My dearly beloved Alamo Drafthouse has made news this week for creating a brilliant "no talking/texting" PSA before its rated R movies. See below (NSFW, but bleeped out, language)
Alamo PSA
So is texting that bad during movies? I think so. If your phone is buzzing in your pants and you think it might be an emergency, leave the theater to read it. The light can be really distracting.
I've been to the Alamo dozens of times (and if you ever visit Austin, you should go as well (either to South Lamar or the Ritz, preferably)). It's the greatest movie watching experience in the nation as far as pre-show, food, beer, etc. as far as I'm concerned. The Austin alumni group has even swung it for Duke UNC games the past 2 years.
I have NEVER seen anyone get kicked out. I've also never seen anyone deserve to get kicked out. It seems as if this aggressive policing creates a better behaved movie audience. Better than say, your local Cinemark where there are crying 3 year olds at the Hangover Part II.
But curious if people think a ban on texting goes too far? The web-o-sphere seems to be somewhat divided.
I had to bite my tongue not to say anything to the women who texted throughout the first half of Bye, Bye Birdie this past March. This was after a request that all phones be turned off. It was extremely distracting and rude. Of course, she also screamed out loud, calling one of the actors by name during the performance. I asked my nephew (who was a magnificent Conrad Birdie) and, fortunately, they didn't hear that on stage.
So, no, I don't think banning it goes to far.
Alamo Drafthouse is a private institution, they can do whatever they want. As a consumer, I, personally, would prefer to go to a movie theater which requests no texting/tweeting/cellphoning/facebooking/etc during the movie. Even if the phone is silenced, the light is bright and distracting. I figure there's plenty of movie theaters in San Antonio which don't discourage texting, so if someone feels they absolutely need or want to text during a movie, they have options.
As a parent, I always leave my phone on vibrate when my wife and I are at the theater, in case the babysitter/grandparent needs to get in touch. We try to get an aisle seat so we can get out to check if we do get a text or call without disturbing others. As a doc, I simply choose to not go to the theater when I'm on call, as I'd just be setting myself (and my wife) up for the disappointment of being paged out of the theater...not to mention distracting everyone else when I get up 10 times in 2 hours to respond to calls. I write all that just to say that I don't have any real sympathy for an argument that someone may have to "emergency text" in a theater.
"You're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater."
Receiving the occasional text message is understandable, provided that the person reads it discreetly and quickly, then puts it away. But sending messages? Unforgivable. Hello, special hell.
Not much of a moviegoer anymore, but I've seen it happen and it's distracting. Fortunately, so have the ushers.
I'll make a deal with the texters in theaters. You don't text and I won't fart (silent mode).
Off with their heads. A movie is a place to escape from all the crap for a couple hours. Rude is doing it once. Twice deserves a verbal reprimand. On the third attempt, a grabbing and smashing of the phone is entirely within one's rights.
Man, if your Mom made you wear that color when you were a baby, and you're still wearing it, it's time to grow up!