Just about a year before the world shut down, Regal Cinemas decided to change the world as we know it. I imagine they brought together a group of the world’s most brilliant scientists to create an enhancement to the movie-going experience that would forever alter the balance of the space-time continuum. This heavenly blend was termed, “Cheetos Popcorn.” To quote Business Insider’s apt description, “The popcorn is perfectly coated with Cheetos cheese powder and the extra Cheetos thrown in give the bag some more crunch.” Take my money, Regal Cinemas. I don’t even care what movie you play on the big screen. I’d watch paint dry. Or even the Point Break remake.

I ask myself every single day, “What would have happened to Cheetos Popcorn if the coronavirus hadn’t shut down and crippled the movie industry?” Would PepsiCo (the owners of the Cheetos brand) and Regal Cinemas taken over the world economy bringing peace and prosperity to all? Or would Cheetos Popcorn simply become just another item on the menu board, taken for granted among the shiny other offerings that would certainly follow? These questions keep me up some nights. I’d like to think the true answer is the former. How do I know? Because in Star Wars, when the Force leaned heavily towards the Light Side from the High Republic Era to the Clone Wars, the Sith rose to bring balance through the Dark Side. In the real world, when Cheetos Popcorn began to spread joy and jubilance, COVID 19 created a blockade of isolation and despair.
The time is right for a new champion to rise. Will be some amazing amalgamation of delicious dessert to make us (and our stomachs) smile? Or some other mystical and magical force? Whatever comes next, I am looking forward to it. But I won’t get my hopes up too high. And I’ll keep my eyes peeled for trouble around the corner…
…as for Cheetos Popcorn? Maybe that story isn’t over yet…
