There used to be a multiplex near my house that we called the “Babysitter 12” because it felt like, no matter the film on view, the theater was always full of people laughing, screaming, horsing around. I stopped going there after a while because while it was fun to be part of a boisterous crowd during, say, a Marvel movie, the constant din during more serious films grew distracting. The Babysitter 12 closed during the pandemic, when people’s living rooms became their theaters.
My colleague Marie Solis recently wrote a story for The Times about a “laugh epidemic” in movie theaters. People are chuckling aloud during violent, sexy and scary scenes in movies like “Anora,” “Babygirl” and “Nosferatu.” For some moviegoers, this behavior is appalling, disconsonant with what they think the appropriate response should be.
Marie puts forward some theories as to why some people are laughing at moments that others think require more gravity. Perhaps we became accustomed to watching movies at home and forgot our theater etiquette. There’s been such genre collapse in movies that it can be hard to tell what’s meant to be funny and what’s not — is “Babygirl” an erotic thriller or an erotic comedy? Maybe we’re uncomfortable with a scene so we laugh nervously, or we laugh to show we get a reference.
I saw a fairly serious movie about a violent relationship in the theater last summer and was surprised at how much laughter there was during tense scenes. I had the sense that groups of friends who’d been laughing and joking before the lights went down were having a hard time switching gears, that their laughter was almost like a glitch in their software as they went from the delight of a high-spirited night out to the sober nature of what they were watching onscreen.
I remembered the experience of the Babysitter 12, how part of the reason I stopped going was because I didn’t like myself when I felt that others were misbehaving. My inclination was to be the busybody who shushes strangers who are just having a good time. I like the rules of the Alamo Drafthouse theaters, where they declare that anyone who uses a cellphone or talks during the film will be expelled. (I have never seen this happen and imagine that the threat of such a sanction is enough to scare potential rowdy patrons straight.)
The point of going to the movies, though, is other people, as intrusive and perplexing as they might be. The reactions of other moviegoers to the movie is part of moviegoing. Yes, there are shows now designed to be streamed alone, at home, on a small screen. But when I’m at the theater, I want to be generous, to take in the fullness of the audience, the community. I want to let it all in, to subscribe to the view that one person Marie talked to put forth: that experiencing emotions not just about the film you’re watching, but also about your fellow audience members, is “what makes film-going really exciting.” You can’t get that in your living room.
THE WEEK IN CULTURE
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Trump said he was revoking Joe Biden’s security clearances. He did so, he said, because Biden had rescinded his clearances after the Jan. 6 attack.
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Experts believe Trump’s lawsuits against CBS and The Des Moines Register lack merit. But the suits have been effective at harassing the press — and there are probably more on the way.
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No more paper: Trump vowed to reverse a Biden administration plan to phase out plastic straws from the federal government’s food service operations.
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Trump said he would dismiss several board members from the Kennedy Center, the storied performing arts group in Washington, and install himself as chairman.
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CULTURE CALENDAR
📺 Cobra Kai (Thursday) What is the sound of one hand tapping out? That not-quite-a-Zen koan fits “Cobra Kai,” a not remotely Zen show, which concludes its sixth and final season with five new episodes for Netflix. A maturation of the “Karate Kid” franchise, the show found the original movie’s characters (played now, as then, by Ralph Macchio and William Zabka) settled uncomfortably into Southern California midlife, and it quickly made them senseis of rival dojos. Now they’ll fight common enemies in a climactic worldwide karate tournament, in which teeth, lives, karate whites and dignity are all imperiled.
For more: Macchio spoke with The Times about what drew him back to the iconic role.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Cheesy Green Chile Bean Bake
A pot of savory canned beans is a speedy winter staple, a satisfying go-to on a cold February night. In her cheesy green chile bean bake, Ali Slagle makes them even better by covering a skillet full of pinto beans, poblano and salsa verde with Monterey Jack. The mild dairy softens the bite of the green chiles and adds a gooey texture with cheese pulls galore. Serve it for dinner over rice or with soft tortillas. Or leave it in the skillet and plop it on the coffee table to serve as a Super Bowl-friendly appetizer with tortilla chips for scooping. No utensils required.
Travel: Go for cheap to the Caribbean.
Get on a streak: Accomplish your goals by making them a habit.
Egg safety: It’s unlikely that your dozen eggs are carrying bird flu.
Playlist: Listen to Doechii and other new songs on our critic’s playlist.
ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER
How to sanitize your kitchen sink
After the effort of cooking a meal and clearing a sink full of dishes, cleaning the sink itself may be the last thing you want to do. Unfortunately, it’s important: It kills pathogens from produce and raw meat, and it helps keep the kitchen from getting smelly. Luckily, cleaning your sink can be an easy, two-step process. Scrub off grime with a bit of dish soap on a brush or sponge and then rinse the sink down. Next, sanitize it with a spray containing bleach, making sure to cover the faucets and handles. Let the spray sit for the recommended time (or about 30 seconds if no time is specified on the bottle), rinse with water, and voilà. A truly clean sink. — Abigail Bailey
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