quote:

ORIGINAL: heathjack

I went and saw night at the musmen 2. this lady had 5 year oldgirl. she keepeed screaming thur the whloe moive. then last week i went to see trasnfomers and these to people were talking all the way thur the moive. they were in there 20 or 30 too. i rember going to see indpencday andthis kid keep on talking about whats going to happen the guy in front of me toldthem to shut up. i though that was funny. i don't really mind people talking as long as you can hear the moive. i couldn't hardly enjoy transfomers casue they were talking just about all the way thur the moive.

quote:

ORIGINAL: solomonsprayer

I once went with my dad to watch a movie in a "bad" part of town (cheaper tickets and convenient show time) and the theatre had this one woman who had a cell phone on and was talking to her boyfriend for like 20-30 minutes during the movie...she was approx. 3 rows above me, but I could hear here. She was describing the movie to her boyfriend and talking about when to pick her son up and what to get when she goes shopping and how her friends were doing, etc. etc. etc.

It wasn't ultra loud, but loud enough for me to hear. I didn't say anything and no one else did. There was another woman too that seemed to be chatting with someone in a group. Not sure if they were on phone or what, but it was kind of a ghetto and very bad theatre. I didn't go out of my way to cause problems, but if I could go back in time I'd have asked for assistance from the supervisor to get them to be quiet. .....It seemed like there were all these "ghetto mommas" and gangster type guys all in the theatre and they seemed like it was even normal to be talking - even on a cell - during the movie. People just randomly talked during the movie - loud enough to hear and to know it wasn't about the movie. ....Two women seemed to do it more consistently, but I also heard others do it. ....I remembered at the time a friend telling me that African American "ghetto" culture does allow people to talk during movies.......Proably sounds a bit racist or stereotypical, but he used to say it was true. This was a very ghetto-y type of movie theatre with about 90% African Americans in the crowd and except for me, my dad, and like two other groups. No one complained it was just ended up that people randomly chatted all throughout the movie like it was normal and that one woman on her cell had an extended conversation with her boyfriend for like 30 minutes straight.... I thought it was annoying, but partially funny too. I've never been in a situation where someone just talks 30 mniutes or so on their cell in a movie theatre and no one cares or wants to do anything.

Second situation was at a mega-theatre in a relatively new and nice theatre. This whole family came in and brought their kids and it was the previews. There were about 20 kids between 5 and 16 years old. Like four adults with them. One kid was really young about 5 or 6 years old and was randomly talking and it seemed to bother this one 25 year old male (he was with 2 girls seated a few rows above the family/kids). The 25-ish male yelled multiple times "Shut up" at the kids and the mom or grandma got mad. I got mad too, because that same 25-ish guy was making racial slurs/jokes earlier at someone and I heard it and then telling that young boy to shut up and it was just the previews and advertisements and he yelled in a loud and mean way. It was not just a normal shut up but like a vicious loud one. The guy himself was talking, so why yell at some poor kid? .....It felt like he just wanted to yell at someone and abuse his "power." As talkative as the 5 year old boy was I was so mad I had to restrain myself from confronting the older guy in an altercation. He was like a big jerk. The poor 5 year old didnt' even know what was going on when he grandma tried to find out who yelled at her kid/grandkid.

.....A third situation.....I saw a woman take her shoes off and put her feet on the back of someone's chair and this was funny. The ushers came in and informed the woman her feet were stinking the place up and she had to put her shoes back on and not put her feet on the back of the chair. That woman was in her 30's and it was hilarious and embarassing for her. People everywhere laughed.

quote:

ORIGINAL: poetessfree
Is your friend who told you about the AA culture black? I ask because as a black person, that was the most ridiculous & stupidest thing I have ever heard, we are "allowed" to talk during movies? . I don't think anyone is really "allowed" to talk during movies. I am not directing my response specifically towards you, you are curious and I like that.

quote:

ORIGINAL: solomonsprayer

quote:

ORIGINAL: poetessfree
Is your friend who told you about the AA culture black? I ask because as a black person, that was the most ridiculous & stupidest thing I have ever heard, we are "allowed" to talk during movies? . I don't think anyone is really "allowed" to talk during movies. I am not directing my response specifically towards you, you are curious and I like that.

No, he was a Filipino friend from my high school days and it was in h.s (well summer directly after actually) that I remember the conversation. We were in a group talking during a work break and one of my black co-workers randomly was joking that everytime he sees a movie at a particular theatre that he knew the "black folks are gonna be talking the whole time...." He laughed about it, but also said it was annoying. The other co-workers jumped in and discussed it and the Filipino guy said that he heard about how in black "ghetto" culture that it was very common and even normal for African Americans to talk openly during a movie. I VAGUELY remember some of the chat, but I don't remember it being intentionally offensive or racist. I think we were trying to understand the phenomenon and also found it kind of funny back then. It must admit that while it is annoying to have someone talk during a movie theatre screening that is slightly humorous to me that someone would think it was OK to talk for 20-30 minutes on their cell phone. Part of me that day wanted to NOT say anything just to see how long the woman above me would continue to talk on her cell. It was almost kind of surreal for me. .....I do, however, take your point to heart and don't stereotype or hold it against anyone, nor do I automatically believe the first thing I hear about someone who is of another culture and/or ethnic/racial background. I think it's usually disrespectful or ignorant to make racially stereotypical remarks. On the other hand, I do think there is often some amount of truth to those stereotypes that may be common, but not all-encompassing of all people of a certain gender, race, religion, creed, etc. Stereotypes - good and/or bad ones - are kind of the brain's lazy way of processing information and making broad sweeping generalizations about things that are not universally true and kind of unfair in many ways.

I did make a point not to attend that theatre again, but I also had a really bad incident happen to me at a NICE theatre too, LOL. This was a new theatre in a decent part of town that had equal numbers of every racial/ethnic group and socio-economic class and I was the victim of an attempted robbery in the parking lot there on a Thursday night not too long ago. Makes me sometimes just want to RENT DVD's

quote:

ORIGINAL: poetessfree

Is your friend who told you about the AA culture black? I ask because as a black person, that was the most ridiculous & stupidest thing I have ever heard, we are "allowed" to talk during movies? . I don't think anyone is really "allowed" to talk during movies. I am not directing my response specifically towards you, you are curious and I like that. It's just that when people try to learn cultures and ask just 1 person and then base that 1 answer on a whole culture, it just creates more stereotypes. I find that it is good to get mutiple answers from different people and then make up one's mind based on the multiple answers instead of just 1. No friend, what you will find is that its teenagers that will go to these cheap shows because it is what they can afford and because its cheap, the service, the seats, the whole theater is just pitiful( I speak about the cheap theater near me). It is rundown, stinks like feet and musty underarms. Gum is a part of the flooring decor and trash litters the whole place. It is filthy and trifling but teenagers love it because it is that place where they "talk back to the screen". Like "girl, you better run" type thing. It is not a "black thing", it is a teenager thing. And I don't think it's cute, funny, charming, innocent or respectful. It is rude, ill-mannered, disrespectful, stupid, ignorant. People throw around the word "ghetto" all too often. To me ghetto is not just limited to black folk but any one person who acts immature, disrespectful, rude, ignorant & stupid. And anybody can fall into that category from the teen in the surburb(eminem wannabees) to the teen in the housing project(50 cent idolizers). So, no the $1.00 shows and $1.50 shows I avoid at all costs because I know that I would have to deal with "baby mama's and their "boo", their 10 children & cousins because there is no babysitter, so we get to smell the dirty diapers, sour baby bottles, all the crying and "shut ups" from older siblings, the fighting among younger siblings, the texting, and incessant talking on cell phones. And no body says a word, (unless I was in there) because they are all "ghetto" including the movie ushers & managers and the gangsta looking guys intimidate the ushers from speaking anyway. When you think about it, it is a little funny. But only a little. So no, I don't go to those shows, when I pay a price for a ticket, I expect to enjoy the show with little talking and distraction so I drive to the "nicer" theatres. Even though in the nice ones, talkers prevail, I would ask them politely to please keep it down, if not then I will go to the manager. And really, I don't care how they take it. I am not one to scare easily. No, I won't disrespect my Christian walk but I will speak up for what is right: I am a paying customer and I expect service to be satisfactory. But I don't really run into that problem too often. . So my advice, if you want funny go to the ghetto show, if you want peace, go to the nicer show, simple enough.

God bless,

quote:

On the other hand, I do think there is often some amount of truth to those stereotypes that may be common, but not all-encompassing of all people of a certain gender, race, religion, creed, etc.

quote:

ORIGINAL: SuspenseWriter

My wife and I handle the "annoying people" scenario simply by not going to the movies anymore (the last show we attended was The Passion of the Christ, and it didn't lend itself to a lot of yakking). If there's something we really want to see, we wait for the DVD to come out and then rent it. Much more enjoyable.