![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-126961-100x100.png\")
That family sounds delicious.
That family sounds delicious.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-12072-100x100.png\")
FAAAAAAAAT
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And people wonder why southern folks get stereotyped......
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-175743-100x100.png\")
4 oz makes the difference when feeding 6 people?
God it sounds like some of my relatives.
Once again, for effect:
FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-7178-100x100.png\")
Tsk tsk, no thanking your anonymous tipsters who don't even bother to leave their name at the end of the e-mail?
Kidding. I'm just glad the hilarity is being spread. This deserves to go down in the annals of the Interweb.
Isn't that Hank Hill?
Seriously, by and large, consumers are idiots and companies know it.
BEST.RECORDING.EVER.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-220069-100x100.png\")
nice!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-20679-100x100.png\")
What a size queen.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-12988-100x100.png\")
BWAHAHA holy mother of all that's holy... that's killin' me.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-76659-100x100.png\")
That is awesome...\"Save money, save money...I wanna eat GD'it\"
@JKinNYC: Who cares what they weigh, are skinny people the only real consumers now?
I think this was a great complaint. The man figures it takes 16oz of sausage to feed his family and can no longer get 16oz. He has to either go with 12 or 24. One leaves people hungry, the other leaves food to go to waste.
@Ben Popken: That's a funny coincidence; I sent it to the tips line 1/2 hour ago, so I just assumed. I really wasn't trying to start anything with the comment, though; I'm not mad or anything.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-132485-100x100.png\")
The last 30 seconds were priceless!
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-172122-100x100.png\")
Oh. My. God.
I suppose that as a native Southerner I should have been upset at the perpetuation of redneck stereotypes, but I really laughed my head off.
I think my favorite part is the last 10 seconds, where he stops talking to the voicemail but continues to curse a blue streak to one of his sons.
16oz to 12oz is huge cut in weight.
You go to the donut shop and pay for a dozen donuts but they only put 9 in the bag, would you complain or just keep walking.
Everyone would complain.
So why consumers stay quiet when their Sausage weight gets cut by 20% is beyond me.
REVOLT I SAY !!!!! REVOLT!!!!!!!!!!!
@JeffMc: I don't care if they are fat. And it was a good complaint. I was merely chuckling at his half-ton family.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-116946-100x100.png\")
Those 4 ounces must really go a long ways in feeding \"600 pounds of men.\" lol
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-179089-100x100.png\")
Now that's a man who loves sausage. AMIRITE?
As a cart girl, I brought little sausage sandwiches out to some golfers one morning. These guys were super straight-laced businessmen and one of them literally squealed, \"OooOOOoo, it's Jimmy Dean!!!\" when he read the label. I've never seen a man so excited about food and he tipped me 100%... Oh, the power of Jimmy Dean sausages.
With the exception of the cussing at the end because he forgot to hang up the phone/turn off the recorder, the man makes a valid complaint. The sizes he quoted for his family wasn't something that is unusual this day and age (200lbs for a grown man can't be far off the average). Cutting down the serving size by 25% is a huge amount (a bit more than the 4.5oz to 4oz of soap).
I would love to hear if Jimmy Dean were to actually respond to this guy.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-112438-100x100.png\")
most of you should just go read jezebel or something. a 25% product reduction for the same price is the issue.
not this man or his family. at least he is passionate about something. even if he can't quite class up a joint.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-15106-100x100.png\")
I like the way he says the word \"delicious.\"
I use that sausage in several recipes.
Or, I did. I'll just switch to another brand since it's easier than recalculating every other measurement to take into account that I have a quarter less sausage in the pack.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-132151-100x100.png\")
omg! this post and these comments have made me laugh like i never have before in my life. i bet that guy would be awesome to have a beer with.
That. Was. HILARIOUS. I love rednecks.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-185231-100x100.png\")
He shouldn't have sworn, but hey, maybe more of us should be speaking out more to companies when they pull stuff like this. Good for you, man! You tell 'em!
This is amazing. Amazing. 4 People. 12 ounces of sausage. A COUPLE DOZEN eggs. PLUS the T-bone steaks he mentions. Wow.
And before anyone says anything, I agree with the complaint, I also just really enjoyed the family math
Breakfast at Randy's: coupla dozen eggs + some t-bones + a pound of sausage...
holy crap. Don't short that man on the biscuits either.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-5372-100x100.png\")
Well, take one look at this packaging... [blog.synapticsugar.net] Yeah... that image looks about as Southern and traditional as Kelloggs Pop Tarts. The complaintant needs to write off Jimmy Dean as a lost cause and find a new sausage brand.
As a northerner (buffalo, ny) who is now living in Virginia... do not mess with redneck's sausage or gravy. I don't eat that crap since i'm from NY and like northern style food but that man's complaint is valid and I see it happening more and more with food and other stuff these days. Pay more for less. F that.
Not to mention how it screws up recipes calling for the always-available 1 pound package of sausage.
@sled_dog:
Hey maybe that's one of the reasons they did it, because they figure now they can sell 50% more (2 12-oz. packages instead of 1 16-oz. package).
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-110833-100x100.png\")
I can understand the outrage, but that was just freakin' funny. Thank the lord I don't live in Southern America.
Jimmy Dean kicks ass. If there was sausage to be had in our house, that is what we got.
This product downsizing happens all the time, I just never notice it. Pretty soon a gallon of milk will be only about 3 liters.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-131723-100x100.png\")
This is like when Nestle cut down the bag of toll house cookies from 16 oz to 12 oz. Of course, the recipe I have calls for the 16 oz size. Those bastards, denying me my chocolate!
These posts about reduction in size are getting silly.
I'd like to ask every complainer for these reduced-size-but-same-price issues whether the company they work for has increased their prices or reduced the quantity of their product in the last few years. I get fewer Cheerios than I did 5 years ago. My 12 doughnuts cost more than they did 5 years agao. The software my company makes costs more than 5 years ago. What's the big deal here?
Whether its gas prices, inflation, increased rent - whatever - prices will go up. And if they don't sizes will go down.
If a company CSR for this company says, \"we increased our price\" then they pretty much told the truth and there's nothing further to say.
Only when you get a lame answer like, \"It's still just as tasty as the bigger size\" or \"it helps you not become a fat redneck as quickly,\" should anyone have a problem with this.
Maybe they just decided to leave out the four ounces of tapeworm eggs they usually include in each pound of sausage.
Then again, tapeworm parasites would keep you thin...
Screw the sausage issue, valid though Tex's point is for sure, just how long will we tolerate the reduction in paper towels per roll, the increase in fluff to make it less noticable and the pre-set tear points so you get 3 instead of 1 when you try and pop it off the roll? I have not measured but I suspect the cardboard inner roll itself is larger too.
Did it not occur to him that he could buy two and then refrigerate or freeze the remaining 8 oz. from the second roll? He did say he's willing to pay more if they kept making the 16 oz. size.
Or maybe he could take the hint and eat less fucking sausage.
Here's a fun tangent: Back in the good ol' days, people in the south were malnourished because they couldn't get enough food. Now they're malnourished and fat, thanks to things like Jimmy Dean sausage. Go figure.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-76955-100x100.png\")
I don't eat meat but I enjoy the whole Jimmy D ad campaign with the sun, the moon, the rainbow....
@Parapraxis: Work that into a believable meme and I'm sure we'll see some earnings problems at a lot of sausage companies.
God I hate when companies do this. They did it to ice cream not that long ago. If you need to raise prices, fine, but don't scam the consumer. I thnk what is really atrocious is the jump in profits the company stands to make. If they put a 25% increase on a package, for an approximate $4 sausage roll, it would increase the price by $1 and result in the loss of a ton of business.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-139070-100x100.png\")
He must really like his sausage.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-6319-100x100.png\")
i'm sure Paula Deen can help him out.
This guy's arteries are probably constricted from eating all that Jimmy Dean sausage. If he doesn't calm down, an artery could get constricted and cause a heart attack. If that happens, then it's all Jimmy Dean's fault. I see a lawsuit in the making.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-151698-100x100.png\")
While I see the humor in it all, there's still a problem here. Now it's 12 ounces for the same prices of what was once 16 ounces? Oh, for shame Jimmy Dean. Maybe cut 1 ounce, but not 4.
Luckily I live near Austin, TX, and am able to get Meyer's Elgin Sausage in pretty much every supermarket. Meyer's is far superior to Jimmy Dean.
For those who may be interested -- www.cuetopiatexas.com
@dugn: I'd suppose the bigger issue here is that they reduced the size by a full 25% and are still charging the same for the product. Maybe a 5% reduction or less wouldn't bring such a raging phone call from Mr. Randy Taylor. Who knows though, he seems rather passionate about his sausage.
I must say though... I just listened to the audio again and the end of it really is comic gold: \"... I wanna eat, goddammit.\"
Poor fella, he's in Texas and doesn't know about Meyer's. That pretty sad. Wish I had a way to get in contact with him to save him from his sausagey hell.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-193440-100x100.png\")
Nothing's been the same since they fired Jimmy Dean from Jimmy Dean Sausage.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-75848-100x100.png\")
\"a couple dozen eggs\"?!!!
LMFAO!
that was hella funny. What pisses me off is when the brand managers for the conglomerates that own these companies come out with bullshit like 'value sized for convenience!' or 'improved sizing!' to hide the fact that they've reduced the size.
This guy sounds like Dan from Roseanne.
Im failry certain that the toothpicks I buy are smaller than they once were. The quality of picking they deliver has diminished, and well as the quantity of picking time. I find myself haveing to grab a second one sooner than I used to. Dont try and lull me into complaceny with some zesty mint flavoring, either!
Its time our voices were heard!!!
ya'll are missing the point...everyday companies are downsizing the product size but charging the same amount for the product...it's your voice and your dollars...what are you going to do about this...in the end this sort of practice affects ALL of us...no matter what our size is or where we come from
@thepounder: Wish I had a way to get in contact with him...
He said his phone number twice on the message. Go for it, man.
1. Love the audio clip. He should be on South park or something. Better than most of gootube. I'm still grinning.
2. It's a SaraLee Company, several of their products have started to suck lately.
\"Simple Yet Special tm\" my ass!
Their deli meats need some work too! (Used to be better, and cheaper, the prices have skyrocketed in recent months.)
And that Seneso coffe is like $2 a serving, you MUST be kidding me!
Gallo Light Italian Dry Salame (yes, it's spelled correctly) excepted. (Although I've been trying to cut down on my nitrite intake)
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-60345-100x100.png\")
@dugn: I am with the redneck. Sorry but I am sick of this sneaky packagin manuever. I think the first time I ever noticed it was years ago when a certain brand of tuna dropped a .5oz off their can. Can size didnt change though so the consumer didnt notice.
His complaint is valid 12oz doesnt work for him and in the JD board meeting I am sure it went like this.
flunky#1: \"Well if we take that 4 ounces away from 3 packages then we are making a 4th package and profits on a 4th package we never sold before.\"
flunky#2: \"Ok but what about people who have come to depend on a single package meeting their needs, I mean heck look at the hundreds of recipes out there for a 16oz package. What about a family of 4 each member getting 4oz(before cooking) of sausage, now they will all only get 3oz(before cooking).\"
flunky#1: \"Boo hoo, so then they will have to buy another package? Oh that breaks my heart...NOT\"
That is so funny. It was a well thought out complaint. He wasn't unreasonable, he even was willing to pay more for the 16oz package. He's got a real family to feed, and that wimpy 12oz package doesn't get the job done.
@acambras: That was not cursing a blue streak. Not even close.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-61425-100x100.png\")
Ich vermisse Amerika manchmal. Manchmal.
I miss America sometimes. Sometimes. I love it, great post. Is it authentic, though?
Awesome is the only word for that.
I may be one of those weird people from up north that he seems to dislike, but I totally agree with his sentiment. I don't mind paying a little more for the bigger size, but why stop offering it entirely?
Of course, being a goofy northerner, I am a vegetarian, but I apply the same philosophy to non-meat products as he does to meat-products.
'your products are very delicious' gets me every time.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-113647-100x100.png\")
Id rather see the price increase than the products go down in size as well. I bet the price per oz wouldnt change nearly as much if they just had to raise the price.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-55242-100x100.png\")
@Zombietime: MMMMM sausage and gravy...over biscuits SCORE!!!!!!!!!!! Moving out to Cali. I have a huge craving for some southern food. The soul food place near me does a good job with lunch and dinner but they don't open for b'fast. I miss me some bacon biscuits and gravy...
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-87899-100x100.png\")
Where did this clip even come from?
I'm listening to it for the 3rd time (twice yesterday) because I enjoyed it so much the first time.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-22283-100x100.png\")
@ribex: I think this version might be from me, and I got it from someone who got it from a person who works at Jimmy Dean's ad agency.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-75647-100x100.png\")
I say good for him. Regardless of his scio-economic status, most consumers are too ignorant to appreciate how much a small percentage adds up over the long run. Ever look over your credit card statement and see that .00037% percent daily interest rate?
Twenty-five percent is a HUGE number in volume. Jimmy Dean knows that. In fact I bet they have a whole group of people deciding just exactly how much they can reduce a package size before people notice. Maybe if more people were like this guy companies wouldn't be so quick to screw over us consumers.
I wonder if you have been had. Any confirmation that they actually did this? Their web site does not list a 12oz package and all their in house recipes call for the 16oz variety. (And yes, one calls for 12 eggs!)
[jimmydean.com]
Oddly enough, there are 6 servings in a 16oz roll, so cutting down to 12oz would result in only 4.5 servings, not enough to feed the \"family of 5\".
A nice marketing ploy by Jimmy Dean to get us all talking about their \"delicious\" products? And man, that guy does say delicious in a very special way. I wanna EAT!
FYI... Jimmy Dean recently revised their web site. You can now post comments for the recipes and videos. See www.jimmydean.com
This is a \"King of the Hill\" episode waiting to happen.
I'm afraid this would only backfire for them. If I have a recipe that calls for 16 oz of sausage and Jimmy Dean has reduced the size to 12 oz, then I will just use 12 oz and figure that I will be better off for it. They will be the losers in this case. I'm not going to have 3/4 of a package of sausage getting freezer burn because they want to play with the package sizes.
So happy to be vegan.
Despite the hilarity of this call, I think this is a sign of the inflation that's been happening. It sucks, and it affects more than just the Hank Hills out in Texas.
This guy is merely feeling the after-effects of the president he voted for.
I'm not sure why people are down on the size of his family. I'm 6'2\" and weigh 215, with a low body-fat percentage because I work out. A lot. Of course, I don't eat Jimmy Dean... And I don't know many healthy women who are 200lbs. I'm just sayin'.
Jimmy Dean is the best sausage. I agree with SLICKSTER that; \"this is a sign of inflation\". Coffee companies pulled the same stunt in the early 80's. The one pound cans suddenly became 13.1 oz.
I can't blame the guy for being upset and complaining is how things get noticed. I would say the the profanity could have been left out and specially when it comes to the GD word. As for his opinion between people from the North and South that war is long behind us and there shouldnt be dividing factors brought up between the two. I have lived in Texas all my life and some of my good friends are from the North. As for the downsizing of Jimmy Dean Sausage, buy another brand. Owens is everbit as tasty to me lets see if they follow the Industry on downsizing. Potter sausage is another great southern sauasage. As for the amount this redneck family has for breakfast...Geewhiz!!! I eat breakfast with six firefighters and we dont cook near as much as they do. Hmm... Maybe I overlooked how much the kids eat. Again.. theres nothing wrong with complaining but he cuss words could have been omited.
Stay safe all,
Firefighter1tx
At least he was a gentleman and didn't divulge the weight of the women in his family. (Although his description of his wife as a \" plump Scot\" had me on the floor.)
As for it being a valid complaint…
I guess there has been an increase in the cost to produce Jimmy Dean and it came down to increasing the cost of the 16oz package or reducing the amount of product.
With the cost of fuel now. EVERYTHING is going to cost more or you are going to get less.
He has a good Point....
Think about it, 16 oz of Sausage for 5, is a bit over 3 ounces for each person. Most restaurants serve at least a 4 ox Patty for breakfast. Just because you are 200lbs, does _not_ mean you are fat. I'm lean at 210, and 6'2.... At 77, can leg press 465 lbs, can you?
I see alot of southern stereotyping, but the one reason this happened is the only stereotype i dont see. Because a southerner will actually stand up for what they believe while a northerner simply goes insides locks the door and hibernates thru winter. Anyways, yes it's Bush's fault, hell you can blame all the previous presidents too for placing so much exclusivity on oil as the only fuel. Oil prices control the market, yes even a competitive market because everyone everywhere uses oil(ie factors in the cost of production shift the demand curve in our out). If we keep voting in the presidents who do not plan to develop an alternative fuel quickly oil will always have this big of an impact on price. The call is definately classic though lol. He should call Opec.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-88640-100x100.png\")
@mthrndr: The yogurt category is notorius--I was livid when Dannon reduced the amount \"to allow for granola or other mix-ins\" but I refuse to buy the 8-oz Colombo because it tastes like crap. Gotta love this brave, new world of line-item pricing.
Kroger had both the 12oz roll and the 16oz roll of Jimmy Dean sausage for sale today.
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-113511-100x100.png\")
That was crap!
I can understand his frustration. I have a breakfast casserole recipe from Jimmy Dean that I'm intending to make tonight. It calls for \"1 pkg. Regular Flavor Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage: cooked, crumbled & drained\"
I was looking for a coupon online when I stumbled across this Consumerist story. Now I realize - what the heck size do I need? It's an old recipe, so is it asking for the old 16 oz package? Or one of the new 12 oz or 24 oz packages???
hahahaha this is so funny! one word: FAT!
But i do kinda understand the man... This is not the only thing that has been downsized. Food companies all around the nation are doing this kinda stuff!
___________________________________________________________
KicksOnFire.com - News & Updates on Air Jordan & Jordans
![\"user-pic\"](\"http://consumerist.com/assets_c/userpics/userpic-210821-100x100.png\")
Around here, Columbo yogurt downsized from 8 oz. to 6 oz. like the other brands.
I told my dad not to call, but he just wouldn't listen...
OK, first of all, this clip cracks me up every time! lol Tbone steaks, THREE DOZEN EGGS and 12 ounces of sausage isn't enough for ONE breakfest?? I'm a Texas man as well and I can honestly say I haven't eaten that much in a day much less for breakfest and I'm not a skinny guy.
Second, I would be willing to bet this man went somewhere else for his sausage, complained about the price and quality and went back to Jimmy Dean. I have spent many years working retail and restraunts and currently working for one of the biggest retailers in the world and I have heard this over and over again. Bottom line, prices go up; it's called inflation. There's also the fact that America is based on Capitolism. Companies are free to package and price their products however they wish and we are free to go elsewhere. Problem is, most people are all talk when it comes to this.
From a consumer's point of view, I hope this man sticks with it, rediculous as his rant may have been. If more people did this and stuck to it, things might actually change, within reason. Problem is they either don't stick with it or they blame the wrong people ie...the cashiers, waiters...ect.
![\"user-pic\"](\"/mt-static/support/assets_c/userpics/userpic-1161-100x100.png\")
![[blog.synapticsugar.net]](\"http://blog.synapticsugar.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/pancake-sausage.jpg\"){kind=link}
hahaha, this is classic.