Somerville Theatre bans (young) kids from entering after 6 pm. Let's discuss it here

[ron_newman]

This week's Somerville News has an article about the Somerville Theatre's policy of banning children under 12 8* from entering the theatre after 6 pm, even if they are accompanied by adults.

Is the theatre's policy a service to its customers who want a peaceful movie experience, or is it unfair discrimination against families with young children?

I'm posting this because we can have a more civilized discussion here than on the Somerville News blog comments. Ian Judge, the theatre's manager, reads this community, so we may be able to provide useful feedback to him here.

* Edited 11:55 am to add: I have a serious factual issue with this article. It says the policy applies to children under 12, but the theatre's website and exterior signs say it's for children under 8. That's a significant difference -- maybe significant enough to change people's opinions.

Second edit, 3 pm: Ian Judge has clarified that the theatre's policy is to exclude children under 8, not 12, from entering after 6 pm. He had made an erroneous statement to the News reporter which very unfortunately made it into the published article. Also, here is Ian's response to the specific incident detailed in the News article.

Comments

[ellf.livejournal.com]

This is not something I think works. As a patron, I'm significantly less inclined to give my money to the theater based on this policy - it sounds like there may be a few issues (kids seeing R-rated movies without parental supervision, and possibly some disruptive kids from itme to time) that would be better solved in other ways.

One idea might be to ask an usher pop into the R-rated movies for 5 minutes, and see if anyone is being inappropriately loud. If so, said usher can ask them to leave. As a movie-goer, if a theater actually demonstrated concern for my experience in that way, I would tell all my friends about how great that theater is.

Please don't turn the Somerville theater into this weirdly authoritarian establishment where uniformed police throw kids into the street.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

it sounds like there may be a few issues (kids seeing R-rated movies without parental supervision, and possibly some disruptive kids from itme to time) that would be better solved in other ways.

You've never worked at a movie theater. I can tell.

I learned to really hate a certain kind of parent during my stint at a movie theater not unlike the Somerville. They have a bottomless capacity to view their child's spoiled, obnoxious behavior as "cute". Or they smack them, in public, which is even more charming (I once had to actually step in when a mother took out a belt). And if you try to call them on it or simply ask them to respect the experience of the other patrons, brother, will you EVER get an earful!

It wouldn't surprise me if this ban came into place as much to spare the manager and ushers as it was to give us a moviegoing experience.


And, frankly, the parent in this story really needs to actually do some goddamn research. "Pineapple Express" is a pretty good movie, but a 13-year-old just isn't going to get half the jokes (at least he'd better not).

[ellf.livejournal.com]

I have never worked at a movie theater, and you may be right - the ban may be for the benefit of the staff. If that is the case, I would suggest that it may be contrary to the other goal of maximizing ticket sales.

[maelithil.livejournal.com]

But it's their policy. If an entirely hypothetical drop in ticket sales bothers the management then the management will correct the issue when - and if - that happens. They're not morons, they're clearly picturing this policy as being good for their business.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

Depends on how much time they have to spend dealing with obnoxious patrons. I suspect this was put into place both because of staff experience and customer complaints. I know I went up and lodged a couple a year or so back, when I saw "The Bourne Ultimatum" and some jerk brought what felt like the entire seventh grade from the local juvenile detention center.

[jodi.livejournal.com]

i've worked in live theatre for many years, and i agree with ellf that this is an usher's job. even if that usher only checks up periodically by popping their head in the theater, this is how it should be done. if parents don't shush children, then the theater should take care of it. it seems like the theater is trying to be hands-off about the situation but this policy has quite the opposite affect.