The Seattle Times: On a recent night at the ballet, I was distracted from the ethereal beauty on stage by a decidedly nonethereal clanking. A woman in my row was holding a wineglass filled with ice and repeatedly reaching inside of it, maybe to extract a specific, special cube. Or maybe she was panning for gold in there, I don’t know. Regardless, the music was quiet and the constant clankety-clank of the ice against glass was a weirdly discordant note. I wish I hadn’t noticed it, but I did. And I wished, later, that I’d said something, but I didn’t.
15 comments:
I have never understood why people use their phones during movies and shows. Smartphones in general have become such an integral part of many people’s lives, and these people often get attached to their phones. I know that I use my phone a lot, for communication, social media, the occasional game or two… but is it really that hard to not look at your phone for the two or three hours you will be at a movie or show? Those texts aren’t going anywhere. You can always call that person back. You aren’t going to lose that snapchat streak. What is so important that you have to pay attention to your phone rather than the movie or show you paid oh so much money for? There could, of course, be extenuating circumstances on waiting for an important phone call, but in that case, why chose to go to the movie at that time? It is not hard, and actually quite refreshing, to turn your phone off and disconnect for those two hours. Hell, I rarely check my phone when I am watching Netflix alone in bed, yet many still have the audacity to detract the value of the movie or performance from those around them.
I love the idea of having the last row in a cinema as a texting zone!!! However, the original purpose of the rule to turn off the phone is not only to avoid distraction, but also to prevent surreptitious filming and digital recording. Therefore, PHONES MUST BE TURNED OFF. Over recent years, smartphone addiction has become severe. After all, if you are having a meeting with a CEO, you would not check your phone for the entire time. I think it is a matter of being nice and polite as the article suggests.
Putting that aside, I believe there are still some things that theatres can do. Some theatres have already installed “cell jammers”, which intentionally block signals. In addition, in Japan, eating and drinking are prohibited in most of the theatres. People can eat in the lobby during the intermission. For theatres, which seats are more expensive and being live is more significant than movie theatres, these may be considerable options.
I think that the best way to deal with annoying audience behavior is to just not really deal with at all. Its not the biggest deal and honestly there has been worse things in the world like world hunger and mass shootings. I don't believe that anyone is being robbed or taken form the theatre going experience because of someone's cellphone use, unless it really is that obnoxious. We tend to put theatre on a pedestal when in reality its all for fun and watching it should be fun for everyone with an audience not taking themselves too seriously. That being said, there is always an exception, it comes down to not being an asshole and being reasonably respectful and aware of your surroundings. Theatre is definitely a place for people to be reactive if the piece calls for it, I personally love it when people cheer at a show or make comments, because theatre is a full experience and that also include that audience around you.
Like Dean, I also don’t get why people use their phones during a performance. Why would you pay to watch a movie if you’re just going to be texting and not paying attention? Personally, I don’t have a problem with people who are just texting and not being disruptive. But it is important to remember that using your phone during a performance is disrespectful to the performers. They most likely worked hard to put on the show and being not engaged because of your phone disregards their hard work. As to the texting row in the cinema idea, I’m on the fence about that. It’s beneficial for people who are waiting on important replies and such but at the same time, tend to those responsibilities outside of the cinema? All in all, just be considerate of others when watching a show/performance/movie. It’s strange that this even needs to be said.
I honestly feel that people who use their phones during movies or live performances are cheating themselves. Why pay for a ticket to see something when you can stay home and use their phone for free? And obviously they are disrupting the rest of the audience and the performers, as well. It is so frustrating to go to a show, especially a live one where silence is more impactful, and hear sounds that disrupt my focus and hearing. Performers and sound designers should never have to compete with noisy audience members for attention. As a person who can't stand little distracting noises, like crinkling wrappers or loud chewing, in general, that feeling of annoyance is only heightened when I am trying to watch a show.
Whenever my mom and I go see a Broadway show, we have a tradition to buy a bag of Twizzlers during intermission. Even though we buy one bag to share, we almost never finish it before the second act. Because we know how terrible it is to hear a noisy audience member, we always save the bag for after the show. In all of my memories of seeing a Broadway show, I am almost always walking out into the bustling New York streets clutching a half-empty bag of Twizzlers. Seriously, it happens that often. Basically, it's just common courtesy to be a respectful audience member, not a distracting one. When I buy tickets to see a show, I intend to see and hear the show, not a glowing light from a phone or the sounds of someone's food wrapper.
While it may be bothersome to a fellow audience member that someone is sitting on their phone through the movie, the person who is losing out on the most might actually be the texter. They are cheating themselves out of an experience that they probably paid good money for. We all know what the difference is between enjoying something at home and going to a movie theatre or a live performance, it's immersive, and there are factors that break that immersion for us. For live performances especially, actors exist in the same space as the audience, and react depending on the situation. It's not at all unlikely for an actor to carry a stray thought as they notice a glowing face a couple rows back. When it comes to something that requires such intense concentration as performing live, these stray thoughts are small distractions that can make it more difficult for an actor to focus on their job, which may result in the entire audience as a whole being affected by it as well.
While I personally agree with what this article is talking about, I am reminded of a production of Henry V I saw back with my high school Shakespeare class. It was a student matinee and there were a few other schools in attendance. During the show, many of the other students were loud, talking in the middle of the show, cracking other jokes, and other more disruptive behavior. We were all upset and really confused as to what happened when our teacher pointed out two something. She noted how that was actually what classic shakespearean productions were like at the globe. The groundlings were often drunk, obnoxious, shouting at the performers, and other disruptive behaviors. It was an interesting way of looking at what we experienced and taking a step back at how we as audience members experience live performance. As the article points out, the reactions people have in a horror movie are probably different from that of the ending of Romeo and Juliette, but who said it had to be that way? Who decided it was okay to have these reactions in certain situations? Should we be refrained from laughing during a comedic musical since it may make the next line inaudible in an fast-tempo piece for another audience member? What about the people who have only ever been to movies or concerts but are attending live theatre for the first time?
I think as people working in this industry as the artists and creators we have created an idealized way of 'experiencing' our work, which is more than fine! But, I also think we as artists owe it to our audience to help them along. If a show is in the round, that can be experienced in a vastly different way than proscenium style theatre. Ultimately, I agree with the opinions of the author when it comes to theatre, but I think we should also take a step back and realize that people may not automatically know how we want them to see our work.
Ugh! I have the worst story about people using their phones during shows! When I saw Great Comet, I was pretty close up in the orchestra, and I was super excited! There was a lady sitting next to me who was texting on FULL brightness with huge text. I could read everything her texts were saying. It was so distracting. It was to the point that, because of the immersive nature of the show, an ensemble member, while passing our seats, quickly asked her to stop. After she continued, I nudged her multiple times, but she still continued. At intermission, I said “Hey, it’s really disrespectful to text during a show, especially when an actor asks you to stop!” And she literally just turned away. She didn’t answer me. But, she didn’t text during the second act. Obviously, not every person is this blatantly disrespectful and I think, as a general rule, we should be empathetic and assume that they’re just having a bad day. But honestly, it’s so disrespectful to the actors and the people around you. I think it’s kinda different in a movie theater. If you sit in the back and aren’t bothering anyone, since the actors and creators aren’t actually there, I don’t see the issue. Honestly, it’s just their loss at that point. But in live theatre, it’s 100% different. As for the question posed by the article: “Cellphone use during a movie. Clanking ice at a show. What should we do about annoying audience behavior?” The answer is absolutely nothing. People will do it no matter what we do.
Regardless of what anyone thinks, I maintain a very low opinion of people who don't turn their ringers off, text, or otherwise use their phones during a performance or film. Yes, the person missing out the most is the person using the phone, but their missing out should not impinge on anyone else's experience. Text tones and ringtones going off irk me to no end, it interrupts dialog, takes me out of the moment, and it's so embarrassing for the phone owner. Fully bright screens are distracting and hard on the eyes. The use of phones during a performance or film affects not just the other showgoers but is also extremely disrespectful toward the actors. And, as many people have mentioned already, why pay to see a show if you're just going to spend all the time texting and not viewing what you paid for? Better to do the rest of us a favor and leave.
I think the author of this article is missing a very important fact regarding the potential impact of his article regarding people who are disruptive during the theater or movies. The fact of the matter is that these kinds of people are not self-conscious or conscious of the effect that they have on others. That is the reason they are so disruptive in public places. Therefore even if someone who does this is reading this article, they would either not realize that it is talking about them, or think that somehow what they were doing isn't that bad, so they will continue doing it. The people reading this article who actually will try to better themselves and be quieter and more attentive are not actually part of the problem. The only way to deal with disruptive people is to report on them to the theater and actually have the bravery to kick them out. While this may cause a disturbance in the short term, I believe it is for the greater good, and for the greater enjoyment of whatever entertainment it is for the rest of the audience.
It’s sad to say that I’ve experienced many an interruption from “the Other Person” during shows, movies, ballets, you name it. I’m a hyper-attentive person and whenever I see a phone light or hear an unfitting repetitive noise, my brain latches on to it, not by choice, and I miss what I paid money to see: the show! It’s never stopped me from going to the performance, only been a temporary annoyance, but I do most definitely agree with the article that there are people who have stopped going out because they don’t want to deal with the Other People’s actions. I think this is horrible (that the interruptions happen in the first place) because it (in a dramatic grand scheme of things sense) could negatively impact the financial success of the show or film or whatever else. I’ve been seeing Tweets a lot more recently of performers calling people out for having their phones out and on during Broadway shows, and that it’s a distraction. I’m really glad that these performers are taking action to make people aware (not that they should need to be told) of their effect.
I would like to touch on a couple of things, also mentioned by my colleagues above, in reference to how I feel about this article and what the author is discussing. First of all, I think that the accepted reactions have to be taken on a case-by-case basis. Just as the author mentioned the reaction at a horror movie being an exception, I believe that if you're in a more relaxed setting vs. the opera, you might get away with a few more slight distractions. For instance, free Shakespeare in the park will definitely gather people who are a little louder, more participatory, and slightly tipsier than your average indoor theatregoer. Going in another direction: at the theatre I work at during the summer, we have a Special Needs Matinee. These audience members are very involved and vocal about what they see onstage. And honestly? Those are usually our favorite performances. The actors feed off of the enthusiastic energy of the audience that day, and the show takes on an entirely new life of surprise and joy. The reactions of the audiences to what they're experiencing onstage is really never a thing that I believe should be taught or expected. Live theatre is a dialogue between the performers onstage and the audience in the house, and what fun would it be if you always knew what the Other was going to say?
All of this aside, however, I agree with Elliot above, in saying that for disruptions such as cell phones, ice in glasses, etc. there is an etiquette that many people simply have not learned. In theatre, especially right now, we are actively trying to attract new audience members, but that also means that we accept the responsibility of helping them understand this new atmosphere they've stepped into. I don't agree with the author that you need to be "nice", as that rarely changes anything, but being kind is always possible and encourages change.
I am the biggest advocate for getting annoying little ticks out of the theater. I do not believe people should be able to text during a movie or show. As soon as someone takes out their phone, I am immediately throw out of the world and distracted from what I am watching. Nothing is so important that you cannot resist the urge to text or use your phone. The clanking of ice is also annoying. This is less annoying then the cellphone issue, but it seems that the people always ae moving ice in their cups right at the most intense parts of the show. I think both of these thing are different in movies though. In movies, you still should not text but its not as bad. Also I do not care at a movie If I hear ice clanking or candy being unwrapped. Since it’s a movie this is excepted.
One of my favorite quotes comes from Joss Whedon’s “Firefly”. The preacher Shepard Book warns Malcolm Reynolds not to take advantage of a woman he mistakenly married or he will burn in a special hell. “A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater”. There’s always going to be rude people at the theater. Unfortunately that will never change. However, what this article emphasizes, and I strongly agree with, is that it shouldn’t stop you from enjoying live entertainment and to be polite to the people who may disrupt it. If you are a jerk to the disruptive people, then really it proves you are no better at them with your manners. It’s important to be respectful to others even when they aren’t being respectful. In no way do I advocate for this behavior at the theater, but I do believe everyone deserves to be treated fairly since we are unaware of their habits or personal lives that may drive this disruption.
This article nicely opens up the wider discussion of audience behavior. As a regular theater go-er, I always think it’s such a shame when I hear that people are put off going due to the inconsiderate behavior of others. The expectation of a patron at a theater is for them to sit quietly and respectfully, watching what is going on out of courtesy for the performers and their fellow audience members. People pay good money to watch trained professionals who have undergone years of training. Usually, it is only a few people that ruin the experience for the majority. But ruin might not be the right term, annoy is likely better. The writer says that they wish they hadn’t noticed the ice clanking but the ice clanker shouldn’t have been clanking in the first place. They wish they had said something but speaking up in the moment can be difficult and isn’t something one should have to do.
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