Let's be an episode of "Good Times"

I'm the disbelief you have to suspend when you see James slap Florida on the ass and realize he sees her as sexually desirable and not as a matronly, shapeless frau.

I'm Gertie's secret meatloaf ingredient for the dinner party 😏

I’m the hot iron. Poor penny/janet.

My favorite scene was when Penny's mom burned her with the iron!

I like to replay it over and over again in my home theater, on the big screen.

I’m the white person who always has to deliver the bad news at the end of the episode.

I'm Michael's secret copy of Drummer magazine that Florida finds between the couch cushions

I'm the over-enthusiastic live studio audience member yelling "slap her, Wilona!!!

I'm only now realizing that BernNadette Stanis was really beautiful.

I'm cousin Natalie, who got drunk in the bathroom.

I'm the writers, finding any ridiculous reason (multiple times per episode!) for JJ to shout "DYN-O-MITE!".

I'm Ned the Wino.

I'm JJ's fiancee, shooting up drugs with a rubber hose in the Evans' bathroom!

It was a VERY SPECIAL EPISODE.

I'm Buffalo Butt Booker the building superintendent, slowly stealing the show from the rest of the cast.

LOL R12 I forgot that was Debbie Allen.

I’m the shattered punchbowl.

I'm the smell of Paul Mason, Menthols and Hi Karate in Sweet Daddy Williams' Cutlass.

I'm "Buffalo Butt" Bookman. Remember me?

[Italic]Em-Eye-Crooked Letter-Crooked Letter-Eye-Crooked Letter-Crooked Letter-Eye-Humpback-Humpback-Eye![/italic]

And then it went so horribly wrong ...

I'm the noticeable BULGE in James Evans' tight pants.

Damn Damn Damn

I'm Black Jesus

I'm the tank you can drive through the gap between Esther Rolle's front teeth.

I'm Willona's gigantic head!

I'm the bulge in Michael's pants in the photo at R13. I can rival you, daddy!

I'm Willona Woods' wearing a head scarf. Did I take this idea from Rhoda Morgenstern? Maybe.

Esther Rolle has to be the ugliest woman ever to lead a sitcom. Even that could be forgiven if she were funny. Unfortunately, she was not.

I’m Michael’s 16-year-old white, female schoolmate who walks all alone to see him in the crime-ridden Chicago projects.

I’m Florida in a bad mood, telling the kids to “smoke” as they clean.

I’m kind of an unlikeable bitch.

I’m “the boutique” that Willona works in. You thought I was this small shop, didn’t you? Surprise, I am a multi-department store with a huge security department.

I was the producer's original choice to play Florida Evans.

I’m the kid in the striped pants in the opening credits.

I’m Lou Gosset Jr.., totally overacting as Florida’s brother.

I was asked to sing the theme song.

I’m that episode about the cousin who drinks over Christmas. I just kind of abruptly end in the middle of a scene.

R34, meet R9.

I'm Alderman Davis. I love all my constituents in the projects. And you, too, Pomona.

Lol, R36! Great one!

I am Jame’s belt that he threatens to beat the nearly adult JJ with

I'm Michael, trying desperately to hide his latent homosexuality, lest his father beat him with R38's belt!

I’m Penny, doing her Mae West routine for the 1,000th time. The audience is clearly being coached on laughing.

I’m Thelma’s nappy fro in the earliest episodes.

I’m Florida’s second husband Carl. Remember me? I just disappear.

R12. JJ was engaged to Rachel Dolezal?

I am Michael’s ass

I’m the apartment closet that had curtains but no doors.

I’m James’ corduroy pants, working overtime to not burst. We all wanted to get in them.

I'm Louis Gossett who made the very scary transition from Florida's brother to George's best friend who was sexually attracted to Weezie. And people say I couldn't act!

Thanks to you bitches I have a hankering to watch this.

I'm the space added to Bern Nadette Stanis' first name after the early seasons.

Wa cha be talkn bot Willis?

I’m Wilona’s fly wardrobe and class—which seems a bit odd for the “ghetto”.

I'm the deaf kid who nearly fell down the elevator shaft.

I'm really selling the fear by flailing my arms in manic windmill circular motions!

I’m one of the many neck rings on Florida

I’m the guy “Hangin’ in a chow line” . . .

I’m easy credit ripoffs

I’m the door in the kitchen. I am never opened on the show. Never!

I lead to the secret room that Florida rents by the hour for discerning adult couples. A girl’s gotta eat, ya know?

I’m the profiling department store detective..

I'm Keith's crutch after he breaks his leg

I'm the fat, luscious ass of John Amos, barely contained in those tight 70's pants

I’m Wilona, who has more wig changes in a single installment than all three Supremes’ during a weeklong1970s Magic Mountain concerts run.

I’m an idiot who only sees stupid shit intelligent people never take note of

I'm Roz the kid sister of Edna- even though Roz towered above her so called kid sister.

I’m all the actors saying their lines as if they are talking to someone in the next apartment.

I'm the theme song.

I'm the excited studio audience member who cannot understand an actress in a scripted show will not slap another one even if I vocally instruct her to do so.

I'm weepin' Wanda played by Helen 227 Martin.

I'm Scratchin' and Survivin'

I'm the deaf child, smiling and waving at the perilous edge of the open elevator shaft.

I'm the iron.

I am the nun Wilona sees naked through the two way mirror installed to catch shoplifters

I am Ja'Net DuBois. You might remember me as Willona. I am beautiful, talented, smart, and I can sing so fucking well. I was the co-writer and singer of the theme to The Jeffersons, among many other works. That guy you hear in the background was "George" aka Sherman Hemsley, though that bit of info seems to have vanished from the internet. (Listen closely, and you will most certainly hear him).

I’m Keith, Penny and Bookman’s celebrity impressions.

Who knew one building had so much talent?

R53 what neck?

I’m Mike Evans. You may know me as the first Lionel Jefferson on The Jeffersons. I created Good Times. I’m not happy that Ralph Carter plays me as a little gay boy.

I’m Maude Findlay (played by Bea Arthur). I’m wondering why my housekeeper, Florida, decided to leave my beautiful New York suburban environment and go live in a ghetto in Chicago.

I’m Good Times, a spinoff (spun off Maude) of another spinoff (Maude spun off All in the Family).

I am, "honey", spoken by Wilona Woods.

The 70s had some gloriously bad TV as in so bad its classic.

R78 Good times is gritty

I’m Thelma saying, “Oh, mama!!” and then running into her room crying.

I’m the audience laughter after JJ, who was just shot, says, “Mama, I’m shot!” because Jimmie Walker was unable to tone anything down.

I’m the audience member who loudly says, “Oh my god!!!” after Florida reads the telegram that James has been killed.

I'm JJ Walker, currently doing Medicare Advantage commercials and dating Ann Coulter!

I’m that blurry-ass camera that shot the opening and closing credits that made Chicago look brown. I was also used for “All in the Family,” “Maude” and “The Jeffersons.”

Why was I, such a cheap ass camera, used?

I’m the moment JJ went from saying “Dynomite!” to “What can I say?”

I’m Michael’s flaming bff who almost get Michael arrested.

I'm poverty porn masquerading as sitcom fodder. See also: Roseanne and The Conners.

Is this in honor of Black History Month?

R88, it could be but the show also turns 50 this week.

It debuted on February 8, 1974.

I'm Michael's butt again. That thang was so big it needed two replies to cover it.

[quote]I'm poverty porn masquerading as sitcom fodder. See also: Roseanne and The Conners.

This should be a topic in itself.

See: The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy and Three’s Company, although Three’s Company masked it well by their location (Why can’t Janet pay the rent on her own?)

[quote] I'm the audience member who loudly says "Oh, my god!!!" after Florida reads the telegram that James has been killed.

I think that was Willona, lol. But speaking of that scene:

I'm Florida, happily reading said telegram. For some reason, "We regret to inform you..." is not enough of a clue that the news is very bad, only reacting when I get to the word "killed".

I'm fine-ass Calvin Lockhart, playing Florida's...brother? Cousin? I don't know, my point is you REALLY have to suspend disbelief in order to buy me as a relative of Florida!

Or that Florida was the mother of Thelma!

I'm going to co-sign the person who was side-eyeing why Willona was living in the projects. I'm certain she could have afforded a nice downtown loft on an assistant manager's salary in the 70s.

[quote]Or that Florida was the mother of Thelma!

I totally bought that one. Lots of unfortunate looking parents end up with gorgeous children.

I'm Betty Bridges, I played J.J.'s neighbor and swimsuit-clad artist's model "The Wiggler". Maybe you've heard of my son, Todd?

We’re Kim Fields and Gary Coleman. Before we were famous.

[quote] I'm Willona's fly wardrobe and class-- which seems a bit odd for the "ghetto".

Willona's what we used to call "ghetto fabulous" -- fake it till you make it!

[quote] I'm Florida, happily reading said telegram.

I’m a 1970s tv viewer wondering why they sent a telegram and didn’t just pick up the telephone and call Florida. This wasn’t the 1940s.

I’m the Emmy Esther Rolle could have won if the news came by telephone (and she could look straight into the camera rather than down at a piece of paper).

I don't think the ILL was poverty porn. They were middle class.

We're Laurence Fishburne, Jay Leno, and Austin Pendleton; you can add us to r97's list.

Ricky Ricardo was a star!

I’m Black Jesus!

Has Austin Pendleton ever been famous? I remember him mainly from What's up, Doc? and a bumbling lawyer in My Cousin Vinny.

I’m Florida’s righteous indignation when somebody around her dared to not believe in god.

[quote{I don't think the ILL was poverty porn. They were middle class.

Both NYC apartments were ridiculously small. They didn’t become middle class until they moved to Connecticut.

I’m the episodes where JJ becomes a bookie with a climactic scene that looks like it takes place in a disguised version of the set of “The Jeffersons.”

Hey, isn’t that Chip Fields?

I am Michael pontificating on something he considers unjust,

I’m the writers who basically lazily threw in facts as clunky dialogue.

“Mama, did you know that 90% of Black people in the projects….”

[quote] “Mama, did you know that 90% of Black people in the projects….”

When I watched the show in its original run, I used to think Ralph Carter inserted those lines instead of the ones he was supposed to say and because it was in front of a live audience they never bothered to stop. 😆

Mama, what’s for supper became Mama, did you know that 75% of black teens are having sex?

I’m TVONE. I’ll be hosting a weekend-long marathon of the show with special interviews with cast members to celebrate the golden anniversary.

It does not look as though John Amos will be joining.

When John Amos was on MTM Show, they should have had him date Mary. She would have been less uptight after a good banging from Gordy.

R106- The Ricardo's were QUITE middle class when they were living in the apartment. Ricky purchased a brand new Pontiac Convertible for their cross country journey to California.

Poor people do not buy BRAND NEW cars- nowadays yes but in 1955 they were not long lines of credit.

R113, he bought it with money he embezzled from the Tropicana.

Look at their apartment. In the early episodes, the kitchen doesn’t even have a table. It’s a breakfast bar. The bedroom is small.

Whenever they have the Mertzes over for dinner, they have to set up a card table. Their apartment was tiny compared to other middle class people. If they were middle class, they’d have lived in a doorman building. They couldn’t afford a babysitter, they always imposed on Mrs. Trumbull and it was a running joke that Lucy always was overdrawn at the bank.

I’m the extraordinarily fugly JJ insulting his (pretty) sister’s looks and acting like she is the ugly one.

I’m Debbi Morgan. You didn’t think you’d see me this far back in the 70s but here I am.

R114- It was a converted brownstone/townhouse-those buildings NEVER have a doorman. Doorman buildings are generally Upper Middle Class buildings which the Ricardo's were not. They were Middle- middle class.

R13 I'm Florida Evans, I'm as fat, if not fatter, than Bookman but we all ignore this.

I don't think that Florida is fat, R118.

She just wears very tight clothes, like everyone did in the 1970's.

Plus, she has a round head which makes her look fat.

R52 and R68 You are Larry. I don't remember what I did yesterday but I remember the deaf kid from Good Times' name.

And Esther had no neck which made her look fatter than she was…

Norman Lear was on Phil Donahue way back and a very fat black woman asked him why all the black women on his shows were fat. He said calmly, on Good Times, Ja'net Dubois is not fat, on The Jeffersons, Roxie Roker is not fat. On All's Fair, Lee Chamberlain is not fat. Of course, he didn't note that the two female leads on GT and Jeffersons were fat. But the irony is that a fat woman asked the question.

Happy 50th!! Dy-no-mite!!!

I'm the extremely unrealistic moment of JJ and Michael NOT whooping Keith's drunk, yellow ass after he backhands their sister in THEIR damn house!

"From Showrunner Ranada Shepard!"

R119- She was VERY African looking.

But where was her neck?

I'm the audience breaking into applause at every cultural line of dialogue.

I’m Willona’s deaf paramour who can speak perfectly, reads lips perfectly and needs no sign language.

I'm out of here.

Looking at that clip in R130 Florida doesn’t look as heavy to me as she did when I was a kid. Likely because the bar has been raised for what is “fat” now.

R132- Of course not. DL’s favorite

GREAT BIG FAT person- Mindy Cohn was considered totally fat in 1980 but with the normalization of obesity she’s average sized today.

I’m Florida’s unctuous sanctimonious unbending sense of right and wrong, which played a role in keeping her family in poverty.

I’;m the punch bowl shards

I’m Florida in a bad mood. I can be a real unlikeable bitch.

I'm Keenan, one of the few performers who actually looked like Esther Rolle.

Kimora Lee Simmons also has those weird neck lines. It might have been JuJuBee who did her on Snatch Game and Niecy Nash said that the makeup he used on his neck showed an attention to detail that was excellent.