If you grew up in the 1970s or 80s, you probably have a tiny, cowboy-hat-wearing piece of cheese living rent-free in your head. I'm talking about Timer. He was this weird, yellow, spindly-legged character who popped up during Saturday morning cartoons to tell us that our bodies were basically like clocks. But let's be real. Nobody remembers the clock metaphor. What we remember is that specific, catchy-as-hell phrase: hankerin for a hunk of cheese. It wasn't just a commercial. It was a cultural reset for the snack industry and a bizarre masterpiece of public service advertising that still manages to trigger a Pavlovian response in millions of adults today.
The Weird History of Timer and the PSA Era
Advertising in the early 70s was a bit of a Wild West. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was starting to breathe down the necks of cereal companies and toy manufacturers, worried that kids were being brainwashed by sugar-coated propaganda. In response, the networks—specifically ABC—decided they needed to do some "educational" heavy lifting. Enter "Bod Squad." This was a series of animated PSAs designed to teach children about nutrition. Timer was the breakout star. Created by the studio DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (the same folks behind the Pink Panther), Timer was a frantic, high-energy personification of that internal "tick-tock" feeling you get when you’re hungry or tired.
He was voiced by Lennie Weinrib. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Weinrib was a legend. He voiced H.R. Pufnstuf and Scrappy-Doo. He brought this frantic, vaudevillian energy to the role that made the idea of a hankerin for a hunk of cheese feel less like a nutritional lecture and more like a Broadway showstopper.
The "Hunk of Cheese" spot first aired around 1973. It was simple. Timer feels a bit slow. He realizes his "timer" is running down. He needs fuel. But not just any fuel. He needs something that "tastes like a million." He pulls out a slab of cheddar, some crackers, and a toothpick. He proceeds to sing a song that is technically about protein and calcium but is mostly just about how awesome cheese is. Honestly, it worked too well. It didn't just teach kids about snacks; it burned the concept of the "cheese snack" into the American psyche.
Why the Song Stuck (And Never Left)
Music theory explains some of this, but mostly it’s just pure, unadulterated kitsch. The song uses a bouncy, ragtime-adjacent rhythm. It feels urgent. "I'm so hungry I could eat a wagon wheel!" is a top-tier lyric. It’s hyperbolic. It’s funny.
There's also the "wagon wheel" visual. Timer slices a thick round of cheese and puts it on a cracker. In the 70s, "healthy" snacking was often portrayed as eating a raw carrot or a bowl of plain bran. Timer made cheese look like a party. He made it look accessible. You didn't need a stove. You didn't need your parents' help. You just needed a knife (which, looking back, maybe ABC shouldn't have encouraged kids to use so casually, but hey, it was the 70s).
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The phrase hankerin for a hunk of cheese tapped into a very specific American linguistic trope. "Hankerin" sounds old-timey, like something a prospector would say in a Gold Rush camp. It gave the snack a sense of rugged necessity. You aren't just "kind of hungry." You have a hankerin. It’s a deep, soulful need for dairy.
The Nutritional Context of the 1970s
We have to remember what people were actually eating back then. This was the era of Snack Packs, Tang, and Wonder Bread. High-fructose corn syrup was starting to colonize the pantry. In that landscape, a PSA pushing cheese was actually somewhat revolutionary. It was an attempt to steer kids toward "whole foods"—or at least, food that wasn't 90% food coloring.
Timer’s advice was actually pretty solid:
- Cheese has protein.
- It’s better than candy.
- It keeps your "timer" running longer than a sugar rush.
Of course, today we might argue about the saturated fat content or the ethics of industrial dairy, but in 1973, Timer was the hero we needed. He wasn't telling you to eat kale. He was telling you to eat something that actually tasted good.
The Cultural Afterlife of the Hunk of Cheese
You can see the influence of the hankerin for a hunk of cheese commercial in everything from The Simpsons to Family Guy. It’s a touchstone for Gen X and Xennials. It’s that shared memory that proves you were there, sitting on a shag carpet, watching Schoolhouse Rock! and waiting for the Super Friends to come on.
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But it’s more than just nostalgia. The PSA represents a lost art form: the high-budget, high-quality public service announcement. These weren't cheaply made. The animation was fluid. The voice acting was professional. The music was catchy enough to be a radio jingle. Nowadays, PSAs are often clinical or overly "edgy." They lack the whimsy of a yellow blob singing about crackers.
Interestingly, Timer had other adventures. He taught us about "Sunshine on a Stick" (frozen orange juice toothpicks) and why breakfast is important. But none of those had the cultural legs of the cheese song. Why? Because cheese is universal. Not everyone wants a frozen juice cube. Everyone, at some point in their afternoon, has a hankerin for a hunk of cheese.
Is it still relevant?
Basically, yes. The "snackification" of the American diet has only accelerated. We eat more snacks than ever. But we’ve moved away from simple things. We have protein bars with 40 ingredients and "keto-friendly" puffs that taste like cardboard.
There is a movement back toward "ancestral eating" or "simple snacks." When people talk about "girl dinner" or "charcuterie boards" on TikTok, they are essentially just describing a hankerin for a hunk of cheese. We’ve just rebranded it and made it more expensive. Timer was the original influencer. He was doing food prep and "what I eat in a day" videos before the internet even existed.
How to Lean Into Your Own Cheese Hankerin (The Right Way)
If you're actually feeling that familiar rumble in your stomach, don't just grab a slice of plastic-wrapped processed "singles." Do Timer proud. If you're going to have a hankerin for a hunk of cheese, make it count.
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- Go for the Sharpness: A sharp cheddar or a funky Gruyère provides more flavor per calorie than a mild cheese. You’ll feel satisfied sooner.
- The Vessel Matters: Timer suggested crackers. A good sourdough crisp or even a slice of apple provides that essential crunch. The contrast between the creamy fat of the cheese and the snap of the fruit/cracker is what makes the snack "taste like a million."
- Temperature Control: This is the pro tip. Don't eat cheese straight out of the fridge. Let it sit for 15 minutes. The fats soften, and the aroma opens up. It turns a quick snack into an actual experience.
- Mind the Portion: Timer was small. His hunk of cheese was proportional to his body. For us humans, a "hunk" should be about the size of two dice.
The Legacy of a Yellow Guy in a Hat
We don't get many "Timers" anymore. The fragmented nature of media means there isn't one central "Saturday Morning" experience for kids to share. We have YouTube Kids and Netflix, where ads are either non-existent or hyper-targeted by algorithms. There’s something lost in that. There was a weird comfort in knowing that every kid in your class also knew exactly what it meant to have a hankerin for a hunk of cheese.
It was a piece of communal folklore. It was a song that taught us that food is fuel, but it’s also a blast.
So, next time you’re feeling a bit sluggish around 3:00 PM, don’t reach for the energy drink. Don't go for the stale office cookies. Think of that spindly yellow guy. Find a nice piece of cheddar. Get yourself a cracker. Slice it up.
Your Next Steps:
- Audit your snack drawer: Clear out the ultra-processed "fruit" snacks and replace them with high-quality, aged cheeses and whole-grain crackers to satisfy your next real hankerin for a hunk of cheese.
- Watch the original: Go find the "Bod Squad" clips on YouTube. It’s a 60-second masterclass in 1970s animation and marketing psychology that still holds up.
- Try the "Apple Test": Next time you want cheese, pair it with a Granny Smith apple slice. The acidity cuts through the fat in a way that proves Timer was a culinary genius ahead of his time.