To think there was really no need for that?

[LewisThere]

Nice afternoon with the dcs. They watched a film, had some popcorn and generally enjoyed themselves.
Both me and H in the background vaguely watching with them.
Film end, the dcs start going back to their bedroom. H stops them and ask them to tidy up the packets of popcorn etc.. All fair enough.
Dcs bring the stuff in the kitchen incl 2 empty bowls and leave them on the worktop. Dishwasher has just finished running.
H started to get annoyed and had a go saying it's unacceptable. They should empty the dishwasher and then tidy up the two bowls.

Now it's dcs job to fill and empty the dishwasher. They were going to do it anyway 2 hours later after dinner.
Dc1 tried to explain that worked better for them. Nope, H wasn't having it.
Dc2 tried to escape by going to his bedroom and was told off.
Cue for two dcs grumpy and annoyed who ended up having a go at each other and in effect releasing their anger on their sibling rather than their dad.

Is it really unreasonable to think that it was really up to them to decide when to do that task?
H is convinced his way is better because it means more work afterwards, work he isn't going to do. Plus they should do as they are told.
I'm saying that it spoiled what was a really nice afternoon. The dcs need to learn what is working or not by trying it rather than because they are told to so, aka learning from their own mistakes. and I would have left two bowls that were more or less clean anyway So really there was no need to make such a fuss over that.

Both dcs are teenagers.

What do you think?

My parents were like this. Everything was a "lesson" for the real world too. I don't see them anymore and was a deeply unhappy and resentful teenager, couldn't wait to move out. I used to think they were a product of their time but then I see so many posts on here of parents who are thinking and behaving the same way. Depressing.

He sounds pernickety and controlling OP and your teenagers will soon start to avoid watching movies or spending time as a family because it just won't feel worth it to them. I adored my parents as a younger child but that bond frayed more rapidly than you could have ever imagined once they went into parenting a young adult mode. I despised them by age 13 and it has never recovered.

Washing the two bowls up by hand would be the obvious compromise since it would have taken a minute and then it's done.
That's not compromise, that's madness. Why the urgency? Why waste the water and washing up liquid on a couple of bowls that can get put in the dishwasher in a short time?
I would hate to live in a house where 2 bowls couldn't sit on the side in the kitchen for a couple of hours without causing an argument.