A small group of vinyl popcorn snobs have hijacked this blog for the next 25 days. As our plot to ‘The Taking of April A-Z’ thickens, sit back, relax and enjoy the show!
Hey dudes (and dudettes), it’s Nate M. Stevens here. Today I have a confession to make. I’ve never visited a movie theater. Ever. That is, until my recent trip to see Deadpool, Marvel Comics’ Sci-Fi/Fantasy flick about a superhero who wants revenge on the douchebag that subjected him to a rogue experiment with horrific side effects.
It’s not that I don’t like watching movies, I just usually wait until they’re released on DVD because I have a problem with “no shirt, no shoes, no service” policies; which tends to get me kicked out of a lot of public places including restaurants and retail stores. You see, I don’t like wearing shoes…or socks, for that matter.
I understand that footwear is important for most people….but….I grew up on the beach with everything I need in walking distance. I don’t even own a pair of shoes and on the occasion that I do wear them, they’re usually flip-flops I borrowed from strangers. So I’m sure you can understand how this lifestyle would prevent me from being able to enjoy one of the world’s most common activities….spending a night out at the movie theater. Still, I’ve been itching to find out if Deadpool is as good as everyone says, so I went to a showing and hoped for the best.
Buying a movie ticket went smoothly. I’m guessing the staff at the box office was either distracted with tending to other patrons or they just noticed me wearing a shirt and automatically assumed I had on shoes to match that. Suckers!
I made some friends at the concession stand. One of them was a cute gal named Ricarah Williams. I became nervous when she told me that their theater does have a “no shirt, no shoes, no service” policy and customers who aren’t wearing shoes probably wouldn’t be able to see a movie there. So, I told her I bought a ticket and I already washed my feet that morning; at least they don’t smell funky. Now, that would be a cardinal sin!
I also promised to not put my feet up on the seats in front of me; I heard that’s one of the crazy things people do at theaters (according to Zoe).
Ricarah said doing so is rude because "people don’t want your feet on their heads." She’s been to the movies with a friend rested their feet on the seats but it wasn’t crowded. Since they were wearing shoes, I decided to listen to her advice and keep my toes planted firmly on the floor at all times.
A cool dude named Chris Rountree tried to hook me up with his sister but I already have a girlfriend and, unbfortunately, she isn't about that polyamorous life! When I mentioned my promise to Ricarah, Chis told me that people putting their feet up on the seats doesn’t bother him. “Its fine, depending on how crowded it is in [the theater],” he says.
Chris even does it but he keeps his shoes on.
While he’s also witnessed both men and women putting their feet up on the seats, sometimes wearing shoes “here and there,” this movie snack expert said it's normally men who do it.
I figured it would be best to not try my luck since I didn’t have any shoes with me.
In the end, I was able to see Deadpool starring Ryan Reynolds, who did a great job in his role as this vengeful and comedic superhero. While I can’t pinpoint what made this visit go smoothly without any incidents, I do wonder if my theater friends put in a good word for me or just decided to let me off with a warning. I kept my word and didn’t put my feet up on the seats, which would have brought additional, and unwanted, attention to the fact that I wasn’t wearing shoes.
How often do YOU notice people resting their feet on the seats at movie theaters?
Are there any unspoken rules YOU like to adhere to when it comes to feet and public places?
Nate M. Stevens is a microwave popcorn snob that wants to know what’s so special about Blu-Ray discs. He likes tattoos, pool parties, surfing, and bonus features.