The Good Times episode where the poor lady makes meatloaf from dog food

I cry even thinking of that episode. I think I need to clean out my pantry and donate.

🐶 🥘

“why do they call it dog food?”

Great episode, no way would that fly today.

Bon Appetit y’all

Irony is that nowadays is that a can of dog food costs more than a pound of chicken thighs.

When I was a kid I didn’t understand poverty. It was my first exposure. Then the movie Coal Miner’s Daughter when I was 7 yrs old.

Until 1970's increase in SS payments were largely ad hoc; done by various bills voted upon by Congress largely during election years. As such over time SS payments were eroded by inflation.

This came to a head during 1970's period of stagflation which was hitting many Americans hard, especially seniors on fixed income. Media and other coverage of seniors supposedly resorting to eating pet food forced Congress and WH to act.

In 1972 things were changed to make COLA automatic based upon CPI. New system isn't perfect, but is far better than what came before.

Norman Lear was good at doing shows that shone spotlights on what was happening in American society at time. All In The Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons were all sitcoms that took on issues where others might not wanted to go.

I’m sure the canned dog food would have more flavor than their ghetto meatloaf.

In opening credits of The Mary Tyler Moore Show we see MTM grocery shopping at supermarket, picks up a packet of meat, makes a disgusted look as she throws it into cart. That was reality of 1970's, and if MTM as as someone working and earning a decent living was feeling the pinch, imagine how bad it must have been for others.

Classic hilarity and exaggerated humor, but very funny. I was 10 yo mid 1970s, I remember old folks on SS or fixed incomes getting food stamps, not certain about the price of dog food back then, but wasn't it equal in price to people food? Canned Soup has always been economical, rice and pasta with butter, sliced bread with peanut butter, etc. Were some folks that desperate that dog food really was a better option? Just curious... Didn't they have food stamps back then, food pantries, churches and charities. I'd never eat dog food...

FFS r10 can you be more gay?

R11 I’m sure some people thought Alpo looked delicious

Good or bad one outcome of 1970's high meat prices were all those various products like Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper and whatever else that allowed housewives or others to stretch meat, fish and poultry further.

Sales of bread crumbs and other things used to extend or stretch portions of meat (in particular cheap ground beef) also skyrocketed. You'd have meatloaf, meatballs or anything else at some homes and they were dry and heavy from small portion of meat laden down with tons of breadcrumbs.

Crockpots, and other means of preparing "cheap" cuts of meat also became popular in 1970's for similar reasons. Nearly every show from 1970's or meant to depict that era (such as That 70's Show) at one point at least once touches upon high meat/food prices.

All in the Family did an episode about a senior woman buying cat food because it was cheaper than tuna. I think Edith met her in Sybil Gooley's grocery line or something.

This is the only episode of that show I remember.

R16 DAMN! DAMN! DAMN!

In one of the Mama's Family skits on Carol Burnett show Mrs. Harper lays into Eunice about how dry her meatballs were. Eunice shot back it was because she had to use lots of breadcrumbs to stretch one pound of ground beef to feed all of them.

Other big food thing from 1970's was government (aka welfare) cheese.

R11 No, cans of dog food then and now cost much less than meat for humans, even cheap cuts. Ground beef on sale is now $3-4/lb, dog food can be less than $1/lb. Better brands obviously cost more, but that's not what these poor people were buying.

Meatloaf got really dodgy in the 1970s, because of meat prices, according to my family every person who wouldn't eat meat loaf stemmed from a bad one they had in the 70s. Though because we were in the country it was wild or roadkill meat that was suspected not dog food.

I was a kid in the 1970s but I don't remember a meat shortage. We were not rich.

I don't think it was a shortage. It just became expensive. High Inflation.

R4

Oh I don't know...

Here in NYC at least plenty of seniors "dumpster dive", that is getting food from trash bags or bins in front of supermarket or other such places.

They may have a comparatively cheap rent regulated apartment, but many seniors/retired persons also have low monthly income, some just surviving on SS. After rent and other necessary bills are paid each month the kitty is nearly or empty.

Some literally have zero dollars by last week or so of month until next SS payment hits their bank account.

Last Sunday I watched my downstairs (apartment) neighbor go outside in the pouring rain in her nightgown and dig up a bunch of earthworms with a rake and take them into her apartment. 15 minutes later I smelled cooking. A little while after that I saw her bringing her 5-ish year old grandson inside, presumably to feed him a meal. Hand to God this is 100% true. It made me think of this Good Times episode.

"The Lord is my German Shepherd ..."

I make a middle class salary and I can't believe the prices in shops RIGHT NOW in 2022. I feel just like Mary Richards did, decades ago.

[quote] I’m sure the canned dog food would have more flavor than their ghetto meatloaf.

Really, dear...

Wouldn't we all be so much happier if YOU just killed yourself? I think you'd find it an improvement on your current condition.

R19 -- My local grocery carries cans of Purina One for $2.49. Sale prices for chicken thighs are ~ $2.69 - $2.99/lb. The cheaper cans were $1.59 and have a lot of grain. A lot of dogs get diarrhea from them, so I imagine humans would too. Not that people would eat dog food as a substitute for meat. There more cheap food options-- just check out the freezer at the Dollar Tree.

R28 you should chow down on Purina One tonight. Report back.