There’s nothing quite like settling down in your seat at the movie theatre with a large bucket of popcorn. But how did this snack become so synonymous with watching films? Surprisingly, it wasn’t always that way. In fact, popcorn was originally seen as a less-than-appetising theatre snack. So, what changed?
Popcorn was unpopular back then…
Theatre owners were opposed to popcorn sales because it threatened their pristine environment. They believed that sold from a cart, the snack had an unpolished reputation for being street food and created dirtier conditions with its messy nature which could ruin theatres’ furnishings
The reason why these theatre magnates did not want you eating your dinner before seeing this movie is so prestigious; they wanted consumers aware – but not distracted- while enjoying films in cinema style.
In the beginning of movie theatres, vendors would sell popcorn for 5-10 cents a bag. This upset owners because then patrons had to buy more than just one snack before going into their movies and it became an easy target when someone spilled something on you or you accidentally spill some on yourself.
As time went by though there was profit too be made from selling those little bags so many people love eating them while watching our favourite films – especially if they’re still hot from being freshly cooked right from the pot.
During the Great Depression
The Depression wasn’t just a time of poverty for Americans, it was also an era where people couldn’t afford to go out and enjoy themselves. To make sure that they had enough food on the table each day though organisations of popcorn makers came up with creative ways in which theatres could still be profitable during these economically tough years—they decreased prices at their giveaways so much that more revenue would come from those who truly desired cinema culture without having to worry about finances or accessibility.
It was also in this era when popcorn, considered then as the origins of gourmet popcorn, became a staple in cinemas because they were heavily consumed by those who could afford to watch movies in theatres. Not long after, theatre owners with popcorn stalls saw their profits increase, and it was then when popcorn had to be part of every cinema in the US.
World War II was a turning point for the movie theatre industry. With competing snacks like candy and soda suffering from sugar shortages, audiences had no choice but to go without them while they ate their popcorn in droves at home during films that would otherwise have been sold out by now with all these people coming through!
After the war…
Theatres began pushing advertisements for their concessions harder, debuting commercials that played before (and sometimes in the middle of) movies to entice audiences. By 1945 popcorn was so tightly bound with movie watching that over half America’s population ate more than five nights a week at home or on-theatre snacks brought by friends – mostly originally introduced as “popcorn balls.”
Changing times and the popcorn we love today
While popcorn became a staple in movie theatres, sales began to decline with the advent of TV and home theatres. With lesser people going to the movies, the sales of popcorn went down as well.
This was also the reason why popcorn underwent its own innovations, in order to cater to its growing audience arcs. These days, popcorn is now available in different forms -from raw kernels you can cook at home to gourmet popcorn with flavours that match whatever movie date you’re going to be in. But one thing has and will never ever change: movies and popcorn are a pair for keeps.
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