Anil Dash on Film, the Shushers and Cultural Norms
Oh, my, Anil. I do love your writing so much.
From the latest on “Shushers”, people who demand that their movies are enjoyed by all according to their own monastic (great usage, Anil) habits.
>Indian folks get up, talk to each other, answer phone calls, see what snacks there are to eat, arrange marriages for their children, spontaneously break out in song and fall asleep. And that’s during weddings! If Indian food had an equivalent to smores, people would be toasting that shit up on top of the pyre at funerals. So you better believe they’re doing some texting during movies. And not just Bollywood flicks, but honest-to-gosh Mom-and-apple-pie American Hollywood films.
I can admit that I tend to be one of those monastic types, and I expect it’s a bit of a generational thing. I don’t like ditractions getting in the way of my enjoyment of a film, but it’s not out of respect for the creators per se - I just like to immerse myself in a movie (even a bad one!). I don’t think I’ve shushed anyone (for actual talking) more than twice in a theater ever, but it does bug me.
However, I love Anil’s take on this and it’s going to make me think more about how I consume films and the like in the future.