Signs of common sense?

[Gob]

The Delaware Supreme Court overturned a decision by the state Human Relations Commission that the manager of a Dover cinema was racist when he used a "condescending tone" in telling a crowd of largely black patrons viewing a Tyler Perry movie to silence their cell phones and remain quiet.

The commission also ordered the Carmike 14 Theater to pay nearly $80,000 for violating the Delaware Equal Accommodations Law after it determined the October 2007 announcement -- which was not regularly made in that way in other theaters -- "insulted, humiliated and demeaned" patrons in that manager David Stewart had singled out a black audience at a "minority-themed" movie.

Court papers note that extra security also was brought in that night and guards were double-checking ticket stubs as audience members entered, which the plaintiffs said further added to the humiliation.

The Supreme Court, however, tossed out that finding and the fine late last week, ruling there was no racist language in the announcement, no specific group was singled out and the non-racial explanation for the announcement -- that it was part of a since-discontinued company policy at sold-out shows to ensure that all patrons would enjoy the movie -- was reasonable.

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/2 ... |text|Home

[Sue U]

The Delaware Supreme Court overturned a decision by the state Human Relations Commission that the manager of a Dover cinema was racist when he used a "condescending tone" in telling a crowd of largely black patrons viewing a Tyler Perry movie to silence their cell phones and remain quiet.

What I want to know is, had this guy never been to a movie in a black neighborhood, or never had a black crowd at his theater before? An essential part of the experience is the running commentary from the audience; everyone there knows it.

Court papers note that extra security also was brought in that night and guards were double-checking ticket stubs as audience members entered, which the plaintiffs said further added to the humiliation.

Unless they do that for EVERY sold out show, that IS racist.

[Andrew D]

Court papers note that extra security also was brought in that night and guards were double-checking ticket stubs as audience members entered, which the plaintiffs said further added to the humiliation.

Unless they do that for EVERY sold out show, that IS racist.

Not necessarily. What if the theater has had security problems before when showing Tyler Perry films which it has not had when showing other films? Is it racist to guard against the possibility of another instance in an already established pattern?

[Sue U]

Court papers note that extra security also was brought in that night and guards were double-checking ticket stubs as audience members entered, which the plaintiffs said further added to the humiliation.

Unless they do that for EVERY sold out show, that IS racist.

Not necessarily. What if the theater has had security problems before when showing Tyler Perry films which it has not had when showing other films? Is it racist to guard against the possibility of another instance in an already established pattern?

Okay, "Absent some credible and legitimate alternative justification, unless they do that for EVERY sold out show, that IS racist."

Better now?

[Crackpot]

Then again inferring that only Black people like Tyler Perry movies is also racist

[Lord Jim]

What I want to know is, had this guy never been to a movie in a black neighborhood, or never had a black crowd at his theater before? An essential part of the experience is the running commentary from the audience; everyone there knows it.

Well, then I'm going to make sure I avoid those situations, because an essential part of my movie going experience is that there not be a "running commentary from the audience". (I don't even run into that problem at kiddie movies)

Unless of course it's The Rocky Horror Picture Show....

Sue, this must be something that black people only do when they are in a "black crowd" because in my 40 plus years of movie going experience, I have not noticed this sort of rudeness coming from black people any more than from white people. Every now and then you get somebody (or some group of somebody's) who won't shut up, but in my experience this hasn't been a racial thing.

Frankly, it seems to me to look somewhat racist to suggest that black people are somehow congenitally rude, and/or incapable of considerate behavior in a movie theater.

[Andrew D]

Okay, "Absent some credible and legitimate alternative justification, unless they do that for EVERY sold out show, that IS racist."

Better now?

Whose burden should it be? Should the people complaining about it have to show that there was no "credible and legitimate alternative justification"? Or should the people implementing the policy have to show that there was one?

[The Hen]

If you are using your phone in a cinema when I am watching a movie, I won't care what colour you are when I condescendingly tell you to turn it off or take it outside.

[Sue U]

Sue, this must be something that black people only do when they are in a "black crowd" because in my 40 plus years of movie going experience, I have not noticed this sort of rudeness coming from black people any more than from white people. Every now and then you get somebody (or some group of somebody's) who won't shut up, but in my experience this hasn't been a racial thing.

Frankly, it seems to me to look somewhat racist to suggest that black people are somehow congenitally rude, and/or incapable of considerate behavior in a movie theater.

Maybe it's not so much a racial thing as an urban thing? When I'd go to movies as a teen and twenty-something in (black, urban) Philly, it was part of the entertainment, in much the same way that audience commentary became part of the Rocky Horror Picture Show (but that long ago became institutionalized and stultified due to years of repetition). Audience commentary was pretty much de rigeur in any downtown horror film/thriller, but in upscale suburban (predominantly white) theaters people tended to cower quietly in their seats; in the city it was always like, "Don't go in there! See, I TOLD you not to go in there!" (Okay, that one's not really funny, but you get the idea.) Now, I haven't been to a horror movie in a couple of decades, but I don't think kids have really changed all that much.

I suspect the Rocky Horror phenomenon emerged the same way, but due to its excessively long run has become fossilized into the experience. When I first saw Rocky Horror -- quite by accident, in like, what, 1976? '77? -- there were only a handful of people in the audience and complete (largely open-jawed, I think) silence during the show, except for the expected guffaws (then again, most everyone there had simply stayed for the new midnight show after seeing Citizen Kane). But I think it only played in urban "art houses" for the longest time while it built up the whole (white, hipster) audience participation thing; I doubt even white hipsters could have gotten away with those early-on antics in a suburban theater.

Whose burden should it be? Should the people complaining about it have to show that there was no "credible and legitimate alternative justification"? Or should the people implementing the policy have to show that there was one?

I believe the traditional formulation is that the complainant must make a prima facie case of discrimination, after which the burden shifts to defendant to prove a legitimate non-pretextual basis for the disparate treatment. But it's been a very long time since I looked at discrimination law, and I don't have time to go check right now.

[Lord Jim]

If you are using your phone in a cinema when I am watching a movie, I won't care what colour you are when I condescendingly tell you to turn it off or take it outside.

That's a whole nuther kettle of fish...

As I've said before, I think the rules for cell phone use ought to be the same as the rules for ftf conversation...

Wherever it is acceptable to engage in ftf conversation, (on a street corner, in a restaurant, on public transportation, in a store or shopping mall, etc.) it should be perfectly acceptable to engage in cell phone conversation....

Where it is NOT acceptable to engage in ftf personal conversion, (libraries, movie theaters, concert halls, etc.) it should be prohibited.

[oldr_n_wsr]

to silence their cell phones and remain quiet.

This request is made before the start of every movie around here.