Everyday Systems

In this Slate article:

http://www.slate.com/id/2290459/

William Saletan laments that movie theaters will be exempt from the requirement to list calories on menus. Some quotes from the article:

"That's a funny way to put it, because the one thing you can't escape at a movie theater is execrable food."

"If you don't like these options and you try to bring in something healthier, you'll have to toss it."

"You can eat the theater's overpriced, thirst-inducing crap, or you can starve."

You'll starve if you can't eat for the duration of a two or three hour movie?

It is simple to escape bad food at movie theaters. Just don't eat anything while you're watching the movie. You won't starve to death in two or even three hours. Really.

Nicest of the Damned wrote:It is simple to escape bad food at movie theaters. Just don't eat anything while you're watching the movie. You won't starve to death in two or even three hours. Really.

Yep. You're very smart.

There is a reason food is pushed as part of the Movie Experience, though. You see, movie theaters don't really make their profits off of ticket sales. At best, that covers the licensing fees for the showing of the movie.

Where they make their MONEY is on concessions. So they've a STRONG vested interest in pushing the idea that you HAVE to have food while at the movie theater.

It's funny how often following the money leads to pushing some bad eating habits, innit?

Yeah, that's pretty funny. Is he following the eat-every-two-hours school of diet advice?

As a student, I remember being baffled by the huge costs people would cite when they wanted to show how expensive it was to go to the movies these days. It took me a while to realize how they were getting their numbers, namely by counting a large popcorn, a large drink, and a snack, for every member of the party, in addition to the tickets. My expenses, by contrast, included: 1. The ticket. A much lower number.

Back then, I just sat and watched movies without eating, out of frugality. Now I do it because I don't snack. (But, really, if you *must* eat: they don't actually search your bags. At least, they don't here in Canada. I'm just sayin' you can bring your own food, if you want.)

I always take my own food and drink to the cinema if I do take anything (in the UK) - we aren't MEANT to but they don't search you so.... buggered if I'm spending £10 on a massive drink and gross food!!

I love having popcorn at the movies -- but I only go to the movies on weekends usually, so I have my small popcorn and don't worry about the calorie count. No matter how "execrable" the popcorn may be, a small bag once or twice a month is not going to kill anyone!

this thread makes me giggle! thanks for sharing.

"oh no...some guys just got blown up---where's my popcorn!"... starve? really?

and there are always snacks that can fit in someone purse/jacket... in fact I had a friend in High School that snuck a wooden box of clementines into the theater -- crazy, I know, but no one noticed. and you want water? bring a jacket and place it in the arm, carry the jacket over your arm.

but.. wait.. do people actually go to the theater anymore? (ha) I can't remember the last time I went to see a movie--- I guess I am just patient enough to wait for them to be available at Netflix.

Not eating at the movies was a practice I took up years ago. Partly it was just about being cheap. Mostly it was because I usually go to the movies after or nearly after a meal and am not hungry. When I'm really hungry, I don't crave popcorn or sweets. Though I've been a slave to chcoolate for many years, it was easy to unhook the movie and popcorn pairing.

It's a bit of a dilemma to me that theaters can't make their money from the ticket prices because I still want to be able to see at least some movies on a big screen. I'd even be willing to pay a higher price for some decent food for the privilege.

Geesh, little Mexican fast food stands make money offering cheap and fast fare here in SoCal. Don't see why they couldn't team up with movie theaters somehow.

However, apparently, theaters keep making money on consumers who buy the candy and popcorn, or they would have changed. Business follows the money. If carrots sold, they'd be selling them. Blame the patrons.

milliem wrote:I always take my own food and drink to the cinema if I do take anything (in the UK) - we aren't MEANT to but they don't search you so.... buggered if I'm spending £10 on a massive drink and gross food!!

The staff at the cinema near me seem quite content to allow us in openly brandishing coffee from the shop next door. I don't think they're paid enough to care.

Going to the movies today with my adult son to see Source Code,
and I was just thinking about this same issue.

My plan is to have a diet coke, and to avoid snacking.