I watched the episode when James had a chance to get a job paying $4.25 an hour and was told he was too old. But before that, the Evans family was TOO excited and saying they were rich. I know even back in 1974 that $4.25 an hour was not a lot of money. It always seemed to be lots of exaggeration when James got a better job if they came into some money.

I broke my pact to NOT read your posts and read this one because your title irritated me.

It is obvious to me that you have no idea how real people live.

You have no idea the struggle "normal" people go through to pay bills, no idea how much a slight quarter raise would mean to someone.

When you are in that situation, in those days and times, that WAS a lot of money and WAS a good pay.

Your views on things are very very sad.

Originally posted by Nanny Fine
I broke my pact to NOT read your posts and read this one because your title irritated me.

It is obvious to me that you have no idea how real people live.

You have no idea the struggle "normal" people go through to pay bills, no idea how much a slight quarter raise would mean to someone.

When you are in that situation, in those days and times, that WAS a lot of money and WAS a good pay.

Your views on things are very very sad.


See you didn';t read what I was saying. I said that $4.25 an hour wasn't rich. They coud have been happy for their dad getting a better job but jumping up and down saying they were rich was a huge EXAGGERATION.

Well, taking into consideration everything, the fact that it was 1974, inflation was rising and that James was the sole breadwinner of the family, I think the fact that the Evans family were jumping for joy emphasizes the stricken poverty conditions they lived in.

Obviously, $4.25/hr was a lot of money for them, but figure it out, that would mean $170 a week, assuming he works 8hr/day and 7days/week. About $700 a month, $8,400 a year, bottom line, they are living in poverty and I don't think it's that much of an exaggeration at all.

Originally posted by boechsner
Well, taking into consideration everything, the fact that it was 1974, inflation was rising and that James was the sole breadwinner of the family, I think the fact that the Evans family were jumping for joy emphasizes the stricken poverty conditions they lived in.

Obviously, $4.25/hr was a lot of money for them, but figure it out, that would mean $170 a week, assuming he works 8hr/day and 7days/week. About $700 a month, $8,400 a year, bottom line, they are living in poverty and I don't think it's that much of an exaggeration at all.


I guess if the writers left out the word RICH, it would have been fine. They could have just said we are happy you are making more money but not WE WILL BE SO RICH. Didn't make sense at all but just my personal opinion.

Originally posted by boechsner
Well, taking into consideration everything, the fact that it was 1974, inflation was rising and that James was the sole breadwinner of the family, I think the fact that the Evans family were jumping for joy emphasizes the stricken poverty conditions they lived in.

Obviously, $4.25/hr was a lot of money for them, but figure it out, that would mean $170 a week, assuming he works 8hr/day and 7days/week. About $700 a month, $8,400 a year, bottom line, they are living in poverty and I don't think it's that much of an exaggeration at all.


Here is another statement by Willona that made no sense. "James you are going to be making $4.25 an hour? they are going to put you in the same category as Bankers, Bookies,and Presidents" LOL-Presidents was making four and a quarter a hour back in the 70;'s?

I'm with Solomon on this one. To jump up and down and yell "rich" for a 4.25 and hour wage for a family of, what was it, 5, 6?, is an exaggeration. They'd be lucky to not starve on that small wage. And I don't think the post about him working maybe 7 days a week was likely to have happened.

Originally posted by Kitt
I'm with Solomon on this one. To jump up and down and yell "rich" for a 4.25 and hour wage for a family of, what was it, 5, 6?, is an exaggeration. They'd be lucky to not starve on that small wage. And I don't think the post about him working maybe 7 days a week was likely to have happened.


The writers for this show were strange. One of the writers stated she couldn't get another job as a writer after Good Times. I can see why.

Is $4.25 an hour rich? Baby, back in 1974 you bet it was. I remember my mother working for $1.75/hr back then. $25.00 could by us a week's worth of groceries. The Evans' had a lot to shout about. $4.25 back then is practically equivalent to receiving $15/hr now even though that's not much to some people but it sure is to me. When you've worked as low as $7.25 per hour in this decade, fifteen an hour is wealth just like four twenty five is wealth to those who've spent their lives working for a dollar seventy five an hour.:dog:

Originally posted by laneyday
Is $4.25 an hour rich? Baby, back in 1974 you bet it was. I remember my mother working for $1.75/hr back then. $25.00 could by us a week's worth of groceries. The Evans' had a lot to shout about. $4.25 back then is practically equivalent to receiving $15/hr now even though that's not much to some people but it sure is to me. When you've worked as low as $7.25 per hour in this decade, fifteen an hour is wealth just like four twenty five is wealth to those who've spent their lives working for a dollar seventy five an hour.:dog:



I still think the word RICH was a EXaggeration. Maybe they could have said things are getting better.

Maybe so, but I guess you had to live in those times to understand.:D

Originally posted by laneyday
Maybe so, but I guess you had to live in those times to understand.:D I admit, Laneyday, :) I underestimated what $4.25 per hour back then works out to today. You were right, as you know;) it's in the neighborhood of $15 per hour. So today if a family is struggling at, near, or just above the minimum wage then $15 per hour would be a pleasant improvement.

I totally agree Kitt. And isn't it disgusting to know that up until five years ago, I knew someone who only made a little over $300 every two weeks. That's only $5 or $6/hr. Pathetic.:rolleyes:

When I started working 1993, $4.25/hr was the minimum wage. 19 years earlier, $4.25 wasn't a bad hourly wage.

Originally posted by magellan333
When I started working 1993, $4.25/hr was the minimum wage. 19 years earlier, $4.25 wasn't a bad hourly wage.


Just hearing the word Rich-LOL, made it seemed like an exaggeration

It really wasn't.:wave:

Originally posted by laneyday
It really wasn't.:wave:


Why?

To say, "we'll be rich" was an exaggeration to be sure. On the other hand, it is a commonly used figure of speech. It's not a stretch to imagine the family jumping up and down and saying, 'we'll be rich' since they had just risen from worrying about food on the table, to making a 'very decent' living wage.

magellan333 just finished saying that in 1993 when she started work the minimum wage was $4.25/hr. H-E-L-L-O!!! Did you know how much candy we could get for $1. A bag full. And that was including potatoe chips and candy bars. Did you know how much rent was back then? The highest rent in my area (and it was no ghetto) was $125/month. The lowest was $85/month.:p

____________________________________________________"Obviously, $4.25/hr was a lot of money for them, but figure it out, that would mean $170 a week, assuming he works 8hr/day and 7days/week. About $700 a month, $8,400 a year, bottom line, they are living in poverty and I don't think it's that much of an exaggeration at all."
____________________________________________________

Actually 8hr./day and 7 days/week totals 56 hrs./week which change the numbers some. The totals would be including overtime $272 per week, $1177(apx.) per month, and $14,144 a year. I would think that would be a pretty decent salary in the early 70's, although we all agree it is not rich.

When I started working in the early 80's minimum wage was about $3.25! AND $8 an hour was good money! So going back in the 70's in that perspective of having next to nothing in context with those times that was rich TO THEM! It is similiar to getting a allowance from your parents and then getting a department store or fast food job. You may not be RICH but you would think you hit the big time! The other point of him being to old was ridiculous! Did they hire him for the job over the phone or something??? That makes no sense!

Originally posted by marvin g
When I started working in the early 80's minimum wage was about $3.25! AND $8 an hour was good money! So going back in the 70's in that perspective of having next to nothing in context with those times that was rich TO THEM! It is similiar to getting a allowance from your parents and then getting a department store or fast food job. You may not be RICH but you would think you hit the big time! The other point of him being to old was ridiculous! Did they hire him for the job over the phone or something??? That makes no sense!


I thik the interviewer made up the age factor because of James Interviewing skills. Read my post about James interviewing skills

Before I read that post I'd just like to say that I think you may be right. It could have also been a racial thing too.:)

Originally posted by laneyday
Before I read that post I'd just like to say that I think you may be right. It could have also been a racial thing too.:)


It wasn't a racial thing, James just keep cutting him off when he was trying to interview him.LOL

This episode was on last night and man, I have to agree with you Solomon. I'm sure $4.25 was alot back in the 70's especially for a poor family, but when Willona and Florida carried on about how rich they were going to be, it made no sense.

I agree Solomon. It still wasn't the greatest wage - even in the projects. We were a family of five also and I remember when my dad landed a job making $24K a year around the same time - now THAT we thought was rich!! And it was an excellent wage for the times (especially considering the Cdn. dollar was worth more than the U.S. at the time). $8800 (approx.) per year couldn't have been that great.

Actually, just shows how poor they really had been.

James was my boy, but he should have known that he wasn;t supposed to ask-"when do i start" when he wasn;t offfered the job yet-lol

I guess he just assumed that since he passed all the tests, he had the job.

In that year $2.76 was the average minimum wage in some states. So earning $4.25 is almost double that. Our minimum wage in this day and age is great when you double that amount. Great meaning when you are as poor as the
Evans' family with a dad who worked 3 jobs and lived check by check. Maybe this time he could have a little money to spend on the side for "luxury" things. Yet, there was that Black Jesus episode and James "number came in". So, it doesn't make sense to gamble $$$$ that you desperately need.

I watched the episode when James had a chance to get a job paying $4.25 an hour and was told he was too old. But before that, the Evans family was TOO excited and saying they were rich. I know even back in 1974 that $4.25 an hour was not a lot of money. It always seemed to be lots of exaggeration when James got a better job if they came into some money.

I WAS GOING TO SAVE THIS COMMENT FOR ITS OWN THREAD BUT I WILL USE IT NOW

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS THE COMMENT ABOUT THE SHOW FROM SOME ONE ELSE NOT ME

WHEN I ASKED AN OLDER LADY ABOUT GOOD TIMES AND WHAT SHE THOUGHT OF THE SHOW.

SHE SAID THIS ''I WATCHED IT WHEN IT WAS ON BACK THEN, BUT NOW I DON'T WANT TO WATCH IT. I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK THERE TO THAT TIME. AFRICAN AMERICANS AS A PEOPLE HAVE NOT COME THAT FAR SINCE THE SHOW"

AND THATS WHAT SHE SAID NOT ME

NOW COMMENTS ANYONE

I WAS GOING TO SAVE THIS COMMENT FOR ITS OWN THREAD BUT I WILL USE IT NOW

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THIS IS THE COMMENT ABOUT THE SHOW FROM SOME ONE ELSE NOT ME

WHEN I ASKED AN OLDER LADY ABOUT GOOD TIMES AND WHAT SHE THOUGHT OF THE SHOW.

SHE SAID THIS ''I WATCHED IT WHEN IT WAS ON BACK THEN, BUT NOW I DON'T WANT TO WATCH IT. I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK THERE TO THAT TIME. AFRICAN AMERICANS AS A PEOPLE HAVE NOT COME THAT FAR SINCE THE SHOW"

AND THATS WHAT SHE SAID NOT ME

NOW COMMENTS ANYONE



She sounds like she is related to Bill Cosby-lol

She sounds like she is related to Bill Cosby-lol

I know

but I do see her point in the comment

sorry I just look a both sides of the coin

I know

but I do see her point in the comment

sorry I just look a both sides of the coin



Tell her I will still take Good Times over the Cosby Show-lol

I guess if the writers left out the word RICH, it would have been fine. They could have just said we are happy you are making more money but not WE WILL BE SO RICH. Didn't make sense at all but just my personal opinion.

Good Times was parallel to the way of life of those who lived in the projects at that time. People did think they were rich in their sense of the word not Donald Trumps.

Anyone who grew up in the projects could relate. I didn't grow up in the projects but I lived a hop and a skip from one, the same one Tony Dorsett lived in. We all played together, and the same mentality existed their as it did on Good Times. They had to think that way in order to remain positive in light of their circumstances.

Is $4.25 an hour rich? Baby, back in 1974 you bet it was. I remember my mother working for $1.75/hr back then. $25.00 could by us a week's worth of groceries. The Evans' had a lot to shout about. $4.25 back then is practically equivalent to receiving $15/hr now even though that's not much to some people but it sure is to me. When you've worked as low as $7.25 per hour in this decade, fifteen an hour is wealth just like four twenty five is wealth to those who've spent their lives working for a dollar seventy five an hour.:dog:
I made $3 an hour for a clerical job in the 70's and it wasn't bad.

I made $3 an hour for a clerical job in the 70's and it wasn't bad.


But the Evans was only going to be making a $1.25 more than you and were acting like they HIT the Lotto LMAO