For anyone in my generation, we probably heard this exactly as it was said and know the movie. I don’t know if the 80’s and 90’s were the era of catchphrases, but it feels like a lot from those times became immortalized. Then again, I remember them in context, so it might be my perspective.
Catchphrases are kind of magical in that they gain power and we can’t really predict their existence. A line that an author is sure will be quoted by all readers might be ignored or even mocked. Yet, a simple response from a character that was made without a second thought can end up on a t-shirt. It can be frustrating, especially if you are determined to make a catchphrase on your own terms. Maybe that’s not how these work outside of comic books though.
From reading about the creation of these popular lines, it does seem that those behind it simply hoped for the best or focused on the story alone. I think the second option is the less stressful way to go. A memorable phrase probably hits home if it isn’t forced and flows with the story or character arc. Maybe have a little realism too. Take ‘It’s not a tumor’ up there. I know it’s from a comedy, but the line works for a character who is a badass cop in over his head running a kindergarten class. So, he loses it at the suggestion that he has a tumor, which is something a small child would definitely say. I’m sure many teachers and parents nodded their head at similar interactions.
Comedy tends to create a lot of these lines as well even in non-comedic movies. You can have bad situational puns that people will use whenever they have an opportunity. Witty responses and insults are popular too. If a person gets a positive response by quoting a movie or show then they’ll keep doing it. Others will see this and do the same, which makes it a cultural phrase. At least for a generation or two before something replaces it or the source is no longer relevant.
For an author, I think it’s great to gain such an achievement. A catchphrase acts as a verbal advertisement because people who hear it will want to read the book. They will be curious as to who created such a memorable phrase. As stated before, you can also put it on marketing items such as shirts, bookmarks, mugs, or anything that you think people might buy. If you can get a catchphrase for multiple characters then you can garner even more attention. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be as common as we would think since most characters outside of superheroes don’t have a catchphrase.
Personally, I would love to know that there are lines I wrote that people repeat in real life or at least really enjoyed. I tried to make a few in my fantasy books, but never put a ton of effort into them. Figured that if they didn’t gain traction in book 1 then I wasn’t going to keep pushing in book 2. The only series I made a harder attempt was the Bedlam Series , but that was just Cassidy saying ‘Shut the fuck up, Lloyd’. It was funny and happened a lot with different emotions, but the series itself didn’t do well enough for me to know if the phrase worked.
Maybe one day I’ll stumble upon a catchphrase that people will enjoy, but I don’t think it’s a priority. For shows and movies, it might be very important to get a phrase repeated by the public. Books can look at it as an added bonus, which the previous mediums could think of as well. So, probably best to write the story and making the lines work in context instead of them being useful for daily conversation.
Legends of Windemere 