Frozen (TV) dinners
The article provides a comprehensive review on the use of convenience foods normally known as the Frozen (TV) dinners across the continental USA since the early 1970s. These foods adopted their name ‘Frozen (TV) dinners’ from the fact that they were advertised over the television. The branding of these foods came with the introduction of TV, and this gave rise to their name. The author goes ahead and discloses that commercially prepared convenience foods were eaten as people watched TV. The article gives a complete consumer graph of these ‘emergency foods’ from the early 1950s (Jerome, 145).
It also provides a precise percentage of consumption by males vs. females and even elderly people vs. younger ones. Additionally, it provides the frequency of consumption every week for men and women, young and old. All the data that facilitated these findings came from correspondents who happened to be consumers of these foods.
It is important to note that the fame and popularity of emergency foods in the early 70s were attributed to the marketing done over the television that had barely lasted a decade in the markets. It is undoubtedly true that TVs were the talk of days then, and as a result, they had numerous viewers. This formed a good platform for marketing convenience foods (Jerome, 147).
About the statistical data provided by the author, it can be deduced that Frozen (TV) dinners have registered rather stable sales over the years. This was championed by the extensive marketing done over the television as a way of reaching out to all inhabitants in all corners of the United States of America. As a result, consumption of the foods rose significantly. The rise was not only attributed to the widespread marketing but also the convenience of the foods. They were pre-cooked; it means that they only needed a little warming before consumption (Jerome, 150).
The author says that frequency of the consumption of the meals was as high as four times a week. He further notes that most of their consumers were people who had tight schedules and, perhaps, had limited time to prepare tasking food. In addition to saving time, these emergency foods also provided balanced diets as confessed by respondents who participated in the survey.
The characteristics of the population studied in relation to the consumption of frozen (TV) dinners are strongly agreeable. Revelation that convenience foods are consumed in both large and small communities is true because even to date, the prevalence of these foods is even. Subsequently the author’s findings that a good percentage of convenience food consumers is relatively busy all through the day are a reflection of what happens nowadays. The consumers of frozen foods include those who work fulltime in a number of occupations and students who are sometimes too busy to prepare complicated meals as evidenced by the author’s research (Jerome, 150).
Just as expected, more than half of the respondents are of the ages between eighteen and twenty four. Amazingly, a greater percentage of these youths are female. This is a justification to the fact that ladies are more comfortable with light foods as compared to men. The statistics also do not go contrary to the biological fact that gentlemen need more body energy as compared to ladies, hence the number of ladies taking convenience foods is greater than that of men.
Contrary to the previous data concerning the consumption of frozen (TV) dinners by males and females, single males who lived alone were found to consume more convenience foods as compared to their female counterparts who lived alone as well. This is amazing; it clearly proves how lazy men are in cooking while living alone. It is verifiable that men are less likely to cook for themselves while they are single as compared to women. As a result, they resort to convenience foods that are easy to prepare.
The fact that most users use these foods while they are busy justifies the name of the brand. The research tabled in the article indicated that a good percentage of busy people, both men, women and children, use convenience foods as a way to ease their work and save time. Even though the frequency of consumption does not present clear reasons of decision behind taking the meal, it is important to note that frozen foods register a relatively high frequency rate on a weekly basis amongst users (Jerome, 152).
Conclusion
This survey and the availability of concrete facts to support ideas are important for both the manufactures and consumers of the products. Through this, manufactures are able to view and analyze the consumption data of their products. On the other hand, consumers can tell the popularity of the convenience foods they intend to take. From this, one stands a better position to make informed choices as to which product to go for (Jerome, 154).
Ethos
The credibility of the sources used by the author in the article is unquestionable. There are credible names of authors in his bibliography. However, this statement may be challenged by the fact that those authors may be sheer shadows of the text. But the incorporation of first hand data as tabulated in the article distinguishes it from a hypothetical masterpiece.
Logos
The author of the article uses satisfactory statistical analysis of quantitative data collected from respondents that consumed the product in question in the USA. He tabulates all the relevant information regarding the consumption of the product in relation to the number of people using it, the frequency of usage, the percent of utilization by men vs. women, and so forth.
Pathos
In the introduction of the article, the author tries to trace the origin of convenience foods and uses very catchy words when he attributes food preservation such as a “long-term emergency” (Jerome 146). At the conclusion, on the other hand, he describes frozen (TV) dinners as the food meeting an imperative need in the dietary of America (Jerome 154). Through this, he tries to vivify the significance of these foods.
Works Cited
Jerome, Norge W. “Frozen (TV) Dinners – The Staple Emergency Meals of a Changing Modern Society.” Food in perspective. 1975: 145-156. Print.