Boomer dad still thinks a movie ticket and tub of popcorn costs $8 — he is in for some surprise

Inflation has significantly increased the cost of living and while people spend on streaming services, simple pleasures such as a trip to a movie theatre have become a costly affair. Overpriced popcorn among other things adds to the expenses that people need to keep in mind while watching a movie. During these changing times, a businesswoman on TikTok known as @hungrygirlworldwide, asked her father about his take on today’s movie-going experience, and his candid response was surprisingly insightful.

She asked him a question that drew attention to the growing price gap between watching a movie at the theater and streaming it at home. The woman asked, “If I was going to the movies, how much money would you give me?” As reported by Distractify, her father responded, “Um, you know, probably for you, if it’s on Tuesday, ‘cause it’s two for Tuesday, you could probably get a deal for like 5 bucks. I would say with popcorn probably adds another 3. So all in about eight.” Her father’s response gained viral status on social media, prompting some critics to argue that he is out of touch. They accused him of being stuck in the past, hence failing to keep up with the changing times.

One Tiktok user, who goes by the name Johnny, commented, "That's a down payment on a hot dog." While another person suggested, "Now take a video of him finding the actual price." @bycourtneyjay, questioned, “I was expecting him to say $30ish dollars, which is still on the low end. But $5?!” Similarly, @lalonda8 chimed in and wrote, “For $8, you're heading to the living room to watch a VHS tape from the '90s and popping popcorn on the stove—not even microwave popcorn! 8 dollars cover the taxes.”

This conversation is just another example of how the video creator playfully provokes her dad to offer quirky yet surprisingly insightful responses. Meanwhile, inflation has played a major role in the rising cost of movie tickets and popcorn. As businesses across the US are affected by price rise the movie industry is no exception. With prices for goods and services constantly increasing day by day, it affects the supply chain and, consequently, the cost of running theaters. Whether it’s the technology or the materials used, any increase in expenses for theatre owners directly leads to higher ticket prices, as per reports by Medium.

According to a recent Statista survey, 42% of viewers prefer to watch recently released films online on over-the-top (OTT) platforms, as opposed to the 40% who still prefer watching them in theaters. Among viewers, 18% don't have a strong preference. Nevertheless, even the most enthusiastic moviegoers have been greatly affected by the skyrocketing prices of movie tickets, which has resulted in a dramatic decline in theater footfalls. Movie theaters might face many obstacles in the near future but there is still a chance to turn things around since the overall experience of going out for a movie can't be replaced.