Menaced by cops at Spider-Man movie

...and people wonder why the general public thinks that comic fandom over the age of 6 is a collection of drooling retards.

You were in the wrong. Sorry but you were.

Hey Cernovog,

*laugh* That's hysterical!!! What a great story. I wish you could post the article somewhere so we could see it. You have GOT to go to Star Wars dressed up as a Storm Trooper!! Or better yet, Boba Fett!!!

- Pete

So do you, in a way. She was within her rights as a manager to ask you to remove the mask. She could have asked you to go home, and remove the costume. What you could have done, is contact the management of the theater well before opening day of what was planned on being one of the most crowded and busy movies of the season, asked them about wearing a costume and then done what they asked, or suggested.

Now, since it is past time for that, I suggest you contact the general manager, or district manager of that chain of theaters, let them know what happened, and ask them to look into it.

You -were- on private property. The theater company does have the legal right to remove anyone the decide is causing problems, or could cause problems.

Also, they were cops. When a cop tells you to do something, it is actually a good idea to do it. For some reason, the American public has decided that they do not have to do what a police officer tells them to do. They are told to raise their hands, they put them in their pockets and get shot.... they are told to drop the club, stick, knife, gun.... they don't and get shot at, beaten or killed...

Who is at fault? As to where would you put a knife? I don't know. Neither do they. That is the point. Oh, and calling one of these police officers a bitch is about as mature and professional as you can get. These people are doing a job that apparently you didn't want. You might want to keep that in mind.

And by the way, at our theatre, Spider-Man and Wolverine showed up. At Arden Fair in Sacramento, Spider-Man showed up. There were no problems from the police at either location. Maybe because they used a little common sense.

LArry The Ultimate Fanboy

Ok, spiderman movie - spiderman costume. Theres nothing inherently wrong with this, and just because most people wouldnt do it, doesnt mean they have the right to discriminate against someone who does. Again, the SW thing - so everyones going to be arrested and harrassed by the police over carrying lightsabers? Maybe someone will lose an arm! The employees have no right to confiscate anything - a manager could ask you to leave, or hand them over and make a big deal over it, but for webshooters? Whats the point? And dressing up as spiderman is totally different to dressing as a neo nazi, so dont be so ridiculous. It just sounds like some people have no sense of humour, and just want to spoil anyones fun that they arent having. What next? Any teenage kid that dresses like the crow all the time will be banned from the cinema? Someone with a star trek T-shirt wont be allowed in to see starwars? I saw a guy in a gorilla costume the other day, waving at people at grunting witlh a billboard advertising beds - maybe we should arrest him for not being in a Zoo? Anyone like Jackass or Trigger happy TV? Maybe they should be arrested for jumping about in furry animal costumes? Or kids dressed as Darth Maul are obviously evil, throw them away too! If someone dresses up as the punisher with real guns, or blade with a katana and glaive and gun - then theres a problem, but our friendly neighbourhood superhero? Not a chance.

Ok, I don't get what's wrong with any of these...

1 & 2 - Yes? And? People do that alot for these types of movies...people did it for all the Star Wars re-releases, Episode II, etc. dressing up as Darth Vader or Jedi or Darth Maul. I half-expected to see someone dressed up at the theatre I was at but it apparently wasn't that type of 'scene.' It's someone being, perhaps goofily, all about a movie and they have a ticket and using what has been sold as a toy as it was pretty much intended...hell people DID have those at the threatre I was at. They only got asked to stop when it involved laughing and screaming and running around.

3 - I mean I'd never even consider them needing to know what I (or in this case, 'he' look like, for one thing. If it mattered who bought tickets then perhaps, but there were lots of little kids in Spider-Man masks jumping around while I was there...do they need to know who these children are?

As for his responses to their problems, it sounds like the typical 'smarter than you and don't see what the problem is' that most geeks (comic, gamer, anime, computer...or whatever combination folks like me fall into) seem to expressed when approached by people of marginal authority. That may sound more harsh than I mean it...it's just an attitude I see alot, and while it may not have helped his case he was alot nicer than he could have been and wasn't exactly rude either.

On 04 May 2002, Mike Mc wandered deep into the Valley of Knowledge and Confusion and emerged victorious, proclaiming:

Of course, I probably wouldn't either. But then, I'm not the manager who's responsible for everything that goes on in the theater during my shift. Imagine having to justify why you let some unknown guy parade around in a costume when something goes wrong. Talk about a job-killer.

As for your 'kids in Spider-Man masks' suggestion - what's the chances one of them is going to kidnap someone or rob the theater?

Surely, she could have handled it differently. But it's probably not something that they train you for in the 3-hour 'how to manage a theater' video.

Actually, in the theater, she IS the authority. She has the responsibility for the safety and enjoyment of the theater patrons. And she has every legal right to ask you to leave for being disruptive - unless, of course, you can argue that she was discriminating. Discriminating against geeks in Spidey costumes?

Again, I think she handled it badly. But he didn't come out smelling like a rose, either.

Yep. It's an attitude. I agree with your assessment - it fits a lot of people I've worked with or even a significant portion of my friends over the years.

No, he wasn't being rude. He was being a smart-ass, by his own report. And very few people like dealing with a smart-ass - especially when you've got large crowds to deal with.

I did a little journalistic fact-checking and now I'm curious

J. Jonah Jameson was behind it!

have been doing it since Star Wars first came out. Star Trek and everything else since then as well. Yet every one seems to have lost that simply child like wonder that comes from just having good old fashioned fun. And even in this group, formed in the country supposedly as the 'land or tolerance', we see people resorting to name calling. All I see here is enough to make me sick. The guy did nothing wrong. All he did was stand up for his rights. If you could explain how this guy was in the wrong, I would be happy to listen. But I have the feeling all I will hear is a resounding silance.