It’s something that is pretty much only a part of geek fandom movies like The Avengers. But like monkeys, people in the theaters go and clap during the title sequence, or after the movie, as if they’re applauding someone for an excellent performance…
…but there’s no one there performing.
It doesn’t make sense. It’s pure mob instinct, pure dumbing down of the masses to the most extreme of levels. Signaling to the tribe “this good me part of you, you good too” in some futile gesture to not feel alone in your geeky obsession over entertainment.
It’s utterly pointless, and moreover, it’s uncomfortable for other moviegoers who just wanted to see the film without having this weird tribal experience.
It’s another sign of the breaking down of our culture and the dumbing down of western civilization. You can draw a correlation to the devolved humanity in HG Wells’ Time Machine from the actions of the clapping in theaters.
As Avengers: End Game approaches, I implore you: don’t clap. You are not a seal. You are a free man.
If you hate clapping in theaters, you probably will enjoy The Steam Knight, of which the saga starts with Knight Training. I am wrapping up writing the third book in the series and it will be available soon, so read it now and catch up! Only 99 cents for the special forces of steampunk — and no clapping.
This little rant of yours is hysterical. How empty does your life have to be, to make clapping in theaters worth any ranting over??
Get a clue. I go to opera and ballet theater broadcasts all the time, and many people clap (and also shout “bravo!”) during those as well. Just take a deep breath, relax, and allow people to express their joy at good material and good performances. Try to stop acting like such a miserable curmudgeon.
True, in opera too there will be people shouting their bravos no matter how mediocre the performance. Why, it used to be that people clapped when the pilot had safely landed their holiday charter.
At times a bit of decorum enhances the experience.
@Freddo —
“At times a bit of decorum enhances the experience.”
Removing the stick from one’s ass enhances the experience much more often.
You (generic you) will have a lot more fun if you focus less about what other people are doing and more on the pleasure you yourself are getting out of the experience.
It’s called humor, retard.
Says the guy who thinks it’s funny to use words like “retard”.
LOL.
Oh no, that’s serious. I truly believe you’re functionally retarded.
“Oh no, that’s serious. I truly believe you’re functionally retarded.”
Ohhhhh, I seeeee. So, if I truly believe that you’re a delusional neo-Nazi with about as much personal integrity as Jimmy Swaggart and Ted Haggard, it’s okay for me to say so?
LOL.
What I am seeing – and given this blog post Jon also – is that there is a surplus of people focusing on their pleasures while loosing sight of how their foibles impact others. Just because you (generic you) are free to be boorish in the public square doesn’t mean you have to all the time.
@Freddo —
“What I am seeing – and given this blog post Jon also – is that there is a surplus of people focusing on their pleasures while loosing sight of how their foibles impact others. ”
You mean like Jon’s foible that he can’t stand to be exposed to other people having fun?
😉
Tovarisch Contrarius always vatchink for who stops clapping first. Da, must be reported. Report on Tovarisch, who stopped clappink so long to write much revanchist drivel.
Things are dreadfully wrong when every production down to middle school concert or play must have massive cheers and a standing ovation. Do you applaud yourself for getting up in the morning? Trophy for breathing, perhaps? Make recognition trivial, and encourage endless poor performance.
“Tovarisch Contrarius ”
You’ve got it exactly backwards, Psychokitteh. Comrade Jon is the one trying to control people’s behavior here, not me.
😉
Clapping doesn’t bother me so much. Whooping does.
Yes. Whooping.
When did that become a thing you see everyday? Hear at parties? Or even in an office? Wasn’t it once confined to sporting events and practiced mainly by drunk morons?
Stop with the whooping. You sound like mindless hyenas.
Tovarisch Contrarius, is now obvious you must be Jeb Bush: “Please clap.” Having read the origin three times, it’s obvious that Jon encourages people to think and clap on their own terms, and not act like the fanboi-log.
Perhaps it’s difficult to think inside a pair of 4-nub square blocks. Perhaps you’re just another NPC. Perhaps you’re an unmitigated fool. It would be better to go elsewhere and cease confirming our selections.
@Psychokitteh —
“Tovarisch Contrarius, is now obvious you must be Jeb Bush: “Please clap.””
And again — Jon is the one trying to control people’s behavior here, not me. I couldn’t care less whether you clap or not.
“it’s obvious that Jon encourages people to think and clap on their own terms,”
LOL.
Which part of his statement — “I implore you: don’t clap. ” — did you not understand??