Monday, April 25, 2005

Popcorn Economics

I will never forget the opera piggy-back rides of my childhood. It was the 1970s. There was a temple not far from where we lived. Whenever there was a temple festival, there would be open-air Chinese opera for all to see.
For love of religion, the shows or the madding crowds, I'll never know. But my grandpa would always carry me to the opera on his shoulders, where I can look over heads of the crowds, right to the stage where the drama is. The atmosphere was grand.
Without fail, grandpa would buy a stick of gooey golden malt candy for me. It was a sort of candy that costs next to nothing, but takes ages to eat.
That summed up the sound, the colour, the taste of showtime for me. The taste of malt candy still brings me back to those noisy nights.
Last weekend, Boy and I went to watch The Interpreter at the cinema. The show's good, if you like pseudo-cerebral films with an exquisitely beautiful lead. But the ending left me going "what the...??"
What struck me more than the blah finish, though, were the exorbitant prices charged for a drink and tub of popcorn. You didn't need to watch a horror movie to understand what "cut-throat" means. The action is all at the popcorn stand.
Now, consider this: if they lowered food and drink prices so people in their right minds wouldn't mind buying, they will sell lots more and not need to stop people sneaking in stuff bought from outside. That's just simple popcorn economics.
Ah, for the golden days of cheap showtime candy again.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

And yes, we were one of those people that snuck in food bought from outside. Sour snakes candy!!

Am getting hungry.... Whats for supper?

L

12:45 AM  

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