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Original poster

Why did we think the Milk Tray man was romantic?

130 replies

Popquorn · 21/04/2025 20:17

Basically he worshipped from afar (stalked?), then broke into people’s homes dressed all in black to leave them a box of chocs, and this was seen by most people, including younger me, as endearing and romantic.

Was it the world before #MeToo and entirely acceptable, or am I simply mis remembering how creepy he actually was?

OP posts:
ConstanceM · 21/04/2025 20:57

He was TV's psudeo James Bond

MyUmberSeal · 21/04/2025 20:58

Facebookrecipe · 21/04/2025 20:34

He was self-effacing, not looking for immediate brownie points and recognition. He was thoughtful, considerate and indulging. He was slim, good looking and secretive.

This. I’d leave a key out for him any day.

Facebookrecipe · 21/04/2025 21:01

@MyUmberSeal All the better if he ingeniously and romantically found a way in rather than use a key! Rapunzel in reverse.

StIgantius · 21/04/2025 21:06

StMarie4me · 21/04/2025 20:39

Nope. Nope . Nope.

It’s his girlfriend. He drove all night.

And ‘make love’ didn’t have to mean a shag you know.

See also “Baby, it’s cold outside”.

Show quote history

“Crept in your room” is the bit that sounds dodgy. (I know obviously that it’s not meant like that, but I can’t listen to it without cringing.)

nothingagainstyourrightleg · 21/04/2025 21:21

The Milk Tray Man is absolutely to be trusted.

BullintheHeather · 21/04/2025 21:24

Never bothered with the milk tray man but Oh my god…remember those ads for Halls soothers where the woman gets her neck kissed in the lift? I’ve had a lifelong thing with my neck because of those ads and I was only a kid at the time.

Cyclebabble · 21/04/2025 21:26

All because the lady loved Milk Tray. It was quite funny and it made the chocolate look glamorous. Not really creepy IMO.

BullintheHeather · 21/04/2025 21:26

The music was Addicted to Love by Robert Palmer.

RoseAndGeranium · 21/04/2025 21:27

StIgantius · 21/04/2025 20:33

I often think this about the song “I drove all night”.

‘Woke you from your sleep to make love to you. Is that alright?’ — NO! Gross! Inconsiderate and selfish at very best and the fact that he drive all night, endangering himself and other road users with his exhausted horny driving, makes it worse, not better. Clear cut wrong ‘un, no appeals.

RoseAndGeranium · 21/04/2025 21:28

BullintheHeather · 21/04/2025 21:24

Never bothered with the milk tray man but Oh my god…remember those ads for Halls soothers where the woman gets her neck kissed in the lift? I’ve had a lifelong thing with my neck because of those ads and I was only a kid at the time.

Argh I had forgotten this! Absolutely gross 100% agree

Bruisername · 21/04/2025 21:28

Am I the only one who assumed the girlfriend was married to a generic baddie and that’s why he had to sneak in to deliver his love gift

RoseAndGeranium · 21/04/2025 21:30

Facebookrecipe · 21/04/2025 20:34

He was self-effacing, not looking for immediate brownie points and recognition. He was thoughtful, considerate and indulging. He was slim, good looking and secretive.

This is a persuasive argument.

SomethingFun · 21/04/2025 21:32

I assumed he was her partner, not some random. The odds of a man going to that much effort for a woman he doesn’t know to give her some chocs is 0% so I really wouldn’t be questioning the morals of the 80s through this ad.

RoseAndGeranium · 21/04/2025 21:33

RockCrushesLizard · 21/04/2025 20:45

This song was originally by Cyndi Lauper - it’s quite a different vibe when sung by a female!

Show quote history

Doesn’t change it one bit for me. Roy and Cyndi are welcome to their high carbon footprint low sleep requirement romance if that’s what they’re into but I think it’s hideous.

SmugglersHaunt · 21/04/2025 21:34

I could do with him now as I can’t be bothered to pop to the corner shop

CaptainFuture · 21/04/2025 21:35

Where's the hate for the Milky Bar kid?...
A STRANGER! enticing kids with sweeties?! The horror!!!

Oftenaddled · 21/04/2025 21:36

People knew it was meant to be a funny fantasy and wouldn't work that way in real life - it was the 1980s, and television had been around for quite a few decades already. It wasn't all naive housewives thinking they'd like that in reality (apart from the chocolate).

NooNakedJacuzziness · 21/04/2025 21:36

what about that creepy bearded old git sneaking into kids’ rooms every Dec 24th?

ItGhoul · 21/04/2025 21:40

I’m fairly sure most consumers of chocolates were fully capable of understanding that a romantic fantasy isn’t the same as an actual relationship. Nobody ever thought the Milk Tray man was a model for real life romance.

Similarly, we all swooned over Nick Kamen stripping to his boxers in the laundrette so he could wash his Levi’s. We were, however, still fully aware that men who start undressing in the middle of real-life businesses end up with their faces on one of those rogues’ gallery posters of weirdos who’ve been banned from the high street.

A pleasantly daft fantasy about something that would be nuts in real life but works beautifully in the imagination is a glorious thing, IMO. There’s a reason that ‘enemies to lovers’ is one of the most popular tropes in romantic fiction.

RoseAndGeranium · 21/04/2025 21:45

NooNakedJacuzziness · 21/04/2025 21:36

what about that creepy bearded old git sneaking into kids’ rooms every Dec 24th?

You joke, but I wasn’t allowed to talk about Father Christmas one year because our then 1.5yr old was absolutely terrified by the idea of a jolly guy in red emerging from the chimney.

Calliopespa · 21/04/2025 21:48

MaloryJones · 21/04/2025 20:48

I never looked that deep into it

I don’t even remember it.

Calliopespa · 21/04/2025 21:49

ItGhoul · 21/04/2025 21:40

I’m fairly sure most consumers of chocolates were fully capable of understanding that a romantic fantasy isn’t the same as an actual relationship. Nobody ever thought the Milk Tray man was a model for real life romance.

Similarly, we all swooned over Nick Kamen stripping to his boxers in the laundrette so he could wash his Levi’s. We were, however, still fully aware that men who start undressing in the middle of real-life businesses end up with their faces on one of those rogues’ gallery posters of weirdos who’ve been banned from the high street.

A pleasantly daft fantasy about something that would be nuts in real life but works beautifully in the imagination is a glorious thing, IMO. There’s a reason that ‘enemies to lovers’ is one of the most popular tropes in romantic fiction.

Oh I remember the Levi’s ad!

DoYouReally · 21/04/2025 21:54

I don't remember him bring creepy or breaking into people's houses.

I remember him blagging hid way into a film premier where she was happy to see him (the Tom Jones one) and another one where he had a sword fight to jump over a fortress to get to his lady.

Neither remotely creepy and always thought it was about putting in the effort need to make her happy.

It appears a lot went over my head.

Toastandjam16 · 21/04/2025 21:57

Cyndi Lauper has said that she wrote the song because she realised that she'd never heard a song where the woman was driving a car, as opposed to being driven in one. So there you go. Female empowerment. As for the entering the room 'Is that all right?' at least she checks for consent! 😃

RoseAndGeranium · 21/04/2025 22:07

Toastandjam16 · 21/04/2025 21:57

Cyndi Lauper has said that she wrote the song because she realised that she'd never heard a song where the woman was driving a car, as opposed to being driven in one. So there you go. Female empowerment. As for the entering the room 'Is that all right?' at least she checks for consent! 😃

Actually that does change things a bit. I love mumsnet. I can’t imagine that I’d ever have found that out otherwise. Go Cyndi!