On another forum, I found out that Patty Marvel, a member of the Yahoo MST3K group, apparently sent a letter to Iowa State asking exactly this question...here is their response.

Dear Ms. Marvel,

Our office received your inquiry about the promotional film called "The Home Economics Story." According to sources here the reference in the film is to a "five-pound party." Apparently there was an old sorority tradition to have a party and bring a 5-lb. box of candy when you announced your engagement.

Sincerely,
Sandra Gartz
Assistant to the Director

...so, now we know...

On my recent viewing, it occurred to me that the reason "Brother" is so concerned with traffic accidents is that the kids' absent father perished in one. If so, it's a nifty (though poignant) bit of screenwriting.

Of course, it could also just be a residue of the sandyfrankization process.

I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but I think maybe this movie is really dumb.

I heard "squirrel" too.

Has anyone ever compiled a list of the "twas beauty killed the beast" variations the guys made over the years? There must be 50 of them.

Well, much enthusiasm for this one in the discussion, but I have to demur. I found this stinkburger unwatchable.

Hey, just before the second break, from "know Veena" Tom blurts out a joyful "Nuveena" who has yet to make an appearance in MST. It's both a nice bit of temporal hanky-panky, and a reminder that the Brains lived with most of these movies and shorts banging around their sundry subconscious minds for years before they gave them the "treatment." Kind of like Coily and Wally the waffle.

Man, the script for this movie must have been 5 pages long.

Not only do we have a football movie without a single frame of football game in it, we have to watch Donna Mills seduce David Jansen. I didn't ask to see that, didn't want to see that, and wish I hadn't seen that.

This is a good episode, but a tough one to watch.

AH, the eternal question: is this, _____, truly the worst movie ever made? There's truth to Tom Servo's famous observation, and it is true that I have not seen every movie ever made, nor have movies stopped being made.

But. I doubt I can state my feelings about this turgid, flaccid, murky, bitter, nasty little wad of ichorous phlegm better than "Slamdance Cosmopolis" lower in this discussion thread, so I refer you to that pithy gem of an assessment.

There's just nothing to grasp hold of. Hell, even Manos had Torgo and his haunting theme, and some striking photography. Well, striking to me. Even Cave Dwellers had the sheer ludicrosity of the plot shenanigans and the fabulous puppet monster. Even Red Zone Cuba had the wretched anti-aesthetic of Coleman Francis mesmerizing the audience with its aggressive stance against human decency. Even Monster-a-Go-Go had the abrupt finale to provide amusement around the water cooler the next morning.

Bad movies can be oh so good, but this movie is just--and thoroughly--bad. IN a way what makes it so bad for me is that it was made by professionals and was expected to deliver a ROI.

Worst movie ever? Difficult to determine, Captain. Least watchable movie I have ever tried to watch? You betcha!

Hey that Leper was Dick Miller from Gunslinger and It Conquered the World. (Also Little shop of Horrors, Gremlins 1&2, The Wasp Woman, and X: the Man with the X-ray Eyes.) That makes only two people I can think of who have hat-tricked the Mystery Science Theater.

This may be my favorite MST episode. It's certainly a blast. Who would have thought that someone would try to remake Monster-a-Go-Go?

With this slightly less awful remake as an inspiration, perhaps I should tackle my project to remake the three Coleman Francis movies we all know and love...flag on the moon...I'm Cherokee Jack...Panic!

During the GH short, Crow quips about the Gregory Peck wannabe: "He was old even back then."

Somebody's a GH fan! (I admit to watching a bit when Luke and Laura were all the rage, and Frisco Jones, and that spy agency, PEON or Scorpion, or whatever it was called. WHat any of it had to do with a hospital--general or otherwise--is beyond me.