July 24, 2005
My Problem With Kids and Movie Theaters
By:
The Dude on the Right
Maybe it’s because I’m not a parent and I can’t relate, or
maybe it’s just that the parents don’t care, but I still find it
unbelievable the number of parents that bring kids to movies that just
aren’t appropriate for them. My case in point this time being while I
was at "Bad
News Bears."
Getting to the gigaplex a little early so I can get my favorite seat, I’m sitting in the theater knowing that the movie is rated PG-13, for rude behavior, language throughout, some sexuality, and thematic elements, whatever that last one means. Just as the commercials begin, in walks a dad and I’m assuming his two sons, looking to be about 5 or 6. They proceed to sit a couple of seats away from me, and then dad instructs the sons that they should move because he’ll be back in a few minutes with candy and stuff. What dad doesn’t instruct them is the basic rule in movie theaters – keep your mouth shut, don’t ask questions, and don’t kick the railing in front of you. While dad was gone, the kids went on to do all of those things, and I knew my movie-going experience would be a chore. I hoped, that at least when dad got back, that things might change, but low and behold, I guess dad thought this was his living room.
Yep, I’m trying to watch a pretty funny movie, and Johnny and Billy (not their real names) keep asking dad questions about what is going on in the movie, what Billy Bob Thornton just said, or to pass another Twizzlers. Then of course there was Johnny, or maybe it was Billy, who kept thinking that the cool thing to do because he didn’t understand what was going on during the movie was to kick the railing in front of him. Dad, did, politely tell his son to stop, but these were kids who don’t seem to listen to their parents because he kept at it for most of the film.
I hope you, our reader, are good parents and courteous movie-goers, because damn, we’ve all paid our good money to see this movie. It’s bad enough we think the theater is our garbage can when we toss our empty popcorn bag under our chair, but people, it is not your living room, because I’m not in your living room. That’s how you can tell.
That’s it for this one! I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!
Posted by Rightdude at July 24, 2005 7:00 PM
