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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that crisps are inappropriate...

23 replies

claricebeansmum · 30/10/2007 14:06

in the theate?

At the weekend we went to see a play at our local theatre. It is a play for children, not a pantomime and probably aimed at children in the 8 - 12 age group.

The children next to me were given a packet of crisps each to munch through during the first half and a fruit shoot. It's not the type of drink that bothered me but the slurping and sucking etc that accompanied the drinking. And the munching of the crisps and crackling of the crisp bag.

This "snack" was then followed by two ice creams in the interval...but that's another thread!

Or am I hopelessly out of date?

OP posts:
NAB3 · 30/10/2007 14:08

No. I hate noisy food too at the cinema/theatre.

DarrellRivers · 30/10/2007 14:08

Do you think perhaps the parents didn't think first before giving the snack?
ie ooh a couple of bags of crisps will keep Jonny quiet for the first half ( and then) DUH as the crackles started.
I might do that, (maybe not the fruitshoots)

OrmIrian · 30/10/2007 14:08

That would annoy me too. Surely they could wait till the interval or eat something quiet. Inconsiderate to the audience and to the cast.

expatinscotland · 30/10/2007 14:09

i probably wouldn't have noticed.

i don't notice many things like that, thankfully.

Mumcentreplus · 30/10/2007 14:10

Well when I went to see LazyTown at the Hackney Empire everyone seemed to bring a picnic with them!..lol..we did get drinks and fruit and ice-cream from the bar during the interval all part of the experience

paulaplumpbottom · 30/10/2007 14:10

The crisps were probably alot more quiet than a pair of bored kids.

MrsArchieTheScaryInventor · 30/10/2007 14:15

Packet rustling in cinemas/theatres (especially in the quiet bits!) is up there on my list of offences punishable by death by listening to the Des O'Connor back catalogue! It's only surpassed by people parking in disabled/parent and child spaces when they are not accompanied by either someone in possession of a blue badge or a child!! (that would be death by listening to Daniel O'Donnell)

Original poster
claricebeansmum · 30/10/2007 14:16

I also can't understand why they had to eat at all? The theatre is not somewhere you go for food - it is entertainment. Perhaps the odd malteser as a treat.

OP posts:
OrmIrian · 30/10/2007 14:18

Depends on the age paula. I've taken a 6yr old and an 8yr old to a classical concert and they sat beautifully without benefit of food . I think that kids can rise to the occasion when it's clear that it's neccessary.

MaryAnnSingletomb · 30/10/2007 14:20

it's a weird thing to eat in the cinema I think - even weirder in a theatre - it's as if people can't cope with sitting without stuffing their faces - why on earth would you eat nachos and whatever you put on them - yuck - the smell and the noise !

paulaplumpbottom · 30/10/2007 14:23

My dd is 4 and sits through a ballet fine. I do give her a few treats but its usually marshmallows that I put into a paper cup. To be honest I don't feel this is entirely the fault of the parent but the theatre. They should be serving quieter snacks. If they are selling crisps the parent might not have thought anything was wrong with it.

Miaou · 30/10/2007 14:26

My SIL gave her two sons a packet of crisps each to eat, three minutes into dd1's christening. In a church. They then ran round the church for the rest of the service. nuff said!

EmsMum · 30/10/2007 14:27

YANBU. If people must eat in a theatre, it should be something quiet.

The only permissible rustling is if its for a cough sweet to avert a major coughing eruption. Even then, its best to bring a quietly-packaged pastille

Original poster
claricebeansmum · 30/10/2007 14:28

Paula - these weren't served by the theatre these snacks,no they were brought in in a very loud plastic bag

OP posts:
MaryAnnSingletomb · 30/10/2007 14:29

'quietly-packaged pastille'

bozza · 30/10/2007 14:40

miaou it was my nephew's christening last Sunday. I took my children a snack of cheese cubes and raisins and a banana each. We had to travel 1.5 hours followed by a 10.30 am service so the children had a prolonged period of sitting and I thought some distraction might be required especially for DD who is 3. The sermon involved the distribution of jammy dodgers, fairtrade chocolate, marshmallows and those choc/marshmallow teacake thingies. My snacks were rather looked down on in the light of this. But my children did stay put at least.

Miaou · 30/10/2007 15:08

bozza, I had no objection to the snacks (though they weren't needed from either an age or travel pov - my nephews were old enough to sit still at the time!). But yes, cheese cubes, raisins and bananas don't rattle do they??

RosaTransylvania · 30/10/2007 15:31

We go to the theatre and concerts frequently and my children get an icecream in the interval if they are lucky. There is no need for additional food or drink. I don't actually understand why people can't sit down to watch a performance without eating their heads off throughout the entire thing. I am turning into a grumpy old woman and I can't do a thing about it.

bossybritches · 30/10/2007 15:36

Rosa I agree!!

Don't these peopple feed their kids before they leave home???!!

We might have a few quiet sweets but if I can get away with it it's an ice cream at the interval IF they're good!!

I do take water though.

Join the GOW club ]

erniecrackles · 30/10/2007 15:46

This drives me insane too -- I'm totally oversensitive to crackling in cinemas / theatre! And I hate the attitude that sitting still for an hour involves non-stop face stuffing ... sadly my children seem to believe it does, and I get constantly nudged and asked for (non-existent) sweeties / crips / biscuits / 3 course meals in loud stage whispers. Never sit near my family in a theatre!

Lorayn · 30/10/2007 15:50

I went to see Tweenies on saturday with my ds(2.10) and we bought popcorn before it started, mainly because I didnt want to have to faff around in the middle of it and wasnt sure if he would sit quietly through it without annoying everyone else.
However that is due to his age, so dependant on the age of the children YANBU.
My DD went to the cineam at the same time with DP (at nearly 7 she decided she is too old for tweenies) and had popcorn, but popcorn and a movie are kind of hand in hand IMO.

Flibbertybatsgiblets · 30/10/2007 16:00

I would rather my children ate noisy crisps (at the interval of course!) than ice cream after I read this last year.

The only ice cream I've eaten since has been the home made variety with ingredients that you EXPECT to find in icecream, not the sludge that the bought stuff is made from.

coby · 30/10/2007 16:14

it's not all sludge in the ice cream, the cheap stuff and the low fat stuff is not good.

With ice cream you get what you pay for (apart from low fat stuff which is just totally overpriced).

Waitrose Cornish ice cream is very nice and not got all the nasties in it

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