Have Cell Phones Made Us Douchebags?

I went to see the movie Amazing Grace this past weekend. There were two things to be taken from this experience:

1) Slavery is bad.
2) Turn off your cell phone when you’re at the movies.

The first point is obvious. The second, apparently less so. Before the previews, the audience was reminded no less than seven times, in a variety of ways, to turn off cell phones. “Please silence your phone.” “Power off your phone.” “Shhhhh!” There was a whole skit involving some famous director whose name escapes me about the subject.

Now, I am not an unforgiving woman. I understand that sometimes people forget or get distracted or think they’ve turned off their phones or whatever. Sometimes a phone will ring. It’s annoying, but I’ll let it go, because the person involved is usually (and rightfully) embarrassed and quick to turn it off.

Not so on Sunday, March 4, 2007 at Union Square Cinema…

Highly Dramatic Scene. Daisy Buchanan is not ashamed to admit that she is getting a little misty when suddenly…

“DON’T STOP BELIEVIN—HOLD ON TO THAT FEELIN”

What the fuck?

“Hey. I’m going to be late. The movie isn’t over yet. Yeah. So wait, are you going someplace else? Where? No, I’m at Union Square. I’m not going all the way uptown; just stay there for like half an hour. Fine. Fine. Okay. I’ll see you then. I’m hungry too; we’ll get food. Yeah. Okay. Cool. Bye.”

I don’t know who this guy is or what he looks like, but I know unequivocally that he is an asshole who makes the lives of everyone around him less pleasant then they would have been if he had never been born.