Paper plates on reality TV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Duggars used styrofoam. But yeah lots of the families who have multiples or just many kids use disposable plates. Even ones on tiktok do it, and the comments are always about the environment.

Airplane travel is bad for the environment. Buying new electronics is bad for the environment. Renovating your home is bad for the environment. Driving a car vs. bicycling is bad for the environment. Yet all those things are considered normal for UMC families.

If someone wants to be environmentally conscious, they can choose to do things to lessen their impact. Could be as simple as switching to a reusable water bottle or bigger like buying an electric vehicle. No one person holds the burden, and unless your neighbor is burning tires in the backyard, it’s unfair to judge others choices.

This idea is what bothers me the most about billionaires and their climate obsession. Someone like Prince William has a carbon footprint 100x that of his subjects but he’s jetting around the world trying to push his climate project. It’s like they’re throwing money at the problem hoping to be able to buy a better planet. Instead, they could lead by example and own fewer homes, or take one less exotic vacation each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whenever we go to the beach with extended family in one big house, we use paper plates and bowls. Just too many people to do all those dishes.

If it's a big family on the show, I'm sure they use a lot of paper products.

When I was growing up in the 80s-90s, my parents used so many paper products on week nights. They both worked, had commutes, and we were not getting home from aftercare until after 6pm. We didn't get a dishwashing machine until we moved when I was in 10th grade!

All that to say - it's probably a class signifier if you use paper products regularly. My parents were working-middle class and we used paper plates A LOT. My spouse and I are clearly upper middle class and we basically never use paper products, aside from napkins (even with two kids and both working).

My parents were working middle class and we never used paper plates unless we were eating outdoors. We used paper napkins, but not plates.

[Anonymous]

In a recent discussion with other moms I learned most people run their dishwasher every day. One family with 4 kids runs theirs 2x a day. This and the paper plates don’t compute for me.

The only paper product we use is toilet paper. We have paper towels available, but mostly use cloth rags. We have cloth napkins, China plates and glass drinking cups. We have 2 elementary age kids and we still have every plate and bowl from the set we received at our wedding 13 years ago - none broken. We get takeout once a week and we unpackaged it and place the food on plates. We run the dishwasher every 2nd or 3rd day and no one in my house washes dishes more than 10 min a day and we never go to bed with a dirty dish in the sink. I cook dinner from scratch 3-4 nights a week and make baked oatmeal, muffins, or pancakes for breakfast a few times a week and usually make cookies or another baked good once a week for dessert. I don’t understand how people (who are not on a Tv show) are generating so many dishes that paper seems necessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the TV question.

Last time my parents visited, my dad said, you know I think I’ve noticed one thing that would help you. I think you should use paper plates.

I’ve used them consistently for a year. Sorry, trees. But, maybe I’ve saved on the water used to wash. It’s also helping me stay on top of dishes for the first time. So, my dad was right.

Huh? Clean as you go and do the remainder after use. Are you the Swedish Chef?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In a recent discussion with other moms I learned most people run their dishwasher every day. One family with 4 kids runs theirs 2x a day. This and the paper plates don’t compute for me.

The only paper product we use is toilet paper. We have paper towels available, but mostly use cloth rags. We have cloth napkins, China plates and glass drinking cups. We have 2 elementary age kids and we still have every plate and bowl from the set we received at our wedding 13 years ago - none broken. We get takeout once a week and we unpackaged it and place the food on plates. We run the dishwasher every 2nd or 3rd day and no one in my house washes dishes more than 10 min a day and we never go to bed with a dirty dish in the sink. I cook dinner from scratch 3-4 nights a week and make baked oatmeal, muffins, or pancakes for breakfast a few times a week and usually make cookies or another baked good once a week for dessert. I don’t understand how people (who are not on a Tv show) are generating so many dishes that paper seems necessary.

Yes! Laundry, too. During a playdate I followed the other mom to her laundry room to continue our conversation and she put together the smallest load I’ve ever seen while bragging how her washer runs “nonstop.” So inefficient! People get so set in their ways when they’re struggling to balance everything, they can’t pause see how they could improve their own situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't watch much reality TV so can't think of examples where I've seen paper plates, but I wonder if it could be because silverware on ceramics or porcelain is reality loud and if they have cameras with audio recording all the time it could lead to a lot of extraneous noise.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't watch much reality TV so can't think of examples where I've seen paper plates, but I wonder if it could be because silverware on ceramics or porcelain is reality loud and if they have cameras with audio recording all the time it could lead to a lot of extraneous noise.

That, plus the crew probably wants the family to rush to giving interviews and doing other things after they finish eating, not doing dishes.

This. It’s a time saver.

Yep, if you've ever known someone who was being filmed for reality tv, they need to rush to film the good content while the crew is there and in a certain time frame, so they will rush you to do things that are interesting or to interviews. They don't want the family cleaning up.

[Anonymous]

I run my dishwasher twice on thanksgiving, but other than that it’s every other day most of the year. I do use plastics and single serve packages for lunches. It’s a give and take. I haven’t flown since 2020 so I’m saving there.

[Anonymous]

Spielberg's mom cooked but used paper plates, plastic utensils and disposable table cloths because she didn't want to do those dishes.

[Anonymous]

We use toilet paper, paper female hygiene products, paper facial tissues, and disposable diapers. None of these things were used by our great grandparents. All glass and cans were recycled back then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I run my dishwasher twice on thanksgiving, but other than that it’s every other day most of the year. I do use plastics and single serve packages for lunches. It’s a give and take. I haven’t flown since 2020 so I’m saving there.

Exactly. Give and take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We use toilet paper, paper female hygiene products, paper facial tissues, and disposable diapers. None of these things were used by our great grandparents. All glass and cans were recycled back then.

Yes, burgundy washcloths

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We use toilet paper, paper female hygiene products, paper facial tissues, and disposable diapers. None of these things were used by our great grandparents. All glass and cans were recycled back then.

Yes, burgundy washcloths

Nah, that was for the rich folks. Just rags for the great grands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Sister Wives family used paper plates I recall.

If i had 96 kids I think I would prefer paper plates to washing dishes.

[Anonymous]

I thought I was the only one that noticed this!!