Last night was my 9-year old’s football banquet, also known as two hours of chaos and a plate full of cold spaghetti. The most curious moment of the night happened after I had been distracted from the introduction of each football player. I regained my focus and turned back to the makeshift stage. At that very moment, a mother in front of me turned around and said, “HEY, WE CLAPPED FOR YOUR KIDS! NOW CLAP FOR OURS!”
I obediently put my hands together and resumed my mindless clapping for kids I didn’t know. Noise already filled the room to capacity and I can’t believe the elimination of my clapping made any difference to that mother, but it did.
Her assertiveness, however weird and misplaced, reminded me of the movie theater last weekend. I went to see “Gone Baby Gone” (good movie, but not quite as good as the hype), and one seat away from me sat a talkative couple. They chatted through previews and I hoped that they’d stop during the movie. She swiveled in her seat and thrust her high-heeled feet across his lap, a clear indication that they were on a date, if you ask me. I wouldn’t dream of putting my feet across my husband’s lap at a movie theater.
They continued to murmur and talk during the movie. I kept turning to glare at him, but he apparently had no peripheral vision. I seriously considered tossing popcorn at them, but then remembered I am not eleven years old. Finally, to my great relief, a woman on the other side of the Talkative Couple stood up, marched audibly over to them and said in an indignant voice, “Will you please stop talking? It is hard to watch a movie while you’re making so much noise!”
And, what do you know, the Talkative Couple shut up.
I was able to eat all my popcorn and not waste a single kernel by pelting the inconsiderate idiots who should rent a DVD if they cannot watch a movie in silence.
Actual Unretouched Photo 
Ugh @ that woman. I think I would have been hard pressed not to start clapping with my middle fingers.
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What a nutty mom! Sheesh…lighten up, lady. Just thank your lucky stars that the season is OVER and normalcy (whatever that is) can return.
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Oh man- so glad someone took care of it for you! I probably would have gone and gotten an usher, but I have a horribly embarrassing moment behind an incident like that. Some people!
Steph
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Ok, the lady that yelled at you? What the french, toast? I don’t know how I would have reacted. I do know how I would have handled the talkers though… I would have kept quiet, ate my popcorn, leaned in closer to the screen to hear and enjoy the $9 movie as best I could and then later I would have complained that I didn’t have the guts to ask them to be considerate. I’m pretty predictable that way.
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I have always wished I was the kind of person who dared speak up more in situations like you were in at the movie…but I get too nervous. Thankfully my husband is very direct and outspoken.
The lady at the banquet seems a little too abrupt, but I guess it depends on the tone of her voice when she said it.
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Ok, so I had this really not nice comment all ready to type out, but didn’t, I just can’t, just like I can’t be confrontational in public, get me behind closed doors, and I’ll tear into you, but not with an audience.
Maybe she was PMS’ing?
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Every seat has a number.
An electrical board with each seat number and a small jolt of electricity.
I plan to invent this.
You talk in a movie theatre? Seat number 139 lets loose an electric shock.
Oh…just try moving to a different seat…I’ve got THAT number, too.
The clapping comment is beyond weird.
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I always find myself wondering what business it is of other peoples whether I clap or not. This happens to me at church sometimes when its an upbeat song and I don’t clap. Maybe I was raised to be a non-clapper, but that’s my families business no one elses. I hate when people don’t mind their own business. And I loathe movie talkers..why bother paying the $10 if your going to chat the entire movie? Rent a DVD…idiots.
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Sending a huge eyeroll directed to the northwest of my chair for Clapping Woman.
Too bad someone didn’t say “please reserve all applause until the end…”
Steph, if you are reading…I know what you are talking about, LOL.
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Judy, the electric chair, if you will, is too funny! I would love to have those in place.
As I become older I find I am more comfortable with myself. As a lady said yesterday, you got to be true to yourself. I am not into New Age but I love this because allowing others to walk all over you is hard on the soul.
Honestly, the clapping comment lady would have heard a mouth full. Sometimes I revert to the old me which really, is very very sweet but a total witch if you get on my wrong side. You didn’t tell her to clap for your kids, did you? No? Well then she should have kept her mouth shut.
And I hate talkers at movies too. I say a comment here or there, usually when I can’t understand what is being said but I don’t talk just for the sake of talking. Two hours of individual movie time is just to valuable to talk. I can talk, or try to, at home with my six blessing!
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