I don't know why she did what she did, I don't particularly care and simply won't guess, but it didn't bother me because, really, who cares? Well, the answer the the question 'who cares?' was, 'a lot of people.
We entered the movie theatre through the back passage way and so came at the seats from the front. The disabled space in front of me was empty so Joe and I headed there. On the same row sat a woman, who I noticed because she was directly in my view when I was handing Joe my hat, my over my jacket scarf, my around my neck scarf, my mitts, my coat, my thick shirt I wear over my every day shirt. As the pile on the seat next to Joe got bigger with his stuff and my stuff, I noticed her.
She was sitting with her hands up beside her face and her fingers in her ears. Quietly sitting, watching the pre-show, with her fingers in her ears.
As I said I didn't pay any attention to the way she sat, different things make different people comfortable.
But for some reason the way she sat disturbed a number of people. I notice people in front of her turning, several times, to look back at her, stare at her with a kind of questioning disapproval. Three people in the row behind her mimicked her and were taken in a fit of giggles, I turned to them, not being a fan of noise in theatres, even during the pre-show, and saw what they were doing. My face turned to stone and my eyes to lava, they caught the look and stopped.
She sat like that throughout the movie. I know this because the couple up front turned and looked at her throughout the movie. Personally, I thought the movie more interesting and, other than when their movement distracted me, never thought about how she was sitting.
After the movie was over, we slipped out right at the start of the credit because we've over 60 and we needed to 'make water' ... it's a given.
Now, as I'm writing this, I have to say I don't understand why anyone would care how another person sits in a movie theatre. I don't know why it would draw so much attention. I don't know how it matters. I also can't imagine having a life so devoid of diversity that 'fingers in ears' sitting is cause for so much interest.
Help me out here ...
I hope, through this experience, the 'gawkers' get an education from their peers when they share with them, their night at the movies. When they share about 'That woman with her fingers in her ears' - I hope they are greeted with a response that will help them to understand why someone may engage in that behavior It is been my experience, that some people are just a$$holes, who don't care to be educated, who would rather point, stare and laugh than ignore or accept that people are different and different is okay.
ReplyDeleteThis kind of hit home for me because often *I'm* the woman with her fingers in her ears. I find at the distance where my nearsighted eyes can see the screen clearly, the sound is often too loud for me. When I have my fingers in my ears, it brings the sound down to a tolerable volume.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Ettina. I almost always have to put my fingers in my ears when at the movies. WHY must they make the sound so loud??
ReplyDeleteDont have an answer for this.....some people have such a low level of accepting/understanding differences....I worry about the impact their reactions have on people just being part of our community.
ReplyDeleteI'm another one with my fingers in my ears. It's apparently socially unacceptable, for some reason... What do you expect me to do when the sound is so loud, though? I'm autistic.
ReplyDelete--Littlewolf
Dave,
ReplyDeletefor sometime my depression made my brainactivity change. The world was more grey than usual and more fast and extremly loud to the point where some noise even ade me dizzy.
You could find me sitting in the underground cart with my fingers in my ears, because it was all that kept me frm screaming. The noise hurt.
Wouldnt have been able to go to see a film at the cinema by than. But I got myself special noise filtering and reducing earplugs that kept me sane.
Julia
One of the reasons that I seldom go to movies in theatres is that the sound level is so high - it distorts the sound and makes it more difficult for me to understand what the actors are saying. And they seldom have subtitles.
ReplyDeleteThe same film on DVD usually has subtitles and I control the sound level.
I see films long after they are "must-see" for the year, but I am able to enjoy them and make up my own mind about how great or terrible or mediocre they are.
Like many of the commenters and that lady, I, too, often need to plug my ears. Can't understand why anyone would waste their money watching someone behind them in the movie theatre though.
ReplyDeleteAt the last concert I attended, I had to stick my fingers in my ears (while bopping to the terrific music) for the first half--the sound was so insanely loud I thought my head would split. The numerous looks I got ranged from quizzical to downright contemptuous. I gleefully stuck my tongue out at the latter ones and mouthed, "Piss off!"
ReplyDeleteAt intermission I went to the arena's information booth and asked for and received some lovely ear plugs. Ahhh. So. Much. Better.
That lady at the theatre was right--do what you must to preserve your hearing!
Sue
Because people can't understand difference..
ReplyDelete