Ryan Gosling was in the midst of a triumphant moment onscreen, embodying the character of Ken in the Barbie Dreamhouse, when Tess Connolly, a 22-year-old, noticed something was awry. It was during a 9:30 p.m. showing of “Barbie” at the Regal Cinema in downtown Denver when the manager of the theater began pleading with a man seated a few rows in front of Connolly and her younger brother. The manager informed the man that he needed to leave, but he stubbornly refused. This prompted five security guards to intervene, and it was at this point that Connolly took in the surreal situation unfolding before her eyes – unfortunately, it had nothing to do with Ken and his catchphrase “Sublime!” “One of the security guards was telling the guy, ‘Dude, you can’t be naked in here,'” Connolly recounted. “The man seemed confused and upset that he couldn’t strip down in the theater… he started getting agitated.” The security guard then requested assistance from the audience to remove the man from the premises. According to Connolly, many people began shouting phrases like, “Get this freak out of here!” and “My teenage daughters are here!” All the while, “Barbie” continued to play in the background. Eventually, the man was escorted out of the packed theater, but Connolly couldn’t help but feel as though she had missed the funniest part of Greta Gerwig’s highly-anticipated film. “It was the moment we were all waiting for, the moment that would make us burst out laughing,” Connolly lamented. “But the security guard ruined it for us by telling everyone to start yelling. We just wanted to enjoy the movie.” The release of the blockbuster films “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” may have been met with tremendous success at the box office, but it also brought to light a significant problem: Some individuals seem to have forgotten proper movie theater etiquette, with numerous reports of unruly behavior, excessive cell phone use, and even public nudity. At an “Barbie” screening at an AMC theater in Washington, a man wearing a pink tank top and covered in body glitter passionately identified with the Ken characters onscreen. Throughout the film, despite multiple shushes from the audience, he would cheer, sing, and even stand up and pump his fist whenever the Kens triumphed over the Barbies. At one point, he apologized to the audience, stating that he was intoxicated, but he continued to disrupt the film until the climax, when he engaged in a slap fight with an acquaintance sitting beside him. On social media, stories of disruptive and disrespectful behavior in theaters have gone viral in recent weeks. In one particularly notable video from a “Barbie” screening in Brazil, two women engage in a violent altercation while Billie Eilish’s “Barbie” song plays in the background (“I used to be on top, now I’m falling down”). However, this bad behavior isn’t limited to “Barbie” screenings alone. Reports have emerged of disruptive audiences during showings of “Oppenheimer” as well, with multiple instances of flashing cameras and people scrolling through TikTok during the film. Twitter user @silvergelpen wrote, “Saw ‘Oppenheimer’ last night in one of the worst-behaved crowds I’ve ever experienced. Multiple camera flashes throughout, people in front of us scrolling TikTok halfway through the film. If you can’t pay attention to a three-hour movie, don’t bother leaving your house to see one.” In recent years, there has been a concerning trend of audience members throwing objects at musicians during live performances. On Broadway, an unruly audience member halted a performance of “Death of a Salesman” last December, and a Playbill exposé from the spring detailed incidents of aggression towards ushers and other theater workers, including being spat on and screamed at. Not even the skies are safe, as an American Airlines pilot recently went viral for admonishing “selfish and rude” passengers for their disruptive behavior (“Nobody wants to hear your video”). It remains unclear why common courtesy seems to be dwindling, and what exactly is causing this breakdown in civility. Roxane Cohen Silver, a psychology professor at the University of California, Irvine, who specializes in stress and trauma, suggests that recent events may be a contributing factor. “It’s evident that the past three years have been challenging for many people in our country. We’ve experienced a series of collective traumas, one after the other, which has been overwhelming for many. The combination of the pandemic, inflation, mass shootings, climate-related disasters, political polarization, and more has strained our ability to cope,” Cohen Silver explained in an email. “As we analyze behavior this summer, it’s important to recognize this reality.” Others point to the culture of constant cellphone use and a self-centered need for constant stimulation. Kat Tenbarge, a reporter for NBC News who covers technology and culture, tweeted, “Throughout the history of theaters, people were able to pay attention. The only difference now is the presence of cellphones.” Brandon Thint, a 24-year-old who went to see “Barbie” at a Cinemark theater in Austin, Texas, had the last 20 minutes of the movie spoiled by children watching YouTube videos at full volume in the front of the theater during an emotional climax. Viviana Freyer, a 21-year-old who attended an opening night screening of “Oppenheimer” in Miami, had a similar experience. A group of rowdy teenagers talked loudly throughout the entire movie, reacting loudly during moments that called for silence. “I understand that ‘Barbenheimer’ is the first major movie event in a long time, and people are excited about it. Many of the disruptive people are young and participating in the ‘Barbenheimer’ trend,” Freyer acknowledged. “However, I do believe that the recent trend of interactive superhero movies combined with the internet and TikTok has created a breeding ground for rowdy behavior at the movies.” Movie theater policies are currently serving as a final line of defense for frustrated film enthusiasts. At Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, a dine-in theater known for its strict “no talking, no texting” policy, guests can discreetly notify staff of disruptive behavior by raising an order card. “There’s no way for us to catch everything or determine how disruptive it is to you and your guest, so we depend on that communication,” said Michael Pieri, an executive general manager who oversees two Alamo locations in the Washington, D.C. area. He notes that the system has been effective thus far. “The only times when people hesitate is when someone breaking the rules is right next to them,” Pieri said, explaining that guests may be uncomfortable reporting the behavior in front of the person. The most common violations he observes at his theaters are related to Alamo’s late arrival policy, which prohibits guests from entering 15 minutes after the scheduled showtime. In the weeks since the release of “Barbenheimer,” Pieri has noticed an increase in policy violations related to talking and texting. “That’s just because there are more people in the building,” he explained. However, Alamo did make exceptions for “Barbie” screenings, hosting pajama-themed slumber party viewings with relaxed policies that encourage some conversation among attendees. “The main challenge is that you can only be so prepared,” Pieri admitted, acknowledging that the success of “Barbie” far exceeded box office expectations. “When attendance increases exponentially…
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