At The Movies...

Today, to avoid the heat and escape from reality, we went to the movies. It never ceases to amaze me the amount of noise that goes on a a theater full of people. And this is noise that can be heard over the movie that is blaring through surround sound speakers. There are three kinds of movie theater noises, and they all come with annoyances: the eaters, the talkers, and the texters.

First, the eaters. I am baffled when I see how much food people purchase at the movie theater. The prices are astronomical and I watch families of 4 come in with loads of soft drinks, popcorn, nachos, pickles and candy. And each of these food items comes with their own special annoying noise. The popcorn: rummaging through the bag and passing it down the row while others rummage through the bag; wiping your hands with napkins over and over again; shaking it to distribute the butter; chomping on it. The nachos: the annoying crunch. The pickles: sucking, and the overpowering smell. Candy: unwrapping; shaking the box. Drinks: slurping; shaking the cup; moving the straw up and down; chomping on the ice.

Second, the talkers. These are perhaps the most annoying of all. They act like they are in their own home discussing the movie, commenting on the plot, asking each other questions about what is happening. Then there are those who insist on answering and talking on their cellphones in the theater.

Third, the texters. These annoying little creatures are the newbies among movie goers. It always amazes me that a person will pay to go see a movie and sit there during the entire film and text people back and forth. The noise is distracting and the light from the cellphone screen makes it even worse.

Today we had the privilege of sitting in front of an eater. This gentleman had every single movie treat you could purchase and provided us with 2 1/2 hours of continuous sound effects. He chomped on his ice until the movie ended. It was much like fingernails being scraped on a blackboard. By the time the movie was over, we couldn't wait to bolt out the door.

When did people forget about common courtesy? You can eat quietly. Avoid talking. Leave the theater to text. It doesn't take much to show some respect for others. But...I guess that's asking too much in a world that revolves around me, myself and I.

Barry's grandfather's words seem appropriate here: BE NICE!

Annoyed,
Texas Fan