Thank You For Taking Your Baby To X-Men 3

[Beetwasher]

Sometimes, I worry about the future of the cinema. With iPods, Xboxes and TiVO, will the next generation ever be satisfied with a movie they can't fast-forward through to the "good parts?"

But then you came along to raise my spirits. I hope you're not embarrassed by my public thanks to you and your whole family for restoring my faith that the magic of film will not be lost as long as kids of all ages get the chance to experience the thrills of the big screen.

I confess a little smile crossed my face when I saw your cute baby snuggled against your chest, your adorable toddler grasping your hand, as you passed my seat the other night for the 9 p.m. showing of X-Men: The Last Stand. (Too bad you missed the trailer for that hilarious new Adam Sandler film where he has a clicker -- babies love those things). I remember thinking, "Now there's someone who cares about their children too much to leave them with strangers." (True confession: I felt a little guilty for not thanking the young couple with the 2-year-old who sat behind us at United 93, so I am trying to make up for it now.)

Just a glimpse of the spittle on your little guy's chin (excuse my assumptive genderification, but he was wearing such a cute little blue Cubs hat), told me that he had already seen the DVDs of the first two X-Men movies and was anxious to see if Magneto was going to get what's coming to him. His big sister's spirited chant; "Mommy, mommy, mommy, blue lady, blue lady, blue lady," became a wonderfully infectious reminder to those of us around you that, yes, in fact, there was a blue lady on the screen. I think I noticed your son's eyes widen just a bit at the evil blue Mystique's voluptuous form-fitting mutant skin costume -- hubba, hubba, indeed!

--snip--

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gary-rudoren/thank-you-for-taking-your_b_22559.html

I can't even tell you how many times I've been to movies where this has happened. 9p, 10p even 11p shows of movies like X-Men, The Hulk, LOTR. I don't want to tell you how to raise your kids, but if you're bringing your infant and 3-4 yr old to LOTR at 10pm, well, the word "inconsiderate, irresponsible idiot" barely begins to cover it.

[sasquatch]

1. ROFL!!

:rofl::popcorn:

[AlCzervik]

2. when i saw Saving Private Ryan at a 9:00pm show people brought

their toddlers, i couldn't believe it.

[Godhumor]

3. Local theater instituted a "childless" policy

Friday and Saturday nights no unaccompanied minor (17 and under) allowed into PG-13 + movies after 6 pm. No children under 6 allowed into any PG-13+ movie after 6 pm regardless of whether a parent is with them.

Most peaceful theater I've been to in a very long time.

[Beetwasher]

4. All Theatres Should Do This

n/t

[LynneSin]

6. Some offer "Mommy & Me" movie times too

See my post below - but it was a time period set aside to allow parents to bring their small babies & toddlers to the movies and not worry about people giving them crap for bringing them. And if you were childless and opted to go see a movie during that time period - that's your own damn problem.

BTW, 'Mommy & Me' time were never on a Friday/Saturday evening - I think this one theater made it an afternoon time and then for nothing over PG-13

[supernova]

13. My newest multiplex does this too

with special movies and times for parents with young children. And I think it's a good idea.

Besides the child noise issue for the rest of us spectators, very young children can have their hearing damaged. Movie theatres are crazy loud, esp if it's an action movie. That's something else I worry about with the little ones.

[LynneSin]

14. Now if they could just have the "I wanna chat with my friend" times

I won't go to the one theater because I swear everyone who goes there wants to gossip contineuously during hte mvoies.

STFU or go to Starbucks instead of the movies

[LostinVA]

50. Or the "I Love Answering My Cellphones During Movies" Times

I told some dude to take the damn call outside when we went to see"Capote." I mean, how frigging RUDE. He started to say something to me, but shut up when everyone in hearing distance either clapped or started hissing agreement.

[DBoon]

69. I agree!

Make the "cellphone and me" show at 3AM!

[MountainLaurel]

12. I see that you're in Silver Spring

I'm in DC. Which theater is this, so that Mr. Laurel and I may reward them with our patronage?

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

21. Most theaters don't due this because my teen brethren and I who

go there on Fridays to escape parents provide them with a good 30%-50% of their weekend profits. It's in their best interest not to create rules like that. But then again, I think it's very nazi of them to regulate who can get in R movies, and will card people AFTER you purcahse your ticket and throw you out if your unaccompanied.

[Ravenseye]

25. Agree and Disagree

I think making 16 year olds have to be accompanied to a PG-13 movie after 6pm on Friday or Saturday night is harsh. It's one of the few things you can actually do when you're that age, and depending on where you live might be the only thing.

I have no problem with R rated restrictions, though I don't understand sometimes why certain movies are R. Either way just wait a year or two and you'll be old enough. Or sneak in like the rest of us did. I have no problem with theaters kicking out unescorted minors. Too often my movie watching experience has been ruined by boisterous teens at 8pm friday shows, so I just don't go at those times anymore.

Anyway I think a hard cap though of maybe 13 years old for R rated movies. No child under 13 should be allowed in under any circumstances.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

40. I could agree to those terms no problem, and I have no problem

with them throwing out especially obonoxious teenagers, but I think that throwing out normal teens because they're unescorted even after they've purchased valid tickets is BS. But as a business, I guess it's their desicion to do w/e.

[Ravenseye]

41. Well they need to police the theaters

The problem really is that they lump all teenagers in together when really most will just go and sit quietly and get pissed off at people making noise like the rest of us. We don't see them though. We only see the group of 8 down in front who are standing and shouting and acting like idiots.

Most of these problems could be solved if they had ushers like in the old days who would remove people who acted up. One warning. Then gone.

[LostinVA]

51. Definitely agree about the R-rated movies

[ScreamingMeemie]

46. That'd be the last time I'd frequent that theater.

How about strolling the aisles and kicking out the adults who act like utter asses as well? :shrug:

[LynneSin]

5. I went with Ramsey to see Underworld at a 10pm showing

this was the first movie so it was about 2 years ago.

Sure enough in walked a woman with a baby and infant. Everyone in the theater actually started booing her to the point she had to leave in shame.

It's not my probably that there are parents out there who insist on taking their young children to see innappopriate movies. However, it IS my problem when they take them to see the movie on a evening show when most of us adults are trying to relax and enjoy a movie without the distraction of screaming kiddies.

One movie theatre in the Harrisburg area found a solution to this - one afternoon a week was "Mommy & Me" movie time. During that time period - all movies parents (mainly mommys but they said a few daddys would show up too) were encouraged to come see any movie in the theater and we welcomed to bring their small tots and babies along with them. Since everyone else attending was also there with their kids, there was no complaints about screaming babies. And if you happened to be a childless adult like myself attending at the same time - that was your own damn fault. The signs even warned you that this was a time period set aside for moms to come with their babies.

On a final note - if parents really want to see a movie with their kids and there is no designated 'mommy & me' time - then stick to the matinees. I know it really sucks that you and your partner can't find a babysitter to go out on a Saturday night to see a movie. But that's not my problem - if you thought this was going to be a concern perhaps you should have considered birth control

[Beetwasher]

8. Exactly

Yeah, the "Mommy & Me" thing is perfectly ok w/ me.

[tigereye]

9. ah Lynne

thanks for the comment about Mommy and Me. My husband and I wish this had existed when our kid was a baby and toddler, that would have been really cool. But sadly, progressive options did not arrive here until my son was old enough to see PG-13 movies. Before, we simply didn't go or got a sitter. I agree that late at night is too late for little ones to see inappropriate movies - however, sometimes it's cool when folks bring a relatively mellow baby to a matinee - we saw Shakespeare in Love and a nice couple had their infant there, whom they walked around and out when she fussed. It was fine. Booing seems excessive to me.

But you ruin your positive comment with this one:

"But that's not my problem - if you thought this was going to be a concern perhaps you should have considered birth control"

That really was unnecessarily harsh.

Thanks.

[LynneSin]

10. My parents would take us to the drive-in

My brother was 4 years old than me so they wanted to be able to take him to the movies but what could they do with the baby sister (me).

So my mother would only take us to see movies at the Drive-in because she figured if one of us got tired or cranky, we wouldn't be disturbing the other patrons at the movies.

I didn't see my first movie in the theater until I was was 11 and that was Star Wars

[kay1864]

7. Lots of toddlers and gradeschoolers when I saw South Park the Movie

a few years back. People are so freaking stupid. "Oh look, it's a cartoon, something we can take little Johnnie to!"

Fortunately it was not very crowded (although it was about 50% kids), so I laughed my ass off, especially when I realized the surgeon replacing Kenny's heart with a potato was Doug Ross himself, George Clooney. "No dammit we are not going to lose this kid!"

[Love Bug]

17. I wonder how many of those kids went home singing "Uncle Fucker"

Serves their idiot parents right.

[kay1864]

19. LMAO! I hadn't thought of that

And you're so right.

[dysfunctional press]

33. i couldn't believe it when i went to see it...

i sit towards the front at movies, so i didn't get to see if any/how many parents hauled their kids out before it was over...i hope a lot.

[MountainLaurel]

11. A mirror of my experience with X-Men 2

I wonder if it was the same people. The infants that were there last time would be toddlers now.

Hmmmm.

[LaraMN]

15. What's worse: bringing a baby to the theater, or conceiving one, there?

Because I'm almost certain I've been in the presence of both scenarios.:scared:

[Beetwasher]

16. LOL!

This didn't happen to me, but a buddy of mine once went to a movie w/ a date, and the guy sitting next to them, umm, how shall I put this, umm, exposed himself and began pleasuring himself. Needless to say they left. And it wasn't even a movie that lent itself to that sort of behavior.

I think that was the only date they ever went on, I guess it didn't go to well after that.

[Withywindle]

71. It depends which one is noisier.

Seriously. From my POV that's all I care about.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. This is an odd phenomenon.

It used to be that people would bring their kids to movies more often, but they'd take them out to the lobby when they started acting up.

I blame ticket prices.

[Jade Fox]

20. The babies are irritating....

but what gets me is the people who bring very small children to violent, scary films. What the hell are they thinking--that the kid isn't affected?

[Ravenseye]

22. Beaker Syndrome

ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME

Seriously I hate people. My wife and I have a 20 month old, and one due in 4 months. We have never taken our daughter to the theater yet, though there is a theater with a mommy and me time nearby, we just haven't gotten around to it. I wouldn't even think about bringing her to any other showing. She is pretty good and generally doesn't cry or fuss, but I wouldn't want to risk her annoying other people. It's just being considerate of others.

So many times I've been astounded by the bad parenting and just rudeness of others. I once saw a family bring maybe a 6-7 year old boy to the movie Species at a 10pm show. He was scared and freaking out most of the movie, but they just kept telling him to shut up and watch the movie. He'll be fucked up, you can bet on it.

The really irritating thing is that my wife and I haven't seen many movies since we had our daughter because arranging babysitters is a pain, and when the evening is tallied up it costs us over 40 bucks to go to a movie. Might as well buy it on DVD and then use the other 20 bucks towards the big screen TV fund. My point is that one of the few times we actually got a babysitter and went out for a nice evening of dinner and a movie was spoiled by people with a baby, similiar age to ours, in the theater crying and crying. It was not an appropriate movie, and they had this year old kid just crying at what had to be past it's bed time. Our adult evening was ruined by these people, who didn't even get up or take the crying baby out of the theater. They just sat there. We complained to the theater but they just hummed and hawed about how there really wasn't anything they could do about it. Who takes their kid to a 9pm movie? Our simliar aged daugther was put to bed before we left the house at 7:30.

I like the post above that says no children under a certain age after a certain time to films pg-13 and over. Personally I think that Rated R movies should also be strictly banned to children under 13 even if they have an adult with them.

I hate Beakers. ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME MEM EM EME ME ME ME.

[Beetwasher]

24. You're A Good, Responsible and Considerate Person Ravenseye

And obviously a good parent. It amazes me how some of these people who innapropriately bring their kids to these movies just don't get it.

[Ravenseye]

26. I do what I can

Being considerate though is tricky. It's hard to always be consious of all the repercussions of your actions. I've done inconsiderate things and realized it afterwards. Sometimes I've even purposely been inconsiderate when people were inconsiderate to me first and it pissed me off. These people though don't even care what the word 'considerate' means. They're in their own fucking world.

Like people walking through a crowded mall, or along a crowded street, who don't even feign the "angle the shoulder" when you pass by each other so you don't hit each other. They just keep walking straight as if you weren't there and if you purposely don't move either and they hit you, they look at you like you're Satan himself.

They're the kind of people who pull up to a 4 way stop, with cars at each intersection, and immediately go out of turn.

They're the kind of people who try and cut ahead of you in line at the coffee shop and when you bump into them as they pass you, they look at you like you're trying to cut in line in front of them.

They're the people who pass by the 5 people in line behind you, and cut in front of you, at the bank to 'just ask the teller a question' which turns into a 5 minute back and forth QA session, when all you had to do was deposit your paycheck.

They're in their own fucking world. They're one of the few types of people I earnestly and truly hate. ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME ME.

[Beetwasher]

27. Yup

Yup yup yup.

[Spaceman Spiff]

23. A couple of years ago

I went to see "Spiderman 2" on the opening weekend and some woman bought her less than one year old with her. The baby started crying and instead of leaving the theater this BITCH started jingling her fucking keys at the kid! I never wanted to go upside somebody's head so bad in my life.

[Pithlet]

28. A lot of people just don't sit and quietly watch movies

at the theater anymore. The concept that others are around you, and you aren't in your own living room seems too difficult for many to grasp. People bringing their babies and toddlers to inappropriate movies and not leaving when they disrupt everyone else is just one in a long line of offenses that people commit anymore. The last time I went to a movie, a group of kids were in the back corner having their own little party, complete with music. They had actually brought a portable stereo, and were playing it in the theater during the movie.

[Fleshdancer]

29. Two things that really piss me off:

1. Babies at a movie theater (unless you're smart enough to live in Austin where we have "Screaming Baby Tuesdays" at the Alamo Draft House movie theater :thumbsup: We're cool like that down here.)

2. Babies/kids sitting at a bar. I don't care if it's a restaurant with a bar and the wait for a table is 45 minutes. Don't put the kid on the barstool! It's creepy.

Disclaimer: I'm a parent so I can say these things. :P

[LostinVA]

53. Sitting at a bar if you're under 21 is illegal in most states, btw

Just an interesting factoid!

I'm not a parent, but I think it's a bit skeevy, too.

[jobycom]

30. Man

You guys must have sensitive hearing. Most movies these days you could set off a string of firecrackers next to me and I'd barely notice. A baby cooing or breastfeeding in the row in front of me wouldn't even get my attention. Screaming, yeah, but cooing?

Sounds like the real problem isn't the baby, it's that the freaking movie industry is so boring that people can't keep their eyes on the screen for very long. If it's a good movie, Paris Hilton and Abe Vigoda could be slamming it in the seat in front of me I wouldn't notice.

Now, if you want to talk about shooting the smokers outside the theater, I'm listening. Don't shoot them with bullets, of course. Just something to make their experience as unpleasant as they make mine. Pepper spray, rock salt, etc. I guess everyone has their annoyances.

[Beetwasher]

31. Heh?

Who said anything about "Cooing" bothering them?

"His big sister's spirited chant; "Mommy, mommy, mommy, blue lady, blue lady, blue lady," became a wonderfully infectious reminder to those of us around you that, yes, in fact, there was a blue lady on the screen."

My experiences w/ kids screaming, running up and down the aisles, etc, is not cooing. But you know what? Even cooing can be bothersome if they're right next to you. Not all movies are supremely loud every moment. You're supposed to be quiet in a movie theatre (w/ the exception of laughs, gasps etc. at the appropriate moments). Period. That means no cooing either.

[jobycom]

34. I remember cooing, not running and screaming, in the article

I do remember the big sister chant, but that wasn't the point of the article. The writer was whining about a baby cooing, brestfeeding, and being up at that hour--none of which would bother me at a movie, since I'd be busy watching the movie and minding my own business. Kids running and screaming I'd have a problem with, too. Big sister chanting--that's a borderline issue, I'd have to hear how loud or persistent it was. But given that the writer was upset about breastfeeding and cooing, I don't really take her word for it, especially since she seemed to think the baby widening his eyes at the blue lady was more intrusive.

Just my take. Seems like the article writer has a problem with babies, not theater noise.

[Beetwasher]

35. I'm Not Sure What Article You Read

I didn't say the article said running and screaming, I said that was MY experience.

"My experiences w/ kids screaming, running up and down the aisles, etc, is not cooing. But you know what? Even cooing can be bothersome if they're right next to you. Not all movies are supremely loud every moment. You're supposed to be quiet in a movie theatre (w/ the exception of laughs, gasps etc. at the appropriate moments). Period. That means no cooing either."


That being said, what article did you read? While done tongue in cheek, you clearly missed the point.

"...when I say that we understood your baby's anguish when Wolverine's skin was nearly ripped off his body by his one true love, the newly-risen-and-now-evil Dr. Jean Grey. I'm sure those were genuine cries of pain for a character we all want to see make it to X-Men 4."

Seriously, you think it's appropriate to bring an infant and a toddler to X-men 3 at 9pm and NOT leave the theatre when they start crying and talking loudly???

[jobycom]

36. Hey, if the article sang for you, more power to you.

To me it seemed like a smug anti-baby rant from a jerk. One line about a baby's "cries of anguish" near the end after whining about the baby cooing and being breastfed sounds different to me than to you, I guess.

[Beetwasher]

37. Whoosh!

I guess that's the sound of the point missing you by a longshot. But hey, if you think it's appropriate to bring infants and toddlers to a hyper violent film like the X-men, and NOT leaving when they're crying and talking loudly, you're entitled to that opinion.

[jobycom]

38. Back at you.

I got your point, you ain't got mine yet. It's no one's business but the parents whether they bring an infant to a violent movie, unless you're a Republican who feels the need to meddle in every little thing everyone does. As I said (so often that you must be deliberately ignoring it), if the kids are being loud, that's a problem. They should leave or be quiet. But that's not what the article focuses on.

So, Whoosh! back at ya, keep believing you're the one who got it, and I'm off to something else.

[Beetwasher]

39. Bullshit

It IS my business when they are making noise and interfering w/ MY enjoyment of the movie that I paid good money to see.

"As I said (so often that you must be deliberately ignoring it), if the kids are being loud, that's a problem. They should leave or be quiet. But that's not what the article focuses on."

Uhh, duh, that IS what the article is about. That IS the point, that it is innapropriate to bring those kids to that movie for numerous reasons, including, they are bothersome because of their noise and behavior. It's innaproproate, inconsiderate and irresponsible. That's the point. WHOOSH!

He mentions breast feeding once and you think that's what the article is about? LOL! WHOOSH! :eyes:

[Ravenseye]

42. So by that logic

Should I also be free to go to a movie and stand in the seat right in front of you and bang my cymbals 2 feet away from your face obscuring your view and any sound from the film?

We're not talking about legislating it. We're talking about people needing to have common curtesy. It wasn't an anti-baby rant, it was an anti-common curtesy rant. I have a baby and I understood and agreed with it 100%.

[Touchdown]

43. I'd shove the pepper spray can broadside up your ass...

, and make your girlfriend hold my jacket, and my cigarette while I do it.:P

[Beware the Beast Man]

32. This is why I don't go to the movies anymore.

So I don't have to listen to grown-ups bitch about children. ;)

[ScreamingMeemie]

45. Rock on.

:yourock:


In fact, seeing as it is Summer vacation, I almost feel like taking my 7 year old to the late show every night this week. Adults are way bigger assholes with their popcorn crunching, snorting, speaking in LOUD whispers, seat kicking, foot resting, cellphone ringing behaviors...

...whew, I feel better.

[ScreamingMeemie]

44. Sue me. I took my 9 month old to see "Avalon" and she slept right through.

I didn't make a habit of it, but I was a single parent and felt I was allowed to participate in society as well. Draw up the documents, but I see adults with much more horrid behavior in films. As if the "Please Turn off You Cellphones and be Considerate" don't apply to them. Sorry. No. Sympathy. Here.

[Beetwasher]

55. Well Good For You!

:eyes:

No one said rude adults aren't a problem, as a matter of fact, it's the adults that ARE a problem, not the kids. The kids are being kids, it's the idiot adults who bring them and then don't remove them when their being a nuisance. This was about innapropriately bringing a kid to a hyperviolent film and them being a nuisance. If your kid is not a nuisance, cool. But I would hope if he woke up and started screaming that you'd be considerate enough to leave. If not, well, then that would make you one of the obnoxious adults that you seem to have a problem with.

[ScreamingMeemie]

56. If "She" had woke up and started screaming..."I" would have fed her

but then that would have pissed off the anti breast feeding in public crowd. :eyes:

[Beetwasher]

70. Awww Poor You

Always pissing someone off...:eyes:

[LibertyLover]

47. I have a 3 year old and would not dream of taking her to the movies

She simply isn't ready to go yet and I won't inflict her on other people. Maybe in a year I'll take her to a kiddie matinee, but an adult movie - uh, no. I was appalled a week or so ago when a couple I know started talking about seeing "Over the Hedge". They very proudly informed those of us listening that their almost 3 year old kid had gone with them and had been fine for the first half of the movie, "only" (wtf) running around the theater for the 2nd half. I sat in stunned silence. I could not believe how selfish they had been to bring their kid, who is not a bad child, just, well, a toddler, to the movies and probably made many other patrons upset and unhappy. As a parent of a young child myself, I sometimes shake my head in amazement at what passes for parenting these days.

[npincus]

54. me, too

She hasn't been to a movie yet, either. Somehow I think the intensity of the large screen, darkness and sound would traumatize her. It's just not that important. On a rainy day we can find other things to do.

Yeah, it is so selfish to bring a young child which distracts and detracts from everybody else's experience. Movie tickets plus a babysitter are expensive, but if they can't swing it, they'd better stay home or just bring their kids to kiddie features and not mature films. That's why we hardly ever go to a movie- only when my Mom can babysit (she doesn't charge us).

[GirlinContempt]

48. Gated communities are the only answer

All breeders should be forced to live in gated communities, and unable to leave after 8pm until their children become teenagers. And they should have their own restaurants. And.... shopping centers. Maybe build a dome over it because it might be too noisy for surrounding communities with that concentration of kids.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

64. Sarcasm aside...

That's actually not a bad idea. And in order for you to be a breeder and NOT live in the dome, you have to show genuine consideration for your kid and other people by not dragging them out that late nor letting them scream and misbehave just because you think it's cute. :evilgrin:
Duckie

[jmowreader]

66. If you qualified to live outside the dome you wouldn't be a breeder

There are two kinds of people with children: parents and breeders.

Parents hire a babysitter when they're going to movies not appropriate for children.
Breeders take their children to Robocop then get pissed at the suggestion that perhaps they may want to take their kids to the lobby during the violent parts.

Parents take their children to family-friendly restaurants.
Breeders go to $50/plate jacket-required Fine Dining establishments then demand to know why there's no Children's Menu. (There's a very long war story about this one.)

Parents make their children behave in stores.
Breeders allow their children to climb all the way to the top of a 16-foot stack of drywall and play up there, and when the children scream "mommy, look at me," praise them for their athletic prowess. (This while the lumber guy is turning white, yelling for junior to stand right where he is, and trying to remember where the last place he saw the orderpicker was. This happened today.)

Parents supervise their children's playtimes.
Breeders allow their children to play in the street in front of my house then yell at me when I ask them to stand on the side of the road so I can go to work.

You get the idea. Parent: good parent. Breeder: bad parent.

[MountainLaurel]

67. Excellent distinction there

:applause:

[Dukkha]

49. I had a two time loser at a theater once

This bitch brought two obnoxious kids who kept yapping and THEN she had the audacity to start talking on the cell phone. I lost it them and said "hang up the fucking phone and shut up" She gave me this clueless half socked and appalled look which I shot it back like saying "what! Say something! I dare you!"

These people should be forced to have their tubes tied.

[maxsolomon]

52. years ago, i went to a showing of "City of Lost Children"

by Jean Peirre Jeunet.

sat next to a woman who read the subtitles to her pre-schooler the entire film.

delightful.

[Benfea]

57. A friend of mine let his young kids watch Princess Mononoke

When I reacted to this information, he defended himself by saying "But... but... it's a cartoon!" as if that made everything better.

Yeah, it's a cartoon. It's a cartoon that features violent dismemberment, beheadings, people and animals being shot and blown up, etc.

Perfectly fine for 3 year olds because... you know... it's a cartoon.

*sigh*

[TimeChaser]

60. Well, at least it wasn't the original Ghost in the Shell

Because there's *gasp* boobs!

And even more violence.










Or many he should just be glad he didn't happen to show them La Blue Girl :evilgrin: :hide:

[Radical Activist]

58. Another reminder why I'm not eager to have kids anytime soon.

Its impossible to have any kind of social life without spending the money and finding a babysitter or annoying the hell out of people around you and having the entire outing revolve around keeping the baby quiet. Life ends at parenthood.

[rockymountaindem]

59. I had the opposite experience at a baseball game

Actually, I had two experiences like this at the same game. It was a Jays vs. Red Sox game at the Skydome in Toronto. My friend from Boston and I had bought some nine-dollar seats in the nosebleed section (which, in the Skydome, are actually some pretty good seats, especially for just nine bucks). We got to our seats and this family came and sat down in front of us with two parents, a daughter, a guide dog and a little boy who was probably autistic or otherwise developmentally disabled. The very first thing was that the mom turned to my friend and I and said "I hope our son doesn't bother you. please don't feel bad if you want to leave, we understand". To make a long story short, both kids behaved absolutely great (as did the dog who waited patiently under their seats). I would have forgotten they were there had the mother not tried to get the son to yell "charge!" at the appropriate times. Other than being squirmy and making a few noises, he was completely silent. Couldn't have asked for more...

Then, in the 4th inning, this asshole in a leather jacket comes and sits at the end of our asile. This asshole proceeded to read the newspaper, in the middle of a frikkin' baseball game. If that isn't enough, he continually shoots dirty looks at this poor family who are just trying to enjoy a regular afternoon. I mean, this guy was really staring daggers at them. I'm sorry pal, if you wanted to read in peace maybe you should have gone to the library and not a professional sporting event. Finally, after trading some ascerbic Sox/Jays comments with my friend and I, he left in a huff for another section. Good riddance.

Now, my friend and I really love the Sox, and going to school in Toronto means we can usually make six or eight games a year. So, considering our love for the Sox and the rare opportunity to see them, we usually cheer pretty loudly. Well, this other family (not the ones with the guide dog) who had obviously never seen a game before, kept giving *us* the evil eye every time we yelled "OOOR-TIIIZZZ" or some other thing. All I could say was "sorry pal, this ain't a movie theatre". I mean, if we wanted Big Papi to hear us we had to yell really loud, right?

*sigh*... people.

[EstimatedProphet]

61. Hear Hear! We saw people bring toddlers to SAW II!

Talk about irresponsible! What a great way to give your 2 year old kid a neurotic complex for life!

[Frank Cannon]

65. I was going to suggest Saw II as a joke

But once again, I see truth is far, far stranger than fiction.

Anyone who would bring a small child to Saw II should be brought up on charges.

[izzybeans]

62. What can I say some people turn into fascists when it comes to kids

in public.

I bring my son to the theater and I walk in with both middle fingers raised high in the air because of pretentious fucks like this.

Not really, but don't expect any fucking sympathy from me.

[NC_Nurse]

63. Hahahaha!

Who hasn't been annoyed by SOMEONE at a theater? It's just so frustrating to pay all that money and then have someone's kid crying or whining or someone talking nonstop right behind you...ah memories. No wonder I never go anymore!

[Blue_Tires]

68. yes, there was a toddler during my viewing as well

luckily, it only cried for about a 1/3 of the movie

[Withywindle]

72. The absolute winner/loser I've experienced

Man, I'll never forget this! Christmas Day, when all us heathens go to the movies. Toddler. Couldn't've been more than three. Shrieking up a storm. "Parents," and I put that in quotes for a reason, couldn't be bothered to take the obviously traumatized child out for benefit of either the child or the now-traumatized other viewers. They thought walking him/her up and down the aisle like a dog would help.

The movie?

The heartwarming, gentle, and family-friendly Gangs of New York.

YOu know, I'm grateful to my own parents. I remember the first time I was ever taken to the movies. I was five, which is at least old enough to follow and understand a simple story. It was a privilege I earned by proving I was capable of sitting quietly for two hours. The movie was Bambi. I was totally traumatized by Bambi's mother getting shot, but it had been made VERY clear to me that if I was going to cry, I needed to do so quietly or we were going to leave before the story got happier.