Good Times (TV Series) The Lunch Money Ripoff (1975) User Reviews

Douglas Grant returns as Michael's houseguest

[kevinolzak · 8/10 · 4 January 2017]

"The Lunch Money Rip-Off" finds Michael tormented by classmate Eddie (Douglas Grant, previously seen in "JJ and the Gang"), who has been stealing not only his lunch every day but also his quarter for milk. James wonders what happened to all the food that used to be in his fridge, while JJ admits that he was forced to eat a "ghetto jam sandwich, two pieces of white bread jammed together!" Michael's story of giving his lunch away to 'a poor kid' doesn't wash with his father, who wants to see him 'drive on his face!' More in line with Florida, who doesn't want her son to fight, he decides to bring Eddie home for the weekend, reasoning that the boy couldn't steal from someone who helps him. The Evans household turns out to be an improvement on Eddie's home life, lacking a live-in father, James delighting in disciplining the new recruit in one of three ways of spanking, according to JJ: "the regular, the super, and the Big Mac" Michael: "the Big Mac is right, it can really warm your buns!" Since he's still able to walk, JJ figures he didn't get the Big Mac!

How times have changed

[tac1055 · 9/10 · 19 November 2023]

I basically agree with the other reviewer. I just wanted to add how this episode really shows how times have changed since the show originally aired. When James takes Eddie into the bedroom to discipline him with a spanking, James' kids talk about how James has three levels of spanking in his repertoire. The fact that this dialogue, while funny, was also believable, shows how spanking kids by their parents was a typical, ordinary, acceptable practice at the time. The reaction of the studio audience also backs this up. Can you imagine how this would be received today? Especially since Eddie isn't even James' son? Back then, it was perceived that Eddie needed/deserved this action for his own good. These days, if this was real, James would probably be investigated, arrested, charged with assault, sued by Eddie's family (or any lawyer in lieu of the family) and have his kids removed from the household. And if a show tried to show this on tv, it would probably be banned and cancelled.