The Hazards of Moviegoing
by Diane Woods (high school student)
I am a movie fanatic. My friends say that I know more movie trivia than any of them. For example, I can remember every big Oscar award since I was in grade school. My buddies, though, have stopped asking me to go to the movies with them. While I love movies as much as ever, the inconvenience of going out, the temptations of the concession stand, and the behavior of some patrons are reasons for me to wait and rent the DVD.
To begin with, I just don’t enjoy the general hassle of the evening. First, I have to drive for fifteen minutes to get to the nearest mall. The parking lot is always jammed because of the many stores in the shopping center, so I have to drive in circles until I finally find an empty parking space. Then I have to stand in an endless line with the possibility that the tickets to the show I want to see are all sold out. If we do get tickets, the theater will be so crowded that I won’t be able to sit with my friends, or we’ll end up in the front rows looking up at the giant screen. My shoes will get stuck to a gooey floor with spilled soda, bubble gum and crushed Raisinets. And all that for a whopping $11!
Second, the theater offers tempting snacks that I really don’t need. At home I can control myself because there is no ice cream in the freezer, we don’t have sodas in the fridge and my snacks tend to be healthy, like fruits, nuts, and juices. At the movies, however, even if I only buy a Diet Coke, the smell of fresh popcorn dripping with butter soon overcomes me. And what about the Nachos with cheese and the Snickers and M&M’s? By the time I leave, I feel disgusted with myself!
Finally, many of the other patrons are even more of a problem than the concession stand. Little kids race up and down the aisles, making lots of noise. Their parents are lost somewhere out in cyberspace. Teenagers try to impress their friends by talking back to the actors on the screen, whistling, and making fools of themselves. The adults aren’t any better, commenting loudly revealing the plot twists that are supposed to be a secret until the movie’s end. They also make strange noises as they eat, coughing, burping, squirming endlessly in their seats, filing out repeatedly to the restrooms, and elbowing me out of the armrest side of my seat. It’s pure martyrdom! What am I doing here, I ask myself.
After arriving home from the movies one night, I decided I had had enough! I was not going to be a moviegoer anymore. I was tired of the problems involved in getting to the theater, resisting unhealthy snacks, and dealing with the patrons. The next day, I arranged to have premium movie channels added to my cable TV service, and I also got a Netflix membership. I may now see movies a bit later than other people, but I’ll be more relaxed watching box office hits in the comfort of my own living room. There’s nothing like “Home, Sweet Home!”
The Hazards of Moviegoing
by Diane Woods (high school student)
I am a movie fanatic. My friends say that I know more movie trivia than any of them. For example, I can remember every big Oscar award since I was in grade school. My buddies, though, have stopped asking me to go to the movies with them. While I love movies as much as ever, the inconvenience of going out, the temptations of the concession stand, and the behavior of some patrons are reasons for me to wait and rent the DVD.
To begin with, I just don’t enjoy the general hassle of the evening. First, I have to drive for fifteen minutes to get to the nearest mall. The parking lot is always jammed because of the many stores in the shopping center, so I have to drive in circles until I finally find an empty parking space. Then I have to stand in an endless line with the possibility that the tickets to the show I want to see are all sold out. If we do get tickets, the theater will be so crowded that I won’t be able to sit with my friends, or we’ll end up in the front rows looking up at the giant screen. My shoes will get stuck to a gooey floor with spilled soda, bubble gum and crushed Raisinets. And all that for a whopping $11!
Second, the theater offers tempting snacks that I really don’t need. At home I can control myself because there is no ice cream in the freezer, we don’t have sodas in the fridge and my snacks tend to be healthy, like fruits, nuts, and juices. At the movies, however, even if I only buy a Diet Coke, the smell of fresh popcorn dripping with butter soon overcomes me. And what about the Nachos with cheese and the Snickers and M&M’s? By the time I leave, I feel disgusted with myself!
Finally, many of the other patrons are even more of a problem than the concession stand. Little kids race up and down the aisles, making lots of noise. Their parents are lost somewhere out in cyberspace. Teenagers try to impress their friends by talking back to the actors on the screen, whistling, and making fools of themselves. The adults aren’t any better, commenting loudly revealing the plot twists that are supposed to be a secret until the movie’s end. They also make strange noises as they eat, coughing, burping, squirming endlessly in their seats, filing out repeatedly to the restrooms, and elbowing me out of the armrest side of my seat. It’s pure martyrdom! What am I doing here, I ask myself.
After arriving home from the movies one night, I decided I had had enough! I was not going to be a moviegoer anymore. I was tired of the problems involved in getting to the theater, resisting unhealthy snacks, and dealing with the patrons. The next day, I arranged to have premium movie channels added to my cable TV service, and I also got a Netflix membership. I may now see movies a bit later than other people, but I’ll be more relaxed watching box office hits in the comfort of my own living room. There’s nothing like “Home, Sweet Home!”
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