Theater Ettiquette
In my little world there is a thing called ettiquette. It involves social norms which dictate proper behavior in a group setting. I have a long list of those norms when seeing a movie in a theater. Among those there are:
1. No talking on your cell phone.
2. No talking during the movie.
3. No texting.
4. No flipping your phone open (the light is distracting!!!!!!!!!)
5. Don't eat things in cellophane.
6. Don't kick my seat.
7. Use the bathroom before the movie!!!
8. And last but not least, mind your fucking children!!!
Tonight we saw Mamma Mia. We've been looking forward to it for sometime. The theater was packed and the usual messages about cell phones and talking were addressed in the previews.
About 10 minutes in, a cell phone rang. I continuesly saw flashing cell phones throughout the theater (I mean seriously, you can't disconnect yourself from the world for two god damn hours????), and Brad suddenly turns behind him to tell a young kid to "Please stop kicking my seat". He was a little curt but the kid had been kicking and hanging on his seat for about six or seven minutes and he snapped. The mother flipped out and yelled at Brad and actually asked, "What are you going to do about it? Why don't you just go tell someone about it?" She was very rude and couldn't understand why we were upset.
Anyway, she go her kid to stop kicking his chair but that didn't keep the kid from talking the whole damn movie! She just kept shushing the kid over and over again. The icing on the cake was that after the movie another woman (assuming a friend of hers that was sitting next to her) had the nerve to say something. She was like, "Are you the rude one who was telling that child to stop kicking your chair? Let me tell you something, you tell the parent, not the child." We fired back with then the parent should be doing his or her job and she actually called us gay. Ironic.
Anyway, my overall point is, "Does no one have manners anymore?" This women actualyl said she had a right to have her child (under 5) at this movie even if it meant being an absolute nuisaince to the rest. I'm horrified that anyone can think that is ok. I've been going to movies for a long time and I would never disturb someone else's movie expierence with my own problems. Seriously, I had to pee the last hour but wouldn't go because I wouldn't want to stand up and move all the way down the aisle! People amaze me everyday. We tried to decide if the age of the parents in this case played a part, they were both around 25-30. Is it younger people? I'm in that age range and I wouldn't do that.
But my question is, didn't was have the right to tell this child to stop? Was it so offensive to the parent? Shouldn't they take care of their own children before someone has to say it? And why the hell wouldn't you leave if your children is being disruptive? Does no one have courtesy anymore? Aren't they completely embrassed for themselves?
I just don't understand the selfishness of it all.
1. No talking on your cell phone.
2. No talking during the movie.
3. No texting.
4. No flipping your phone open (the light is distracting!!!!!!!!!)
5. Don't eat things in cellophane.
6. Don't kick my seat.
7. Use the bathroom before the movie!!!
8. And last but not least, mind your fucking children!!!
Tonight we saw Mamma Mia. We've been looking forward to it for sometime. The theater was packed and the usual messages about cell phones and talking were addressed in the previews.
About 10 minutes in, a cell phone rang. I continuesly saw flashing cell phones throughout the theater (I mean seriously, you can't disconnect yourself from the world for two god damn hours????), and Brad suddenly turns behind him to tell a young kid to "Please stop kicking my seat". He was a little curt but the kid had been kicking and hanging on his seat for about six or seven minutes and he snapped. The mother flipped out and yelled at Brad and actually asked, "What are you going to do about it? Why don't you just go tell someone about it?" She was very rude and couldn't understand why we were upset.
Anyway, she go her kid to stop kicking his chair but that didn't keep the kid from talking the whole damn movie! She just kept shushing the kid over and over again. The icing on the cake was that after the movie another woman (assuming a friend of hers that was sitting next to her) had the nerve to say something. She was like, "Are you the rude one who was telling that child to stop kicking your chair? Let me tell you something, you tell the parent, not the child." We fired back with then the parent should be doing his or her job and she actually called us gay. Ironic.
Anyway, my overall point is, "Does no one have manners anymore?" This women actualyl said she had a right to have her child (under 5) at this movie even if it meant being an absolute nuisaince to the rest. I'm horrified that anyone can think that is ok. I've been going to movies for a long time and I would never disturb someone else's movie expierence with my own problems. Seriously, I had to pee the last hour but wouldn't go because I wouldn't want to stand up and move all the way down the aisle! People amaze me everyday. We tried to decide if the age of the parents in this case played a part, they were both around 25-30. Is it younger people? I'm in that age range and I wouldn't do that.
But my question is, didn't was have the right to tell this child to stop? Was it so offensive to the parent? Shouldn't they take care of their own children before someone has to say it? And why the hell wouldn't you leave if your children is being disruptive? Does no one have courtesy anymore? Aren't they completely embrassed for themselves?
I just don't understand the selfishness of it all.