Just say no to alcohol at movie theaters
As an adult I have tried to live my life honestly and without regrets.
As a teenager, I lived my life without regrets – or at least regrets that didn’t surface until I was old enough to regret them. One of those regrets was the weekend routine my buddies and I had of going to see the double feature at the drive-in theater (anyone remember those?). That in itself wasn’t regretful. Nourishing ourselves on beer and nacho cheese Doritos is where the regret comes in.
My friend was always the driver, so I kept convincing myself that I wasn’t technically drinking and driving. But I sure was an accomplice to it, not to mention an underage drinker. That was a very stupid time in my life and I am not proud of it. We could have very easily killed someone, including each of us. I wish I could make that chapter of my life go away, but it is what it is. I learned my lesson and will never do that again.
I bring this up because of a very disturbing request by a local movie theater to serve alcoholic beverages. This is a really bad idea. It’s worse than mowing the lawn barefoot with a hangover. The theater in question is the AMC First Colony 24. It has applied to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a permit to serve beer, wine and cocktails. I intend to contact the TABC with a copy of this column to let them know I oppose it for many reasons.
First of all, the theater is a very popular place for families, teens and young couples. No matter how hard AMC tries to keep booze out of the hands of minor, it will happen. I know, I just admitted it above. It’s real easy to slip drinks down a darkened aisle or spike a Coke. We do not need to be putting children in places where they are in contact with alcohol and people who are drinking it.
We must also consider what kind of message this sends to children. All through school they are taught that it’s bad to drink, smoke and do drugs. If this is approved, they will go to what is arguably the most popular hangout in town for youngsters and be exposed to the very thing we don’t want them getting mixed up with. They will relate fun and good times with movies and booze.
At the beginning of each movie, the theater runs an announcement to quiet all cell phones and to be quite and respectful of the other guests. It’s a proven fact that alcohol releases one’s inhibitions, often leading to loud and rude behavior. When you combine that with the strong emotions stirred by movies, you have the potential for any number of problems. If that’s what I have to look forward to, I will go elsewhere for my entertainment.
Safety is another big concern. Theater parking lots are full of young, inexperienced drivers. Do we really need to add alcohol and drunk drivers to the mix? Please, let’s not go there.
From a strictly moral perspective, one cannot deny that morality is evaporating in modern American society. Many of the movies offered in the theaters have strong sexual content to them. If you take hormonally-enraged youngsters, fill their minds with an overabundance of sex and their bodies with booze, you’ve got a combination for disaster. Look for date-rape and other sex crimes to increase.
If adults wish to enjoy their movie-going experience with the influence of alcohol, let them imbibe in establishments elsewhere out of sight and influence of the next generation. We simply do not need to feed corporate greed the mortal souls of our children, friends and neighbors. We do not need to push more people into the world of alcoholism.
I know I might sound like some puritanical prissy, but this is a real threat and needs to be nipped in the bud. We are in a real culture war. It’s a war we cannot win if we keep lowering our standards like this. I implore AMC to withdraw its request and ask the TABC to reject it.
Trust me, I know from experience that movies and booze do not and should not mix. Let’s not make this a mistake we end up regretting.
As a teenager, I lived my life without regrets – or at least regrets that didn’t surface until I was old enough to regret them. One of those regrets was the weekend routine my buddies and I had of going to see the double feature at the drive-in theater (anyone remember those?). That in itself wasn’t regretful. Nourishing ourselves on beer and nacho cheese Doritos is where the regret comes in.
My friend was always the driver, so I kept convincing myself that I wasn’t technically drinking and driving. But I sure was an accomplice to it, not to mention an underage drinker. That was a very stupid time in my life and I am not proud of it. We could have very easily killed someone, including each of us. I wish I could make that chapter of my life go away, but it is what it is. I learned my lesson and will never do that again.
I bring this up because of a very disturbing request by a local movie theater to serve alcoholic beverages. This is a really bad idea. It’s worse than mowing the lawn barefoot with a hangover. The theater in question is the AMC First Colony 24. It has applied to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a permit to serve beer, wine and cocktails. I intend to contact the TABC with a copy of this column to let them know I oppose it for many reasons.
First of all, the theater is a very popular place for families, teens and young couples. No matter how hard AMC tries to keep booze out of the hands of minor, it will happen. I know, I just admitted it above. It’s real easy to slip drinks down a darkened aisle or spike a Coke. We do not need to be putting children in places where they are in contact with alcohol and people who are drinking it.
We must also consider what kind of message this sends to children. All through school they are taught that it’s bad to drink, smoke and do drugs. If this is approved, they will go to what is arguably the most popular hangout in town for youngsters and be exposed to the very thing we don’t want them getting mixed up with. They will relate fun and good times with movies and booze.
At the beginning of each movie, the theater runs an announcement to quiet all cell phones and to be quite and respectful of the other guests. It’s a proven fact that alcohol releases one’s inhibitions, often leading to loud and rude behavior. When you combine that with the strong emotions stirred by movies, you have the potential for any number of problems. If that’s what I have to look forward to, I will go elsewhere for my entertainment.
Safety is another big concern. Theater parking lots are full of young, inexperienced drivers. Do we really need to add alcohol and drunk drivers to the mix? Please, let’s not go there.
From a strictly moral perspective, one cannot deny that morality is evaporating in modern American society. Many of the movies offered in the theaters have strong sexual content to them. If you take hormonally-enraged youngsters, fill their minds with an overabundance of sex and their bodies with booze, you’ve got a combination for disaster. Look for date-rape and other sex crimes to increase.
If adults wish to enjoy their movie-going experience with the influence of alcohol, let them imbibe in establishments elsewhere out of sight and influence of the next generation. We simply do not need to feed corporate greed the mortal souls of our children, friends and neighbors. We do not need to push more people into the world of alcoholism.
I know I might sound like some puritanical prissy, but this is a real threat and needs to be nipped in the bud. We are in a real culture war. It’s a war we cannot win if we keep lowering our standards like this. I implore AMC to withdraw its request and ask the TABC to reject it.
Trust me, I know from experience that movies and booze do not and should not mix. Let’s not make this a mistake we end up regretting.
posted by Joe Southern | 8:36 AM
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