I like going to a movie in the theater occasionally. I have a monster home theater, but some movies I want to see on the really big screen. I just bought a house though that will give me the opportunity to build a “theater” in the basement that will be competitive with the ones I pay to visit now, but I digress...
The last time I went to the theater was a weekday afternoon. It was to see a “super Hero” movie, so some kids are expected. When the movie started there were 2 other couples in the theater aside from me. As the previews ended a group of 4 kids, and 2 adults (moms it appeared) came in, and out of all the empty seats in the place sat right behind me. From the second they sat down, it was mommy this, mommy that, mommy, mommy, mommy, what why why etc. Always during the dialog part of the movie when the plot was being worked out. I gave every hint that I could short of turning around and telling them to shut the hell up. Finally about half way through the movie, I had enough. I scooped up my popcorn, and drink, I exaggerated my actions a little so they would understand that I was pissed, and shaking my head I moved to a different, less optimum part of the theater. After I moved they actually got the hint. I didn’t hear very much from them the rest of the movie, but it still frosted me, and I so bad wanted to rip into the 2 mothers, and tell them that their little “angels” either were too young, or not trained to bring to a theater, and maybe they should try a little parenting.
I went to movies with my parents. Mom took me to some fairly mature films, The one I remember most was “Murder on the Orient Express”. I remember asking Mom, or Dad a question during the movie, and her putting her finger to her lips, and telling me she would explain AFTER the movie. She taught me 2 things that day. 1, other people wanted to watch the movie, and 2, if I shut up and watched the movie, my questions were usually answered.
Why can’t parents do that today? I don’t know. I see it in the way my daughter raises her kids. The only conclusion I can come up with is that parents today spend so much time worrying about what their kids want, they forget to give the child what they need, parenting. Parents today have been so brainwashed by all this psycho mumbo-jumbo about how their kids have to have “self esteem”, they drop the esteem stuff and it’s all self, self, self. Nothing about considering others.
Amen! I guess some parents think they’re providing some cultural enrichment for their kids, but they should really give some thought to the kids’ ages and how much they would really pay attention.