[asgardshill]

"The childlike packaging makes it appealing," she adds. "The food is segmented, just the way we separate food on our plates when we're children and don't want things mixed. It's a form of comfort to us. Everything is in its place."

LOL - I'm an old kid then I guess. I still separate my food on the plate, and eat one thing at a time. My relatives delight in pointing this out to me at family dinners.

[billorites]

Quel horror!

[The Flying Dutchman]

Didn't ZZ Top have a song about them?

[MoralSense]

Charles Willeford wrote one of the funniest episodes I've ever seen in a crime novel (can't remember which one of his it is). Three old bachelor cops get together for dinner at the apartment of one of them. The host cooks six Swanson Hungry Man dinners. Turns out they all love them, and they all always cook two, so they can combine their favorite meats, vegetables, and side dishes in their own way. They discuss Hungry Man dinners at length, from a gourmet's perspective, in perfect seriousness.

[COBOL2Java]

[SoDak]

I buy one or two TV dinners a year just to remind myself that I hate them.

[dc-zoo]

Frozen MRE's. Some of them are not that bad.

[cyclotic]

I like to bring them to work for lunch. My wife is embarrassed as she buys a dozen or so at a time for me.

A few years ago, we realized that our kids had never had a TV dinner. I've never seen so much excitement in the house as the time they came out of the microwave!

OK folks, what are your favorites. Mine is the Banquet Mexican Combo.

I also like Maria Callendars Chicken Pot Pies.

[Ciexyz]

I have fond memories of growing up with the Swanson turkey dinner...with peas, mashed potatoes, and that little section of cherry cobbler for dessert.

[ScottFromSpokane]

In 1954, more than 25 million TV dinners were served in front of 33 million television sets in living rooms across America.

Back then, of course, many people watched two TV sets at the same time.

[Diver Dave]

I understand TV Dinners are the mainstay of Scott Peterson. :)

[12 Gauge Mossberg]

[Welsh Rabbit]

I used to hate tv dinners and microwavable meals, but I must admit the quality has improved greatly in the past few years. It's still not as good as a home cooked meal, but at least it's edible now.

[6SJ7]

As kids, we thought having a TV dinner was fun! I was a sucker for the little desert brownie sandwiched between the mash potato and the green beans in the meat-loaf dinner. A CLASSIC!

[maggief]

As a kid I used to love TV dinners. Before popping it in the oven I always had to remove the foil and rearrange the food. There were always vegetables in the entree and dessert. What's the point of a divided food tray if everything is mixed up???

; )

[nomorelurker]

Since I (we I bet)now eat them in front of a computer monitor can we change the the name to monitor meals?

[lowbridge]

"You can't blame the TV dinner for taking the family away from the table," Ms. Fussell points out. "The TV did that. And, actually, it was another form of togetherness - eating tray next to tray in front of the TV."

I prefer to blame Bush.