NEW YORK — Do cheesy movie lines really have Americans at “hello?” New research suggests that they actually do! A survey of 2,000 adults which looked at the most cringe and quote-worthy movie lines finds that 63 percent are more likely to remember cheesy one-liners in films than more serious dialogue.
“Jerry Maguire” was voted as the king of cheese, with “You had me at hello” ranking as America’s favorite cheesy movie line.
That is followed by Patrick Swayze’s iconic quote, “I’m scared of walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you” from “Dirty Dancing” and “I want the fairytale,” from “Pretty Woman.”
“We’ll always have Paris,” from “Casablanca” and “I’d rather die tomorrow than live a hundred years without knowing you” from “Pocahontas” rounded out the top five. Overall, corny and cheesy movies are twice as popular as their serious, dramatic counterparts (45% vs 22%).
A survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Daiya, a dairy-free cheese brand, reveals that Americans don’t just want some cheese in their movies — they also want it on their plate.
Almost two-thirds of Americans (63%) consider themselves “cheese-obsessed.” Sixty-two percent “always” or “often” enjoy their favorite movie with food. This devotion to cheese runs so deep that respondents are likely to be snacking on pizza (46%), nachos (33%), and mac and cheese (13%).
Almost two in five (39%) say their favorite person to enjoy a cheesy meal and cheesy movie with is their partner. Almost half (47%) admit that they consider their partner to be “cheesy” and even more than that, 61 percent consider it to be an attractive trait.
“Along with rom-coms, the results back up what most of us already know: pizza is a staple in American households,” says John Kelly, Chief Marketing Officer at Daiya, in a statement. “We want all eaters to enjoy pizza, regardless of their dietary preferences.”
The survey also explored the links between someone’s favorite slice and movie preferences. The fan-favorite pizza slices include pepperoni (44%), meat lovers (36%), classic cheese (34%), and chicken, bacon, and ranch (18%).
Americans who prefer chicken, bacon, and ranch, as well as roasted veggies (13%), are most likely to prefer rom-coms on their TV (33%), while classic cheese lovers opt for comedies (52%). Pepperoni fans, on the other hand, are most likely to turn on an action or adventure flick (38%).
Two-thirds of all respondents are even likely to add additional cheese to their favorite slice of pizza. This goes double for bacon, chicken, and ranch fans, as 81 percent are likely to layer on additional cheese. However, it’s more than just additional toppings Americans are interested in. For 45 percent, the cheese on their pizza needs to be plentiful and melty (33%).
What about cheese-less pizza? An astounding 91 percent of respondents say a pizza needs some kind of cheese to be classified as a pizza.
Survey methodology:
This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 general population Americans was commissioned by Daiya between Jan. 23 and Jan. 26, 2024. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).