Ranty Friday — Table Manners

This has been getting on my wick for months.

And this week it made me actually rage out loud.  Pause the TV and take a photograph.

Two photos in fact.

What in particular with regards to table manners am I talking about on Ranty Friday this week?   Well that picture above, that’s what.  Two different settings on Corrie this week, both those photos taken within five minutes of each other.

Eating with mouths open

Talking whilst eating

Waving food and cutlery around

Getting up from the table whilst still chewing.

It’s disgusting.   Table manners cost nothing.   It doesn’t matter what your annual household income is or where it comes from, manners are manners in my book.    What are teaching people if we think that is acceptable?    I can’t stand the sound of somebody talking whilst eating.   It’s rude.    There is no need to be talking whilst you have a mouthful of food.   Just hush for five minutes.

There is certainly no excuse for eating with your mouth open.

Do writers actually put that in the scripts?

Elbows on table I will forgive, I don’t have a massive issue with that.   I do have an issue with elbows being out at a 45 degree angle and nudging the person on your left and right, but that is a different story.

Why is toast being used to argue a point?  Why is it being wafted around?  If it isn’t toast, it’s a knife.

Corrie is my escapism each week.   But increasingly it is making me rage.   Not with the outrageous plot lines but with the falling into bed on a first date, and now we have to contend with our children thinking that is is an acceptable way of behaving at the table.

Well let me tell you, dear reader, it bloody isn’t.



Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Hmmm. Perhaps this is why they are so thin?! They don’t EAT toast but use it for gesticulating instead! 😉

  • I hadn’t noticed this but will look for it now. I wonder if other soaps are the same?

  • massive bone of contention with me also, as you say it costs nothing, my son was struggling this week eating with his mouth closed and I still told him, was I mean, I think so on this occasion as he had just had surgery on his mouth but I am constantly telling people of for it…No Need at all x

  • I hear you! It was one of my criteria for marriage. If we go for dinner and you eat with your mouth open we’re done. And I have nagged my kids to the point where they’re the only ones I know whose food you can’t see while it’s being chewed. Why does no-one else care??

  • Maybe it adds to their character – do they also eat the toast in the bed?

  • I don’t watch much TV but absolutely loathe bad table manners. My Mum nagged me and I nag my children in turn. I hate seeing people eating all over public places, my mum would never have let me eat whilst walking down the street although I’m sure I have handed my children a snack on occasion – people seem to eat everywhere now, public transport is my biggest pet hate and I recently found you could buy popcorn to take into the theatre!!

  • By ‘eck, missus! You’ve got to keep food moving so’t flies don’t settle.
    Common sense!

  • People who eat with their mouth open need taking outside and shooting at dawn.
    You could say it bothers me a bit…

  • I have read about 2-3 comments on twitter this week, about food habits of the soap characters. Glad I don’t watch them yuck x

  • I totally agree. Even on some of the better TV programmes, table manners are appalling.

  • We’re trying to drum it into N at the moment as he’s got into the sloppy habit of talking and eating at the same time, mostly because he’s always got something to say. But my OH’s really big on table manners, and eating with mouth open is disgusting. I think people get sloppier as they get older, as most children I know would get told off for doing it.

  • LOVE the things that wind us up! Strangely, this isn’t one that stresses me but my OH is pretty hot on it!
    *makes note to check families’ manners! X

  • And…kids in shows being allowed to get up and walk around while others still eating