Dear Readers,
I’m always amazed when I watch Zach eat popcorn. It doesn’t matter where he is, the technique is always the same: grab the largest handful possible and cram, stuff or pack it into his mouth.
Naturally, this method leaves popcorn on the floor from the initial over-stuffed handful and even more popcorn on his lap, the chair and the floor from the popcorn that did not make it all the way into his mouth. Needless to say, he makes a bloody mess and when the lights come up in the movie theater it’s like a popcorn explosion. I once thought that this all happened because it is dark in movie theaters and he just couldn’t see, or gauge, how much popcorn he had in his hand, or where exactly his mouth was, but that wasn’t the case- he’s
done this very thing in broad daylight. We’ve talked about it. He thinks it’s funny and it’s been going on for years.
These days I find myself in charge of a theater (in case you didn’t know) and popcorn is still in the forefront of my life. After every film, it is usually I that sweeps up and I am baffled by how much popcorn is on the floor. Week after week when the lights come up and the people leave I am left with “snow drifts” of popcorn under the seats, in the seats and all along the walkways. Rarely an M&M or Junior Mint. Just popcorn.
So, I started to watch at every film those who bought and ate popcorn versus those who bought candy. Here are my scientific findings: candy eaters eat one or two at a time carefully. Yes, they are box rattlers often making more noise with the M&M’s than the Swedish Fish. They are careful not to spill a precious one and most don’t finish, taking the
rest home to enjoy in the privacy of their bedrooms late night. *Except for the lady who laid her box on the floor and one by one her candy rolled down the risers. (Yeah, we all heard that. I swept up that night, too.)
Now onto the Popcorn Data and the most troubling information. The popcorn eaters must have all gone to the Zach Farley School of Popcorn Eating. Movie after movie the behavior is all the same – old, young, men, women, refined, unrefined, hippies and folks from Sonoita The cram, stuff, shove technique. EVERY SINGLE TIME!
I know what you are thinking, “Well, I certainly don’t eat my popcorn that way.” Yes, you do. I saw you. You even did it during the Art Film!
The question is, how do we move forward from here? Admitting there’s a problem is the first step and then perhaps some behavior modification to follow. You can do this.
Sincerely,
The gal who sweeps up