Don’t get stuck behind ‘That Guy’ at the movies
It was just my luck last weekend to sit behind
”
That Guy
”
at the movie theater.
We all know That Guy: he’s the one who laughs way too loud at
scenes that aren’t that funny; he’s the one who tells his wife what
the characters are about to do our should have done; and he’s the
one who does not realize that he is not watching the movie by
himself in his living room. He’s like the director’s cut of a DVD,
where the actors and director are commenting over the footage. The
thing is, that’s not what I want in a theater.
Don’t get stuck behind ‘That Guy’ at the movies
It was just my luck last weekend to sit behind “That Guy” at the movie theater.
We all know That Guy: he’s the one who laughs way too loud at scenes that aren’t that funny; he’s the one who tells his wife what the characters are about to do our should have done; and he’s the one who does not realize that he is not watching the movie by himself in his living room. He’s like the director’s cut of a DVD, where the actors and director are commenting over the footage. The thing is, that’s not what I want in a theater.
Sitting behind That Guy took me by surprise, since I was watching “Bridesmaids” with my wife. I was sure it would be a chick flick and I’d be one of the few dudes who agreed to accompany his wife/girlfriend to the show.
Normally, in these cases, guys who are dragged along to a movie like this are there to be supportive and are hoping to just skate along until the credits. My wife raved about the movie, so I agreed to go. I would not have agreed, however, to sit behind That Guy had I known how irritating he would be.
He started during the credits, laughing at a preview and telling his wife, and by extension the rows in front of and behind him, that they definitely would be seeing that one.
OK, I thought, no problem. My wife and I often comment to each other about whether we plan to see a movie based on the previews, so I did not believe his jabbering portended further irritating behavior.
Then, the movie started, and with the first joke that That Guy found funny, his laugh propelled his chair backward and into my knee.
I did not say anything, because I don’t think he realized he made contact with me and because he didn’t make me spill my popcorn.
That was just the beginning, unfortunately. He continued to laugh and comment and rock back and talk to his wife throughout the flick. It was as if he was planted there by the movie’s producers to let people know how funny the movie was.
It was OK – I didn’t feel like I wasted my money on a Sunday afternoon – and my wife and I spent some quality time together. I just can’t believe That Guy’s wife puts up with his antics.
She laughed right along with him, not to the point of rocking her chair back into my wife’s knee, but enough to encourage her husband to keep commenting.
That Guy wasn’t consistently loud enough for us to say anything to him. Plus, the good seats in the theater were taken and we weren’t about to move. We ended up laughing as much at him laughing at the movie than we did laughing at the movie itself.
I got good at anticipating his chair thrusts, so I’d move my knee just in time for one of his guffaws, looking to my wife for approval of my dexterity.
At one point I thought that it would be nice to have such a rosy outlook on life that I found so many things to be funny in a pre-summer movie. And this guy even found a wife that did not seem to mind – and perhaps encouraged – his “I am the only guy in this theater” attitude.
To be clear, That Guy wasn’t intentionally irritating. I’ve sat through enough movies where adolescents try to be funny by being loud or throwing popcorn to know what that looks like. I would have said something if he bothered me to the point of anger.
That Guy was just in his own little world. Unfortunately, his world shared the same orbit as mine.
I assume That Guy was from Hollister, so I’m going to be on the lookout for him next time I’m at the movies. I’ll pay attention to the crowd reaction during the previews and if I see any unusual chair movement or a wife being elbowed after a funny line, I’m moving – or letting that guy have some of my popcorn, on his head, when he hits my knee.
Adam Breen teaches newspaper and yearbook classes at San Benito High School and is a reporter for The Pinnacle. He is former editor of the Free Lance. E-mail Adam at ab****@**********ws.com.
