MS has a boyfriend, and we like him a lot. He is a keeper -- hard worker, respectful to her and to us, not demanding, and employed. I have even met his parents, and they are lovely. I would never want to upset him or hurt his feelings.
But he does have one trait that is hard for me to swallow: He is a Movie Talker.
Say we all settle in on the couch to watch a movie, and we have the popcorn, the drinks, the candy. The movie starts and the talking starts. He repeats punch lines. He predicts plot twists. He editorializes. He has a great time. This goes on from beginning to end.
This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Huge. Nevertheless, I have said nothing to him about this and haven't hinted at any displeasure (like pausing the movie every time and going back, or Shushing him). I did mention this to my daughter, who said she has mentioned it but it must be a deeply ingrained habit.
What do you think? Should I just accept that this is who he is and endure the next few decades? Should I just realize that when Boyfriend is around we can't watch TV or movies?
We did recently go to a theater to see the new Spiderman movie, and I was dreading being seated in the vicinity of a Movie Talker while the whole theater glared at us. I told MS to elbow him or shush him or something if it started, and for some reason he was appropriate during the film. But at the house, the guy won't shut up.
All suggestions welcome!
Posts: 19833 | Location: A cluttered house in Metro D.C. | Registered: 20 April 2005
Actually a lot of people seem to get they can't do this in a theater but at home in the living room is fair game (Mr. Pique is not as bad as MS's young man, but then I get to vehemently tell him to shut up). Methinks that if he does become a permanent fixture in the family, it will become less awkward to let him know that he needs to pretend he's in a theater. If you can't wait that long, tell MS she needs to tell him or there won't be any more movies at home if he's around.
-------------------------------- fear is the thief of dreams
See, I had no idea that anyone would even take umbrage to this. Sure, I get that it's bad form in a movie theatre, but movie-watching in the privacy of one's living room is a totally different thing.
Is the rest of your family equally annoyed by this, or do they only remain mute because they know how much it annoys you?
My point here is to ask whether your pet peeve is your own idiosyncrasy, or if your family shares it.
Eeeew, the movie talker! I'm guessing that he is somehow aware that it's inappropriate to yak away in an actual theater, but in your home anything goes. I'd confront it directly--no need to be polite with someone who is, practically, family. If you're afraid this will drive a wedge between MS and said boyfriend, then that's a different problem entirely (and my advice to MS would be to run for the hills).
I'd just tell him that you enjoy being able to watch a movie without a lot of conversation. You may have to remind him. No need to be nasty about it (not that you would be). It may take more than one or two reminders, because it sounds like this is how he watches TV in the house.
If it means you're the annoying mother of his gf, so be it.
Posts: 35428 | Location: West: North and South! | Registered: 20 April 2005
Originally posted by Nina: Why would it matter if it's CS's pet peeve? It's impolite and annoying as hell. (Look at me, sounding like a congresswoman all of a sudden ).
Because apparently it's not a universal pet peeve (as the above responses demonstrate)...
That said, I have a friend who needs total quiet so she can focus on a movie. We made a mutual unspoken decision to never watch movies together.
-------------------------------- When the world wearies and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden - Minnie Aumônier
Posts: 38222 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010
That's why tablet computers are great, especially the ones that still have the mini stereo headphone jack. You can watch your favorite content in your own private space devoid of any distraction or annoyance.
I guess I don’t feel like absolute quiet should be part of the home movie experience. But I don’t go to the regular movies any more because I like to be able to hit pause to get a snack, or go to the bathroom, or rewind if I didn’t hear something right. And frankly there are so many bad movies out there sometimes I hit fast forward just to see what happens. So I don’t expect a movie at home to be like a movie in the theater. Though I’m the only one that watches movies in this house - so I have no idea if my idea of how it should be done would annoy somebody else!
).
Jodi
