Our high cinema irritation confirmed – and it is not annoying cell phone customers
New research commissioned by Pot Noodle shows eating noises irritate 91% of cinema-goers, with slurping beating mobile phones as the nation’s biggest film-time grievance
This man will not be popular with his fellow cinema goers (stock)
Mobile phones, tardy arrivals and talkative neighbours are typically the culprits blamed for spoiling a cinema outing. However, new research commissioned by Pot Noodle suggests the real bane of the big screen might be something far more mundane: the sound of other people munching.
A staggering 91% of Brits confess they’re annoyed by fellow filmgoers’ eating noises, with slurping now emerging as one of the nation’s most exasperating movie-time misdemeanours.
The fresh research reveals that slurping (50%) has now surpassed mobile phones (46%) as Britain’s primary cinema complaint. When the question is expanded to include any quiet public setting, the irritation intensifies, with 72% of Brits citing slurping as a top annoyance.
The survey of 1,000 Brits also underscores just how fickle cinema etiquette can be. More than eight in ten (84%) say noisy eating significantly impacts their enjoyment of a screening, whilst 56% believe particularly loud snacks should be prohibited from cinemas entirely.
Going to the cinema is one of the last truly communal, silent experiences – where strangers congregate in the dark hoping everyone else will behave.
Yet, true to form, many Brits opt for silent suffering over confrontation. More than two in five (42%) admit they have been genuinely irritated by someone’s eating noises during a film – but chose to remain silent.
Nowhere is this tension unfolding more dramatically than in East London. Genesis Cinema in Bethnal Green has found itself at the heart of an unexpected snack craze, after witnessing a marked increase in punters smuggling Pot Noodles into every showing.
Whilst creative, the trend has become impossible to overlook. In response, the cinema has taken the bold move of prohibiting Pot Noodles from its screenings, announcing the news on Instagram yesterday.
To enforce the prohibition, Genesis Cinema has deployed an infrared camera at screening entrances to catch Pot Noodle smugglers red-handed. The infrared device, engineered to identify heat, steam and individuals concealing Pot Noodles, has been rolled out to guarantee screenings remain slurp-free.
Responding to the prohibition, Pot Noodle stated: “We are a great value, no-nonsense food and should be able to be enjoyed in any environment, including the cinema. For some, Pot Noodle is clearly the comforting snack of choice to enjoy whilst watching a film – we would encourage the cinema to change their mind and reverse the ban.”
