)
4 I’ll be back (The Terminator)
5 Hasta la vista, baby (T2)
6 There’s no place like home (The Wizard of Oz)
7 Go ahead, make my day (Sudden Impact)
8 You can’t handle the truth (A Few Good Men)
9 Yeah, baby (Austin Powers movies)
10 You complete me (Jerry Maguire)
11 Hakuna Matata (The Lion King)
12 Here’s looking at you, kid (Casablanca)
13 You had me at hello (Jerry Maguire)
14 Oh, behave (Austin Powers)
15 Run, Forrest, run (Forrest Gump)
16 I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more (Network)
17 I vant to be alone (Grand Hotel)
18* Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night (All
Above Eve)
18* To infinity and beyond (Toy Story)
19 As if (Clueless)
20* That’ll do pig, that’ll do (Babe)
20* Stupid is as stupid does (Forrest Gump)
20* Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas any more (The Wizard of
Oz)