Note to rude oldsters in the row behind me at Block Cinema last night:
Just because you’re watching a silent film doesn’t mean you need to supply your own soundtrack to the picture. Adding comments aloud such as “Okay buddy, hit the road” and “Boy, I’m hopping mad now” do not enhance the viewing experience for those around you. And that noise all around you that sounds like a chorus of leaking tires, are people saying “Shhhhhhh” at the top of their lungs.
And this isn’t the first time. It got me thinking, why is it always older people who have this problem with commenting out loud, all throughout a film? My favorite is when they talk louder to hear themselves over the soundtrack. Is there a synapse that stops firing in your brain once you get to a certain age that keeps you from uttering whatever you’re thinking out loud? Little kids do it, but that’s excusable. They’re (hopefully) learning the social behavior that blocks the brain to mouth impulse to loudly say what’s on your mind, or worse, announce to all that you’ve figured out the plot. Or are they so used to talking to themselves that they don’t even realize they’re doing it anymore? Or is a personality thing–I have such an inflated sense of self that everyone is interested in what I have to say?
