Don't even think about it!

"Don't even think about it!" is an emphatic prohibition^[1] popularized by a 1993 Pepsi commercial featuring Shaquille O'Neal, a famous basketball player.

History

A "Don't even THINK of parking here" sign in New York City

The catchphrase as used by the Pepsi ad was based upon a similar phrase, "Don't even THINK of parking here", which came into use on no parking signs in major cities such as New York City and Chicago.^[2][3] The signs first appeared in New York in 1982 during Ed Koch's mayoral administration.^[4][5]

Popularization

The 1993 commercial featuring O'Neal begins with him playing hoops at a street basketball court. A little kid notices him, and exclaims O'Neal's nickname, "Shaq". O'Neal, noticing that the kid has a Pepsi in his hand, walks over and says "Hey, can I have it?" He bends over, supposing that his admirer will give him the soda, but the kid refuses, saying: "Don't even think about it!" Suddenly, a sound simulating that of a scratched record is heard, and the commercial ends with the Pepsi logo and slogan.

The commercial is actually a parody of another famous one from the 1970s produced by Pepsi's rival, Coca-Cola, in which a young boy meets football player "Mean" Joe Greene as he is leaving the field after a game. The boy gives his hero a bottle of Coke and, in exchange for the drink, the football player throws his towel to the boy, who excitedly catches the souvenir.

Cultural references

The phrase also appears in series 4, episode 5 of Men Behaving Badly, when a drunken Gary climbs into bed intent on having sex with the sleeping Dorothy; it is revealed that she is wearing a T-shirt with "Don't even think about it!" written on it in large letters. The phrase was also used as the title of a 2004 book by Lauren Henderson.^[6]

References

1. ^ Bruce K. Waltke. "The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 15-31". p. 265. http://books.google.com/books?id=3Lj8IXYthLgC. 
2. ^ E.J. Dionne (August 16, 1998). No Go. The Washington Post. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-675018.html. 
3. ^ "13 Ways to Get Message on Parking". Chicago Tribune. Associated Press: p. 4. March 5, 1987. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24877014.html?dids=24877014:24877014&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+05%2C+1987&author=Associated+Press&pub=Chicago+Tribune+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=13+WAYS+TO+GET+MESSAGE+ON+PARKING&pqatl=google. Retrieved January 1, 2011. 
4. ^ Ari L. Goldman (June 15, 1982). "Bus-Only Lanes to be Increased to Speed Travel". The New York Times: section A, p. 1. 
5. ^ Clyde Haberman and Laurie Johnston (September 4, 1982). "New York Day by Day". The New York Times: section 1, p. 24. 
6. ^ Lauren Henderson (2004). Don't Even Think About It. Downtown Press. ISBN 0743464699. http://books.google.com/?id=lU8nzaeQYkcC. 

See also

• Parking violation

Further reading

• Paul Trapido, Barbara Ensor (1986). Don't Even Think of Parking Here: The New York City Guide to Parking and Driving. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0671628369. http://books.google.com/books?id=J9VhZVtgH7gC.