Joel Siegel on Airplane Fares and Movie Ticket Prices (WABC 1979)

Joel Siegel saw a movie while flying to Los Angeles, "which led to this report somehow" as Rose Ann so elequently puts it. In his scientific analysis, by April of 1985 it would be cheaper to fly an airplane rather than see a movie in a theater.
Age has made this funnier because of the quaintness of the arguments. Joel is complaining about $4.50 movie ticket prices and $1 popcorn prices in Manhattan, which most people would gladly pay today, with a comparable movie ticket going for $12.50 (and popcorn starting at $4 minimum). This is, however, still cheaper than a New York to Los Angeles flight.
The visual accompaniment is likewise funny, because Joel uses handmade charts to prove his point. Had a similar report been attempted today, fully animated and choreographed computer graphics would be used.
But then, there is no way any station would do this - effectively giving Joel Siegel two minutes to analyze something completely trivial - on the 11pm newscast. And in a way that's truly sad.

[@StukInBuf]

"Give us a break!" at the 1:30 mark... Maybe John Stossel should be paying Siegel's family royalties every time he utters "Give me a break!"

[@UnrelatedArchives]

Hello, Joel Dylan(HA!).