Show me the beef!

John Shumway, a morning news anchor on KDKA in Pittsburgh was discussing a study showing that eating red meat is linked with a diabetes risk. He then said that’s too bad as he really likes red meat, exclaiming “show me the beef!” This is a congruent conflation of the phrases “show me the money” and “where’s the beef?”, both meaning to see evidence of value.

“Show me the money” is a catchphrase from the 1996 movie Jerry Maguire. In the movie, Cuba Gooding Jr.’s character, Rod Tidwell, says the line to Tom Cruise’s character, Jerry Maguire, in an attempt to keep Maguire as his only remaining client. The line is part of a mantra that represents the bond between the two characters.

“Where’s the beef?” is a catchphrase in the United States and Canada, introduced as a slogan for the fast food chain Wendy’s in 1984. Since then it has become an all-purpose phrase questioning the substance of an idea, event, or product. In the ad, titled “Fluffy Bun”, actress Clara Peller receives a burger with a massive bun but a tiny patty from a fictional competitor, which uses the slogan “Home of the Big Bun”. The small patty prompts Peller angrily to exclaim, “Where’s the beef?” Director Joe Sedelmaier actually wanted Peller to say, “Where is all the beef?” but because of emphysema, that was too hard for her.