Friday, November 27, 2009
TV Rebels: TV Dinners - Culinary Pop Culture
So without further adieu, we bring you the final essay of TV Rebels:
TV Dinners: Culinary Pop Culture
by Lou Orfanella
The concept of freezing food for thawing and consuming later dates to at least 1923 and Clarence Birdseye who created a method of preserving foods that allowed for long term storage. It was not until the 1950s however, that the C.A. Swanson company capitalizing on a public's desire for faster meal preparation and its desire to not miss an episode of Milton Berle or Sid Caesar, invented the first TV Dinner. Varying accounts give 1953 or 1954 as the actual date of the creation of the first TV Dinner.
The original Swanson meal, in its familiar aluminum compartmentalized tray, consisted of turkey with stuffing and gravy, peas, and sweet potatoes. It sold for just under a dollar and came in a box with graphics that resembled a television set. Gerald Thomas, a Swanson executive told the popular culture website fiftiesweb.com, "After Thanksgiving, Swanson had ten refrigerated railroad cars-each containing 520,000 pounds of unsold turkeys-going back and forth across the country in refrigerated railroad box cars, because there was not enough storage in warehouses. We were challenged to come up with a way to get rid of the turkeys" ("Swanson"). Swanson thought of the single compartment trays airlines used to serve food and parlayed that into the TV Dinner concept. An original release of 5,000 dinners turned into millions in the first year. Varieties have increased and imitators have been abundant, but Swanson remains the name most often connected with the TV Dinner.
New York Daily News media writer David Hinckley reflected when the TV Dinner celebrated its fiftieth birthday. "I haven't had one in probably 40 years. It doesn't matter. My wife could serve me one for dinner tonight and I would be transported to 1959, sitting in front of the black-and-white Magnavox console, gingerly peeling the hot foil off the top of the aluminum tray. The compartment at the bottom would have several slices of turkey in gravy. Top left, mixed vegetables. Top right, mashed potatoes...the smell, texture, taste-those are as imprinted at the TV shows" (Hinckley).
Did the concept of quick meals to be eaten in front of the television weaken the family by infringing on the nightly ritual of bonding around the dinner table? Perhaps. Or perhaps the popularity of the medium itself did that. In any case, the TV Dinner, like the people and programs consumers watch while eating it, has taken its place in popular culture. Microwavable trays have replaced the metal ones and "TV" has been dropped from the product's name, but the TV Dinner remains an icon in American popular culture. "Although technology moved on, the original aluminum tray was not forgotten. In 1986 it took its place in the Smithsonian Institution, immortalized right next to Fonzie's jacket, the two most appropriate symbols of television's happy days. Hollywood followed suit in 1997 when an aluminum tray-along with handprints of Swanson salesman Gerry Thomas-was placed in the cement outside Mann's Chinese theatre alongside the marks of Lassie, Uncle Miltie, and other TV legends. In 1999, Hollywood produced a commemorative sequel, giving the tray its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame" (Dixon).
Works Cited
Dixon Lebeau, Mary. "At 50, TV Dinner is Still Cookin'" The Christian Science Monitor. 10 Nov. 2004. 8 Aug. 2007 <http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1110/p11s01-lifo.html>.
Hinckley, David. "Dinner and a Show." New York Daily News 9 March 2003: Lifeline23.
"Swanson TV Dinners." Fifties Pop History. 11 Aug. 2007 <http://www.fiftiesweb.com/pop/tv-dinner.htm>.
Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows
Monday, June 16
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Getting Lucky" (CBS, 8:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Calvin and Dave join Lamar (Kevin Pollack) on a road trip to the casino. Also, Tina and Gemma babysit Daphne while Marty desperately tries to spend time with Courtney alone.
The Neighborhood - "Welcome to Not Being in It" (CBS, 8:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Calvin and Dave return from the casino, stunned by the revelation that Lamar had been laundering stolen money, which has now landed him in jail. Meanwhile, Malcom runs into his frenemy.
Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of June 16)
Monday, June 16
- Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building) - Watch Steve on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Zach Cherry (Duncanville/I Feel Bad/Crashing) - Zach is a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Mariska Hargitay (Can't Hurry Love) - Mariska appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger (FUBAR) - Arnold stops by Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
- Taran Killam (Single Parents) and Tone Bell (Survival of the Thickest/Fam/Disjointed/Truth Be Told/Bad Judge/Whitney) - Taran and Tone are guests on a repeat of After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
- John Mulaney (Mulaney) - John appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
- Jean Smart (Hacks/Samantha Who?/Center of the Universe/In-Laws/Style & Substance/Designing Women) - E! News has an interview with Jean at 11pm on E!.
- Chris Redd (Kenan/Disjointed) and Caroline Rhea (Sydney to the Max/Sabrina, the Teenage Witch/Pride & Joy) - Chris and Caroline are guests on ABC's Good Morning America sometime between 7-9am.
- Rebel Wilson (Super Fun Night) - Rebel talks about Bride Hard on NBC's Today sometime between 7-9am and in the 10am hour.
- Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale/God's Favorite Idiot/American Housewife/The Odd Couple/About a Boy) - Leslie guest co-hosts NBC's Today in the 10am hour.
- Dax Shepard (Bless This Mess) - Drew and the host of Armchair Expert Dax Shepard are chatting about turning fifty, the weirdest rumor they've ever heard about themselves and more on a repeat of The Drew Barrymore Show, so check your local listings.
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03/11 - Frasier (2023) - Season Two
04/01 - Abbott Elementary - The Complete Third Season
05/13 - The Drew Carey Show - The Complete Series* (missing 4 episodes and some music has been replaced or altered)
06/06 - Shoresy - Season 2
06/17 - Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault - Volume 1 (Blu-ray)
07/08 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
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