Popcorn and the Oscars

With Oscars night just around the corner, do you have all of the Red Carpet-watching gear ready to go for your family’s own Academy Awards party at home? 

Here's my list so far: Fingers crossed that Chris Rock won’t blow it as a host again? Check. Champagne chilling and Metallic Gold cocktail rim sugar ready for adding sparkle to glasses? Check. Downloaded and printed out our game pieces to play Oscar Bingo during the show, where people can fill in the boxes with fun Oscar related things? Check.

And of course - the popcorn, movie-themed popcorn seasoning shakers and snack cones. We’re stocked for popcorn (and seasonings, of course).

Source: PandaWhale.com

 But did you know that movie theaters haven’t always been synonymous with buttery, delicious popcorn? In fact, there was a time when popcorn was banned from movie theaters. The reason: In the late 1800s and early 1900s, going to the movies was like going to see a play in a theater - all thick expensive carpets, gorgeous seating, high-class (and expensive) atmosphere. And movie theater owners shuttered at the idea of customers spilling bags of popped corn and grinding it into the carpets.

It wasn’t until sound was introduced in cinema in 1927 - and the draw of going to the movies expanded to a much wider audience - that the need for concessions came about. Theaters resisted selling popcorn for some time, but as the Great Depression raged on, popcorn became a treat that felt like luxury, despite still being affordable.

Pair that with the escapist nature of movies and suddenly people were flocking to theaters, while popcorn vendors made a killing on the streets. Eventually, the theaters wised up and started offering popcorn directly to moviegoers.

By 1945, the association was cemented, with over half of all popcorn consumed in America being shoveled in at the theaters. Just like that, cinema and popcorn were inextricably linked.

Source: TheFW.com