Movie Etiquette 101: A primer for our generation
By Matt Grantz, Assistant Editor
May 3, 2011
When we go to the movies there are usually certain rules, usually unspoken, that we and our fellow moviegoers follow so that everyone can enjoy the movie. Unfortunately, as the TrottyVeck’s movie reviewer I’ve had the misfortune of dealing with people who don’t follow these rules, so let’s review how to be civil at the movies.
The biggest problem at a movie is cell phones. At the beginning of the movie people are very nicely asked to shut off or silence their cell phones. Usually people are kind enough to silence their phones, but occasionally we get those people who think they’re ever so important that they must answer their phones in the middle of a movie. And then they proceed to conduct 10-minute conversation while they stay in their seat. Talk about inconsiderate! How about they get off their butts and leave the theater if they’re going to do that? They obviously aren’t paying attention to the movie anyway.
Texting is another problem at movies. People will silence their phone and then text the whole way through the movie. What they may not realize is that it’s extremely distracting to the rest of us because we can still see the light their phones are giving off. These people obviously aren’t paying any attention to the movie because their highly important social lives require that they constantly be texting, so why are they even at a movie? If they’re going to watch a movie, shut the phone off and pay attention to that big screen up front, not the tiny little screen on the phone.
Next is something people usually don’t want to see anywhere, but it is done quite a bit at movies – and in school. This great public enemy is known as a PDA, or public display of affection, and it generally involves people making out or climbing all over each other. If a couple is going to be making out during the entire movie, why bother going to a movie? They obviously aren’t watching the movie and are distracting others, so it only seems logical to stay at home and make out. Why go out in public, pay money for a movie in order to make out in the dark and then force other people to watch? Are people really that desperate or that exhibitionistic?
Usually when people go to a movie, they go with friends, not a problem, but then they talk to each other. Now, I don’t have a problem with a little bit of whispering during a movie, I do it myself, but people’s talking loudly or whispering throughout the entire movie disturbs fellow moviegoers and distracts them from watching the movie. Is it possible to hold off on the gossip or the commentary at least until the movie credits start rolling?
Another issue occurs when sick people decide to go to a movie. If they’re sick, they have just as much right as anyone else to be at the movie, but blowing noses or coughing during the entire movie really does distract everyone else there. Wouldn’t wrapping up in a nice cozy blanket with a hot drink and a good DVD be a much more appealing way to spend an evening?
Young children are yet another distraction at a movie. These young children tend to cry and make other disturbances when they’re there. Now, if I go to a movie that is obviously for little kids, such as “Toy Story 3,” it’s my own fault and I should expect young children and crying. But I can’t help it when these children’s parents take them to a PG or PG-13 movie that scares them and causes them to cry. These children probably can’t even understand the movie, so why take them there and bother other people?
The final big problem is people who make various movements that cause distractions. An obvious one happens when people sitting behind us kicks our seats – repeatedly, not just once accidentally. Usually this annoyance can be solved by asking them to stop, but common sense should stop people from kicking seats repeatedly anyway.
Additionally, people tend to grab around in their popcorn and candy bags, making a highly annoying noise which they can easily eliminate by slowly reaching into their bags and not grubbing around.
The other movement that can cause major disturbances occurs when a person sits in the middle of a row and has to get out. People who like to sit in the middle bother not only people they climb over but also people in the back rows who can’t see past the standing people. I can understand if this happens once, but sometimes a person will do it three or four times. Does it ever occur to those “middle-sitters” who often leave and return to sit at the end of the row so they don’t have to bother anyone.
Going to the movies should be an enjoyable experience for everyone in the theater. While some annoyances cannot be avoided, most are easily eliminated. All it takes is a little consideration for everyone else sitting in the theater. Sometimes, especially when we are in public, it isn’t all about us.
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