School of Life: Manners
Posted on September 4, 2016 at 4:32 pm
I love the School of Life series on YouTube. Here’s their take on the history and culture of manners.
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Manners at the Movie Theater
Posted on October 20, 2014 at 8:00 am
Here’s a cute reminder on movie theater manners.
She Texted. We Kicked Her Out.
Posted on July 1, 2011 at 8:00 am
Hurray for the Alamo Drafthouse movie theater for standing up for the rights of movie-goers by kicking out a woman who was texting in the theater. The Alamo’s policy is clear. Since 1997 it has had a strict no-talking policy amended over the years to include other annoying and distracting behavior made possible by electronic devices. After two warnings, a woman who persisted was ejected from the theater without a refund.
She then demonstrated the class and dignity one might expect from someone so ignorant and inconsiderate by leaving an hilariously piggish and downright idiotic voicemail with her views on the way she was treated and, in what I am sure was considered good news by Alamo’s managers and audiences, vowed never to return. Alamo has turned this lemon into lemonade with a short played before their feature films. Here is the censored version.
Bad Manners and the Rules of Engagement — Reminder
Posted on March 12, 2011 at 3:43 pm
I love hearing from the people who read what I post here and it is my hope that we can create a community that welcomes a spirited discussion on media, culture, and values. I am lucky to have found a job as a critic because it suits my interests and personality. I love movies (I often say that the primary qualification for the job is the willingness to watch an unlimited number of awful movies) and I love to express my views. And as a critic myself, I love to hear the views of other people, whether about the movies I review or the reviews themselves. Opinions are less often good or bad than interesting or uninteresting, well-supported or not well-supported. You don’t agree with what I had to say? Bring it on! Nothing would make me happier than hearing about what you saw in a movie that I missed.
But I have no tolerance for bad manners and it is important to me that everyone feel that this is a safe place to ask questions and express views. You are more than welcome to disagree, but no one will be allowed to be disagreeable, hostile, or rude and I will delete any comments I consider inappropriate. “Why do you think that?” is fine. Corrections are appreciated. But insults of any kind are not permissible. That includes questioning anyone’s motives or the legitimacy of their views.
I do not understand what makes people feel that it is all right to be rude or hostile in an email or a comment when they would never do so in person. Please keep in mind that you diminish the credibility of the points you are trying to make when you post insults instead of arguments. We want to know what you are thinking. Lack of courtesy does not tell us anything interesting about what is on your mind.
Many thanks to those of you who have taken the time to write thoughtful comments. You have made me laugh, you have made me think, you have made me fix mistakes — you have made this a better place to be and I will do my best to make this place a welcoming and safe community for you. I hope you will return often and keep letting me know what you think. Those whose comments I have deleted are also welcome to return; I know you can do better and I look forward to hearing from you again.