Over the weekend, my family and I went to see the live action film, “Beauty and the Beast”. It was an absolutely brilliant film in my opinion and my love for Emma Watson has only increased.
Although the film was fantastic, a few people in the cinema ruined the experience.
Before the film started, three young adults sat behind us. My sisters are 9 and 6 years old and it is a PG movie, so there were lots of other children around. These people were cursing and swearing and had absolutely disgusting language. Now I know everybody uses bad language, I do myself. But there’s a time and a place, and in the cinema, surrounded by children, parents and grandparents, it is not acceptable.
After a few painful and cringe worthy moments, my mum had to turn around and ask them to stop. They were extremely apologetic and didn’t continue, but the worst part was, they clearly didn’t realise there was anything wrong with it until it was pointed out.
Another young adult sat in front of me. The chairs in the cinema recline. She had her feet up on the back of a seat where someone was sat and was pushing against it so far that her chair had reclined back onto my knees and was still pushing.
After about 15 minutes, I had to ask her did she mind not pushing back as far because I had no leg space. Again, she was apologetic and genuinely didn’t realise she was doing anything wrong, although she continued to have her feet up on the back of the chair in front of her.
Then there was people walking in and out of the cinema, and that’s fine, I accept that people need to go to the toilet etc., but rather than trying to stroll in and out without causing disturbance, they had their phone torch lights turned on and were flashing it everywhere, making the cinema experience extremely off-putting. Someone a few seats down from me kept taking snapchats throughout the film too.
And finally, when the lights came on and everyone was leaving the cinema, I was absolutely disgusted with the way the place was left: drinks spilt and left on the floor, half empty boxes of popcorn thrown everywhere, rubbish all over the floor. It takes 2 seconds to pick up your own rubbish, and throw it in the bin on your way out.
I am in no way a perfect person, but I know how to behave in social situations, but have most people forgotten?
Has the addiction to social media gotten so bad that we can’t even go to the cinema without snapchatting people? Do we have such little manners that we don’t care if the flash of our pictures and torches are distracting to other people who have paid money to watch a film? Do we genuinely do not know that it’s not acceptable to use bad language loudly it certain areas? Do we not know basic manners anymore?
Next time you’re in a cinema, or any public or social environment for that matter, try to remember that you’re not the only one there and please respect other people.