To The Man Who Yelled At The Movie Theater About My Child (film, watch)

[oeccscclhjhn]

Read the comments:

To The Man Who Yelled At The Movie Theater About My Child 05/27/2015

[Mark S.]

Any adult who screams at a child they don't know needs a heavy foot up his or her hindquarters.

Anyone who does it anonymously in the dark is a coward.

[G0DDESS]

OH PLEASE! What a sappy story from the mother just trying to get attention. She should be ashamed of herself for not thinking logically about any of this.

How was HE supposed to know the child was a cancer survivor? Or even care?

In his eyes, he paid for a movie ticket and wanted to go there to see a film quietly. The end. He should have went to one of the assistants and complained that the child was too noisy in the theater and have THEM talk to the parent. He shouldn't have just yelled out. HOWEVER, I'm sure it was annoying to him. Although he didn't handle it well, he did have a real concern (and it was his right he paid for to enjoy a movie in peace).

He should have gone about it differently. Him being upset was a given. Almost anyone would be if they wasted money on a movie they couldn't even hear.

[Mark S.]

A polite word to the parent might be warranted. A polite request to management might also be warranted. Screaming at a baby in the dark? That is the behavior of an ill-mannered coward.

Personally, I'd much rather watch a movie with a theater full of babies than a theater with three teenagers.

[apexgds]

I agree with many of the commenters. First of all, an 11 month old of any cognitive/verbal ability is too young for the movies. And it doesn't matter if it's a Disney movie on a Saturday afternoon ... if a child (no matter the age or abilities) can't be expected to laugh when it's appropriate to laugh and remain quiet when they're supposed to so that others can enjoy the movie they've paid for, then the parents of that child should probably wait until the movie is available on DVD.

I took my nephew to a Disney movie, and most of the kids were great. I love the laughter of kids who are truly tickled at something. But one little girl (I'm guessing 3?) stood/bounced on her seat the whole time and provided a loud running commentary that her parents didn't try to discourage. Truly frustrating. My nephew didn't enjoy the movie because he was continually distracted by the little girl.

It's wonderful that Vito is happy and healthy and is a survivor. That doesn't give him or his parents a pass in situations like this. Not at the expense of others.

[Mark S.]

I tend to prefer the other side of the coin. If you're going to a Disney movie surrounded by children and don't expect the occasional young kiddo to behave like a young kiddo, maybe you ought to be the one to stay home and wait for the DVD.

Parents do need to teach their kids how to behave at the movies. But the only way to do that is to take the kids to the movies. Cut 'em some slack.

[apexgds]

Originally Posted by Mark S.

I tend to prefer the other side of the coin. If you're going to a Disney movie surrounded by children and don't expect the occasional young kiddo to behave like a young kiddo, maybe you ought to be the one to stay home and wait for the DVD.

Parents do need to teach their kids how to behave at the movies. But the only way to do that is to take the kids to the movies. Cut 'em some slack.

If the young kiddo is behaving like a young kiddo throughout the entire movie with no efforts to correct their behavior, then no, I'm not the one who should stay home.

If it's a young kiddo whose behavior cannot be corrected (because of cognitive/behavioral deficiencies), then no, I'm not the one who should stay home.

[oeccscclhjhn]

Disney schmisney. Schlemiel. Schlimazel. Hasenpfeffer Incorporated.

[harry chickpea]

To the mom and any who would follow in her footsteps:

Sorry about your kid having problems. Really, I am. Let me clarify that - my sympathy goes to your child. He has a rough life ahead and deserves every bit of understanding. But let's get real here for a moment - Vito didn't decide to go to the theatre on his own, did he? After all, he is two years old. The person who decided to take him into the theatre was you.

So now, once we have removed that big emotional club of "compassion" - just what compassion did YOU show to other people in the movie theatre who had paid their money to enjoy a show? To the extent that you took the child out when he was disruptive, you DID show some compassion. I've tossed out parents and kids that didn't even have that amount of decency.

Here is a clue. The movie isn't about you. It isn't about your little kid. It isn't even about the fellow who yelled out of frustration - a fellow who, if you want to play the emotional bull**** game, may have just buried his father / lost his job / buried his two kids who died in a car accident. The movie is an escape from reality. To the extent that you get on your cellphone, bring in your crinkly bag of potato chips and snap it annoyingly, or yes - bring in a child that CANNOT maintain a semblance of unobtrusive behavior, then YOU my dear are the uncompassionate and rude customer.

It is people like you that made MY life hell as a theatre manager. I never could tell you just how incredibly self-centered and rude you were. I understand mainstreaming, I understand nurturing and at the same time protecting children against an adult world until they can cope. At the same time, I also understand that other people have rights, other people have needs, and there must be a balance even if a kid who can only scream as a vocalization might not be welcomed in a theatre where others are trying to forget real life and get lost in a movie. His life is no more or less valuable than the value of ONE other person in the theatre, no matter what his medical needs are.

Your kid will not be indelibly traumatized by someone expressing frustration. He very well might be traumatized by your style of over-protection.

[apexgds]

^^^^ Well said, harry chickpea!