No matter how many times I promise myself to not stuff myself at Thanksgiving, the meal usually has some of my favorite side dishes on the menu. Besides the obligatory turkey and/or ham I become a glutton for punishment for those side dishes. Stuffing, either from inside the turkey or baked separately, is my favorite. Mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes with a marshmallow topping is a must. Every family has their own traditions about the meal.

I try to pace myself because after a break I saved some room for dessert. It is my favorite meal of the year, and I am a glutton for punishment. In fact, if a turkey or ham were not on the menu, with all those delicious sides on the table I would accept being a glutton for mutton.

Even though I usually join some friends at their homes for Thanksgiving there’s still a price to pay for the feast. Of course, they don’t charge me for a seat at the table. The price I pay is the hours of discomfort my body undergoes as it tries to digest the mounds of food I consumed. 

There are complete aisles in every drugstore offering all sorts of digestive measures. However, my childhood brain is addled with two commercial jingles that make my selection easier to make. I either “plop, plop…fizz, fizz” or “take Brioschi. Take Brioschi.”

Growing up the two products that were popular to relieve indigestion, heartburn and upset stomach were Alka-Seltzer and Brioschi. They both offer a quick solution and effective relief. 

 In a timeline of digestive relief, Brioschi hit the marketplace first. Its founder, Achille Antonio Brioschi in 1880 began producing the ingredients that provided effervescence relief. I assume the relief came in the form of burping and also releasing uncomfortable gas from the tail end of the digestive system. His formula contained products containing magnesium citrate and was very popular in Italy.

Brioschi became an Italian classic with its bubbly, lemon flavor. The main ingredient is sodium bicarbonate. Brioschi began taking shelf space in pharmacies when the waves of Italian immigrants descended on Ellis Island.

Alka-Seltzer began to be found in America in 1931. Produced by Miles Laboratories when their head chemist, Maurice Treneer, attempted to help victims of the flu epidemic of 1928. During the epidemic, he noticed the employees at a local newspaper seemed to be healthy and free of flu symptoms. He learned that they were drinking a mixture of aspirin and baking soda. 

Tinkering with the formula, Miles Laboratories eventually settled on a mixture of aspirin, citric acid and sodium bicarbonate.

Thanks to their creative “plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is” the brand become the favorite indigestion panacea in the United States. The brand’s mascot, Speedy Alka-Seltzer was marketed in television and radio shows.

Their commercials told Americans that there was no need to measure dosage to be stirred into a glass of water. Simply plop, plop two Alka-Seltzer tablets in a glass of water and watch as the ingredients bubble to create your soon to be consumed relief.

In the 1950s Alka-Seltzer introduced its cartoon mascot, Speedy Alka-Seltzer to further enhance its brand recognition. Speedy’s hat was made to look like a tablet of Alka-Seltzer and was used to show the quick relief product as promised. He became a beloved character appearing in magazines and comic books. His cheerful demeanor and catchy tunes made him a symbol of the brand that could not be forgotten. His award-winning commercial appeared in the 60s and 70s. They used humor to connect with their customers. It featured a man frowning, sitting on the edge of the bed with his wife under the blanket next to him, he utters “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.” She calmly replies, “You ate it Ralph.”  By humorously portraying a couple that people can relate to Alka-Seltzer gained fans.

Brioschi took a much simpler approach to get its brand name out there. It relied mostly on a loyal following particularly among Italian American communities who remember their ancestors talking about Brioschi when they were kids. Their ads often contained images that showed the remedy being passed down through many generations.

Both products are still on the market. Alka-Seltzer has expanded its flavoring to include cherry and lemon lime. Brioschi has also jumped on the tablet bandwagon. Alka-Seltzer can now be bought and chewed up as a gummi.               

Hudson Cooper is a resident of Sullivan County, a writer, comedian and actor.