Last night I joined my friends to catch the midnight showing of the new Harry Potter movie. There are several things about a midnight showing that my friends and I find more advantageous than a regular viewing: 1) no little children; 2) mostly adults; and 3) beating that weekend rush. When we arrived at the theater-- three hours prior to midnight (we ate at a restaurant nearby)-- we couldn't believe that a line had already started. So rather than hang out at the giant bookstore, we decided to go in line and wait with the other fanatics.
Fanatics-- not that my friends and I are fanatics-- but we do like the books. But the midnight viewing brings out the strangest crowds-- true fanatics, fanatics that were willing to watch the midnight viewing and dress up in costume--no matter how poorly made. And what was up with that Spiderman costume? Hello, wrong movie! He and his little wizard sidekick made absolute fools of themselves as they chased each other down the corrider. The gnome-sized magician waved his plastic wand around, "freezing" Spiderman. Spiderman would stay close to the pillars in a stupid "I'm stuck to the wall" pose. And no, these weren't six-year olds; they looked like high school students.
That's right, high school students. Last time I checked, I was pretty sure that San Diego had a curfew law for minors. What the hell were high school students doing at a midnight viewing, which would last until 2:30AM? High school students, who would have school the next day. High school students, who have to wake up at 5-6AM to start school by 7:30AM?
And their behaviors! So appalling! When the lines got crowded and cluttered in the corridor, they opened up the theater so we could sit inside for the remaining hour before the viewing. I saw high school students running everywhere like it was a playground-- even after they chose their seats. They kept getting up and running down the aisles. There was one young man who irked me so much that I wish I had a wet wad of tissue to throw at him. He kept running across the aisle and shouting stupid phrases and throwing stupid handsigns. I think someone shouted for him to calm down or something, and his fucking-ass rude response: "THE MOVIE'S NOT STARTING YET!!!" and throws up more ridiculous handsigns. What is it with teenagers and wild behavior? Just because parents weren't around, they think they can let loose and be rude without consequences? They only end up looking idiotic and immature. And then they wonder why adults never trust them?
And the girls. Why don't parents monitor what their daughters wear? Hip-huggers or low-rise jeans never used to irk me so much until last night. The wrong kinds of girls always seem to be the ones wearing them. What's the wrong kind? The fat ones. Those jeans were so tight around their hips, pushing up their fat only to make it pour out on top of their pants. They all looked pregnant with their pudgy bellies flowing forward like muffins crowning the edge of the cupcake holder. Or there's the overly skinny girl wearing hip-huggers only to reveal protruding bones. Yeah, like that's sexy!
The movie was done by 2:30AM. As we shuffled out of the theater, we saw more high school students from another theater waiting outside for other friends. Too many people were still lingering about outside the movie house. Why weren't the cops there? Why weren't the parents there? And no, eighteen- or nineteen-year olds don't count as real responsible adults when a minor is under their care. Think about it: a nineteen-year old will take full responsibility to save the ass of a misbehaving seventeen-year old? Yeah, right-- not unless they're related. It's every teenager for himself.
And parents are partially to blame. Why would they let their teenager out past the curfew law on a school night? A cell phone call away doesn't necessarily mean that their child is safer just because they can contact them whenever they worry-- if they ever worry at all.