I guess, in theory, it’s a nice idea when AMC Theaters ask their viewers coming to see the new Wicked movie to not disrupt the experience by singing along to Wicked‘s well-known songs. Movie sing-along are surely a ‘thing’ of the modern age, where classics like The Sound Of Music and Grease have been rereleased in theaters for the express purpose of enticing and encouraging modern audiences to sing along with the filmed musicals’ songs. But ahead of Wicked‘s release AMC began playing a half-minute “advisory” showing scenes from the film, while reiterating what AMC claims is their trademark “silence is golden” reminder that plays at the start of every film: “No talking. No texting. No singing. No wailing. No flirting,” and for Wicked the especially the added. “And absolutely no name-calling. Enjoy the magic of movies.”
As an ex-moviegoer in this great state of ours and sometimes having seen them in New York and beyond (and why the ‘ex’ part? I haven’t yet determined), I am less interested in AMC’s Wicked policy as I am by what they think they accomplish by asking modern-day audiences to stay quiet and engaged watching a movie. Surely, I have heard of some instances where a present audience indeed has stayed enraptured by a film, silent and engaged. But I rather thing that’s probably more the movie than anything else, less a general sense of politeness. Generally speaking, people can’t help but keep their phones on in a movie, check their android screens or Apple watches, text and even take phone calls during a film, play, a lecture and surely a concert. And yes, while I see less and less movies these days (all this noise around me is certainly one of the reasons I don’t go to the movies all that often now, as much as I find very little I want to get up and out to see, and that when I go to a movie now it makes me miss too much those great years seeing movies almost every Friday night with my friends…ok, there are some reasons), when I have gone, I have indeed seen the texting, heard the calls and all that talking people do these days because they simply can’t separate themselves from the home streaming experience, where they indeed can talk as much and as loud as they like.
And generally, social media gives us free reign to talk/post/Tikity Tikoty/InstaXgiggle as much as we like, when we like, as if any of us really has anything interesting to say. Which we don’t.
Take this blog for example.
Sorry, I don’t have great faith in my fellow humans these days (or even for myself) these days…or haven’t you noticed? And it has nothing to do with the election just passed. I just know modern-day audiences are an unwashed, impolite ramble I’d rather not be around.
Enjoy Wicked, just shut up!
