Is Everything Shrinking?
This ramble owes its origins to something as innocuous as shopping for groceries. This trend has bugged me for quite some time, but what I discovered the other day just settled it once and for all for me.
WE NEED TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE! Who, you ask? They. The “they” who are ripping us off. Read my experience. It is a **shudder** harrowing experience and one I hope no one ever has to experience like I did. It shocked me and, truth be told, probably scarred me for life.
I’m talking about shrinking products. Stick with me. You will be enlightened. You might want to hide this article from super sensitive husbands (or wives) who love to grill. I don’t think they can handle the shock of what I am about to say.
I went off the other day to purchase a couple of steaks. I wasn’t looking for expensive – just a good rib eye or T-bone to toss on the grill. I was in one of those They’re-Everywhere-Marts, location and name to remain undisclosed. I looked. I looked again. Finding a steak usually isn’t hard to do but I was just not seeing them. I stood in the beef portion of the meat section and finally began reading each individual package. I FINALLY found a T-bone steak… I think.
I still am in shock. I think I should have purchased it and taken a picture of it because I just don’t think you are going to believe me. I may go back and do that. The label said – and I am NOT lying here – “Thin T-Bone.” Thin. Thin and steak in the same sentence. Boggles the mind, doesn’t it? If that steak was a half inch thick, I’ll eat this article. It wasn’t a breakfast steak, either, like my husband claimed. It was the genuine article being sold as STEAK.
I searched and searched for rib eye steaks – and horror of horrors – they were “thin” too! I mean, I’ve seen thin and thick cut pork loin center cut butterfly chops (don’t buy the thin). I’ve even seen what some people call breakfast steaks – a joke. But a one-half thick or less rib eye or T-bone steak? SAY IT AIN’T SO!
So it got me to thinking about everything else that I noticed shrinking over the years. I am sure they thought I wouldn’t notice, but I did. While French fries are coming in larger packages, there is a tradeoff. You know what I’m talking about – washcloths are not as large as they used to be. Towels have shrunk (and also shrink in the wash, so there is the double-shrink jeopardy). I noticed a slight sizing down of certain canned goods yet the price went up. They just shaved off a portion of the ounce but raised the price.
And don’t think that I haven’t noticed that it no longer takes “two hands to handle a Whopper”®. Of course, they don’t advertise that anymore, do they? I do remember when it really did take both hands to hold onto that hamburger. They shrunk – but the price went up.
And if anyone out there remembers REAL Dr. Pepper, they’d scoff at what we have to drink now days. I know they saved money not using real sugar but the entire flavor changed. Thank God there is still a place that sells the real thing in Dublin, Texas (http://www.dublindrpepper.com/) and you can even order some on-line. You owe it to yourself to taste the difference or take a trip down memory lane. I’m going to order some and I’ll let you know if it is as good and different as I remember it to be.
So back to the ramble. I guess we weren’t supposed to have noticed other areas shrinking while we were dazzled with our super-sized French fries. Room sprays come in smaller cans but the price remains the same. A bar of soap seems to be smaller than it used to be, too. Some liquids come in smaller bottles – or the hairspray can is taller but narrower so you wouldn’t notice it wasn’t the same size as your old can. Oh and don’t even get me started about candy bars. To compensate for the smaller size, they came up with a JUMBO or KING sized candy bar – which is way too much for any health conscious person to eat.
I know there are other areas this has happened in and it was so gradual, no one really noticed.
I think they are in it to make money and most certainly don’t have our greater good in their minds. What do you think? Imagine a one half inch or less steak. What is going to take before we bang our fists on the table and say, “I’m mad as he** and I’m not gonna take it anymore”*?
Unfortunately, the one area super-sizing and shrinking affected that I’m pretty sure was not caused by the manufacturer are my slacks. I’d like to think that they started making them smaller but I bought them several years ago. I guess I’m going to have to work on shrinking my own waist and not blame it on them!
*Line spoken by Howard Beale (In movie Network 1976)
