A few weeks back I came home from the cinema and I was steamed. No it wasn't that the movie was crap and I felt it had been a waste of my money it was that I was pissed off at some of the folk in the cinema. And no again it wasn't that I was pissed with their chatting through the movie or anything like that what I was upset with was with the number of parents who were bringing their kids to the movie.
Actually it happened twice. I went to afternoon showings of Wolverine and Terminator and both times there were kids there, accompanied by parents, who had absolutely no right to be in that cinema. I mean there are height requirements for amusement park rides there needs to be height requirement rules for cinemas. Cause let me tell you if your feet cant touch the ground when you sitting in a seat at the cinema then terminator and Wolverine, both violent films are not places for you to be.
I mean it was so bad that when I sat in my seat at Terminator and started seeing these parents with little kids in tow coming in I swore I had the wrong cinema. I had to get up and go outside to make sure the cinema number match my ticket cause I swore I was in the wrong theatre.
And maybe you'll say I'm making a big fuss but it wasn't one of those things where it was borderline. It wasn't like oh they are taking their 10 year olds to these movies which I would have issues with too but still might be classified by some as a borderline matter of judgment. No this was kids clearly under 6 and in one case I swear the child was about three cause he was walking and talking in the same manner that my three year old does.
To me that's just going too far. I mean one parent came into terminator with pickeney in hand and dragging a stroller up the steps behind him. I kid you not.
So yea I was a bit livid about that especially when I think to myself these are the same kids my child will meet in the playground and then when something happens cause them trouble mi chile I will have to go and get lock up. chupse!
Its this simple. Parenting involving sacrifice. If you cant get a babysitter don't drag the kid to these inappropriate movies. Stay home! And I know people will say oh its single moms or its young parents that do this. Nope 95% of the cases I saw in the two movies, and I should mention it was at least 4 or 5 different parent kid combos in each movie, were middle aged looking folks who looked like they should know better as parents.
And what is the cinema's responsibility in all this. I mean the movies are rated but shouldn't there be some sort of screening where you say sorry parent are you some sort of jackass, you cant take your three year old into this violent movie. Yea you guys are minimum wage and dont give a damn I understand that, and movie revenues are down so the cinema is just trying to stay paid but still really you should not allow these parents in with kids to see movies like that. Its just downright irresponsible.
8 comments:
I feel you on this. I can sympathize with parents who want to get out of the house but struggle with care issues for their children - perhaps they have no one to leave the kids with or can't afford a sitter. However, having children requires sacrifices and having to forgo your R-Rated movie doesn't sound like a huge sacrifice to me. I get annoyed when there are clearly under aged people in the movie theaters. The same thing happens when you go online to Xbox Live or similar services - you run into children playing games that are rated Mature - not to mention roaming around unmonitored in a freak infested environment.
I grew up in Barbados and remember getting turned away from the Globe Cinema when I was 16 years old trying to go see Rambo - it was rated R. I don't know why society has become so numb, but parents need to be held accountable and theaters should be made to enforce the age restrictions.
I couldnt' have said it better myself. It irks me too. Some of these kids will need therapy before too long on account of all the murders and violence they've seen at a tender age.
I totally agree. I have had that experience in Vincy and London. In LDN I found that it depended on the time of the showing and the location of the cinema. If I went to later showings then the crowd would be older. But in Vincy I have seen 4-8 year olds at 9 o'clock showing (for Hell Boy mind you!!) and I was wondering what kinda parents would bring their kids out the house at this hour to watch that kinda movie. Sigh...wha yo go do, eh?
Oh and Jdid when you get a chance check out Vertigo's "Unknown Soldier" by J. Dysart. It is set in Uganda.
I agree with you 100% Jdid! I guess not all parents know good parenting, so sad. Little wonder our society is so callous and troubles.
Ya shoulda feel at home then? Ya feel Buhbayduss any diff? There was an attempt with a Scary Movie once by Olympus on Vista for allowing kids to NC-17 flim, but once Vista dead? Then Olympus do same crap it shout at Vista for... Please! S.S.D.D
Great blog. Congratulations!!
Well said, JDid. I think you should send this to your newspapers. Seriously. Even if you have to re-write, put in *perfect* English, to make the papers accept your letter.
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