Should Texting Be Allowed During Movies? (Some Theater Owners Think So)
SodaHead Living
2012/04/30 00:49:54
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310 votes
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Now that fewer and fewer people are going to the movies on a regular basis, theater owners are willing to try almost anything to increase attendance. But allowing audience members to text during films? We think that may do more harm than good.
Last week at CinemaCon, an annual industry convention in Las Vegas, theater owners and CEOs discussed strategies to lure “today’s savvy moviegoer.” One of the most controversial topics was the proposal to lift bans on texting during movies.
Regal Entertainment Chief Executive Amy Miles suggested that the change be tested during movies like “21 Jump Street,” which are aimed at younger viewers. “You’re trying to figure out if there’s something you can offer in the theater that I would not find appealing but my 18-year-old son might,” she said.
IMAX’s Greg Foster, whose 17-year-old son "constantly has his phone with him," was also enthusiastic about the idea. He said, "We want them to pay $12 to $14 to come into an auditorium and watch a movie. But they've become accustomed to controlling their own existence." Banning cell phone use may make them "feel a little handcuffed," he added.
However, not all theater owners and CEOs are supportive. Tim League, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse, won’t even consider the idea. "Over my dead body will I introduce texting into the movie theater," he said. "I love the idea of playing around with a new concept. But that is the scourge of our industry . . . It's our job to understand that this is a sacred space and we have to teach manners." League believes it should be "magical" to come to the cinema.
We agree with League. There’s nothing quite like the intrusive glow of a cell phone to kill the magic of the movies. But what do you think SodaHeads? Should moviegoers be allowed to text during films?
Last week at CinemaCon, an annual industry convention in Las Vegas, theater owners and CEOs discussed strategies to lure “today’s savvy moviegoer.” One of the most controversial topics was the proposal to lift bans on texting during movies.
Regal Entertainment Chief Executive Amy Miles suggested that the change be tested during movies like “21 Jump Street,” which are aimed at younger viewers. “You’re trying to figure out if there’s something you can offer in the theater that I would not find appealing but my 18-year-old son might,” she said.
IMAX’s Greg Foster, whose 17-year-old son "constantly has his phone with him," was also enthusiastic about the idea. He said, "We want them to pay $12 to $14 to come into an auditorium and watch a movie. But they've become accustomed to controlling their own existence." Banning cell phone use may make them "feel a little handcuffed," he added.
However, not all theater owners and CEOs are supportive. Tim League, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse, won’t even consider the idea. "Over my dead body will I introduce texting into the movie theater," he said. "I love the idea of playing around with a new concept. But that is the scourge of our industry . . . It's our job to understand that this is a sacred space and we have to teach manners." League believes it should be "magical" to come to the cinema.
We agree with League. There’s nothing quite like the intrusive glow of a cell phone to kill the magic of the movies. But what do you think SodaHeads? Should moviegoers be allowed to text during films?
Read More: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/popcornpreju...
Top Opinion
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Jenna ☮♡ッ 2012/04/30 02:17:13
Worse thing people do in movie theaters is eating nachos and waiting for the quiet parts to shovel big handfuls into their faces and munch as loudly as possible.
There are some of us who want to see the movie, not your screen.
There are some of us who wish to hear the actors
Not to hear you constantly tap the keys
I do not care about your friend
Or how you want to tell your parents what happens
Please, turn your screen off
Unless you personally want to get kicked out
Furthermore, I want to take this opportunity to express how I feel about what technology has created. Okay, some of it of course is useful and valuable and I'm not saying people shouldn't have phones for emergencies, but what this has become is absurd. It has caused an obsession with "being connected", which interferes with actually spending time with others in person and being in the moment. It is just an unnecessary habit and has developed a dependency for. And what are these communications.. asking where someone is or what they are doing later? (So, there MAY be an emergency, but I doubt how often that occurs).
There was a time when someone would politely excuse themselves to answer the phone at home in front of guests, then quickly get off the phone. Answering machines came along which were helpful, possibly to screen a call. After that, "Call Waiting", which many thought of as rude to interrupt one call to accept another, "Caller ID", "Three -way calling", voicemail. Then, the development of cell phones, later with cameras, allowing for the taki...
Furthermore, I want to take this opportunity to express how I feel about what technology has created. Okay, some of it of course is useful and valuable and I'm not saying people shouldn't have phones for emergencies, but what this has become is absurd. It has caused an obsession with "being connected", which interferes with actually spending time with others in person and being in the moment. It is just an unnecessary habit and has developed a dependency for. And what are these communications.. asking where someone is or what they are doing later? (So, there MAY be an emergency, but I doubt how often that occurs).
There was a time when someone would politely excuse themselves to answer the phone at home in front of guests, then quickly get off the phone. Answering machines came along which were helpful, possibly to screen a call. After that, "Call Waiting", which many thought of as rude to interrupt one call to accept another, "Caller ID", "Three -way calling", voicemail. Then, the development of cell phones, later with cameras, allowing for the taking of photos and posting, without others' permission. Then, Texting, which has contributed to rude behavior, car accidents and the dependency upon. It's just too much and many don't realize it, since it they grew up in the midst of this.
Sorry for my rant and for "going down memory lane"... but it kinda drives me nuts.
To me, so long as the phone's on SILENT - and preferably dimmed if possible, which it is for most phones - it's NOT a big deal.
It's as much of a "nuisance" as someone scooting past you for a popcorn refill or mid-movie pee break.
I can see where the annoyance comes from if it's constant back and forth texting. But really... who DOES that during a movie?! I don't get it. If I get a text, damn right I'll respond, and say I'm in a theater, will get back to ya later. Not back and forth explaining every dang minute of the movie.
I don't think it should be banned, but it should be under circumstances - like move to the furthest back row and keep it on silent at all times so as not to bug anyone. NOT that hard.
Ok, so that wasn't the vote I intended,.. Still I do know someone who has started taking their old odd socks with them to the movies. Rolls them into a ball and is pretty good at bouncing them off the head of talkers and texters. He told me some people get really pissed off but everyone just laughs at them,...
And my feedback to the industry thinking of allowing texting during the movies in order to up the attendence,... THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS I DON'T GO TO MANY MOVIES,.. Spend a lot and have to put up with talkers and texters disturbing everyone,.. Sorry (nope, not sorry) but if they allow texting then I WILL NEVER SET FOOT IN ANOTHER MOVIE THEATER.
Texting counts.