It's an American custom to buy a bucket of popcorn and a half gallon of soda and maybe some candy bars so the patron would not die of hunger and thirst during the two hour movie. Can you imagine how thirsty one might be during Lawrence of Arabia? Three and three quarter hours in the desert is not easy.
Today WCBS TV News came out with a report that indicates that popcorn is very high in calories. According to this report a medium popcorn and soda combo equivalent of 3 McDonald's Quarter Pounder and 12 pats of butter.
Every day they come out with something that is harmful to our health. I realize that we have the bad habit of eating the wrong stuff but that's what tastes the best.
Many years ago I asked a doctor friend of mine what is that's not fattening: air, was his answer.
But in this country they are getting hysterical about the calorie and healthy food thing.
When I was very young and lived in Hungary I went to the movies with my parents a lot. Before the show we went to the candy store and my Father bought us candy. About 4-5 ounces for each of us. Actually people did that in theaters too. The candy was lemon flavored, sweet, sour or whatever one wanted.
But, there was no national health panic that the population's teeth would rot due to the excessive candy munching. The only ones ever complained were fellow patrons who could not hear the words because of the constant noise from the bags people were digging into to find their candies.
I wonder how many people give up their habits because some dumb TV report.
Talking about Lawrence of Arabia. It was filmed partly, in Wadi Rum, in Jordan. We nearly died there, not from thirst, but from the cold. Travelled in an open jeep, arrived lateish. Nonjewish Dutch woman gave me a pashmina, which probably saved my life.
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