Let's start with something relatively easy: the etiquette of the movie theater.
The movie theater is a public place, and at least part of its appeal of going to a movie lies in the fact that there are other people around sharing the same experience. When we laugh at a movie, we want to laugh with others. When there is "movie magic" we want to share the experience with others.
Even though we go to movies, in part, to be with other people this does not mean that we should happily tolerate any behavior that other people engage in. We are also there, in large part, to watch the movie itself.
Happily, though, there are ways both to satisfy our desire for a shared viewing experience, and to respectfully allow all the moviegoers to view the movie without undue interruption.
One solution to this tension is for there to be a clear understanding of what sort of shared experience one is after. This understanding can be set in a variety of ways--particular theaters may attract a more expressive crowd. Certain kinds of movies will demand the silence of the arthouse.
What is not appropriate, though, is for moviegoers to be unmindful of their fellow moviegoers. It may be convenient to have one's cell phone on--or even to use one's cell phone--but it is highly disruptive to all those who are not party to the call. Similar points hold for loud conversation. Periodic comments that are whispered in a soft voice may enhance one's movie going experience and do so without unduly disturbing one's neighbors. Any other conversation, however, is simply rude. (This does not apply, though, to normal reactions to the movie. What counts as normal will depend on a lot of things, and one should be mindful not to impose one's own view of what is "normal" on a group of other people who rightly have some other expectation. It is not rude to make loud comments at a showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. It is simply an expected kind of reaction; however, it would be rude to loudly and repeatedly proclaim "This movie sucks!")
It may be expedient to bring in candy with plastic wrappers which crinkle with noise throughout a silent theater. Or to thrum one's fingers on the back of the seat. This behavior can all be disruptive to one's neighbors, and one should cultivate an awareness of what one might be doing that might be disturbing in this way.
Where do these rules come from? They are simply my take on what a basic respect for other people requires. I certainly could be wrong about the details, or have made significant omissions. I welcome any comments in this regard.
The larger point, and this is one that I will return to repeatedly, is that as a society we are simply aren't mindful enough of how to behave in public. Behavior that is perfectly acceptable when watching television in one's own home is not acceptable when one is watching the same move in a theater with other people who are presumably strangers. We have successfully created "private" worlds so much that we are losing all the benefits of the "public" world.
Future post: the etiquette of dealing with rude people at the movies. Any suggestions on this matter would be appreciated.
posted by Silver @
1:55 AM
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Tuesday, December 24, 2002  |
Welcome to the Etiquette Blog. Here I will post occasional thoughts about the rules for etiquette in a modern, pluralistic society. My concern is etiquette in the public sphere--the places we meet outside of our homes, places of worship and so on.
Anticipated topics are the etiquette of cell phones, car stereos, movie theaters, public transit, the roadways, sidewalks, restaurants, parking and so on.
Just a little about myself. . .my name is David Silver and I am an assistant professor of philosophy at the University of Delaware. My interests are primarily in ethics, but I have other interests as well (in epistemology and in the philosophy of religion). (Click here for my academic homepage) My interest in etiquette is both personal and philosophical. It is a personal matter simply because I interact with lots of people every day, and I often get the strong sense that the rules of "public society" are being broken. My aims here are not so much as to explain why people are unaware of the rules, or choose not to follow them, but simply to help determine what these rules are. I may also venture off into some discussions on what a philosopher would naturally call (to the befuddlement of others) "meta-etiquette". This concerns the status of these rules of etiquette, and what "authority", if any, they hold over us.
I should note that my concern is not the rules of "polite society" or the rules that apply to a particular class of people. The etiquette that I wish to examine is the etiquette that applies to all simply because we owe it out of respect for other people.
posted by Silver @
5:50 PM
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Monday, December 23, 2002 |
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