MovieChat Forums > White Man's Burden (1995) Discussion > What's the big deal with the salt in ket...

What's the big deal with the salt in ketchup scene?


I haven't seen the movie, but I did see that this scene is more popular than the movie itself. Since the scene is not on Youtube, can someone explain it?

reply

Travolta and Belafonte are eating at a burger place. Belafonte notices that Travolta pours salt all over his ketchup, and asks him why he does that. Travolta explains that if you pour salt on your fries, it doesn't stick. But if you put salt on the ketchup, you can control the amount of salt that goes on your french fry. Belafonte then tries it out with his own fries and says "not bad". That's pretty much it.

reply

I see... Thanks.

reply

But salt DOES stick to fries, if they're hot (and why wouldn't they be?). Unless you're using salt the size of moon rocks, you'll be just fine. But I understand... it's just a silly movie scene.

reply

I suspect that it was a clumsy way to show that Travolta's character had "street smarts" that Belafonte's better-educated man lacked. I.e., Travolta knew how to handle his white "soul food."

reply

But salt DOES stick to fries, if they're hot (and why wouldn't they be?). Unless you're using salt the size of moon rocks, you'll be just fine. But I understand... it's just a silly movie scene.


Yeah that's what I thought.

reply