PTC CALLS ON THEATERS TO DO THEIR JOB
Here is an excerpt of an e-mail I received today....

As theater managers around the nation prepared for the release of 8 Mile the PTC sent letters to every national theater chain in the country asking them to be diligent and not allow children in to see the R-rated film. In many cases the PTC’s call for corporate responsibility fell on deaf ears, but many theaters did heed the call and took extra steps so underage moviegoers would not see this film.

The PTC conducted spot checks around the country and found that in Los Angeles, Alexandria, VA and Miami underage kids as young as 14 were able to purchase tickets and gain admittance to the film 8 Mile. In Kansas City; Chicago; South Plainfield, NJ; Mountainside, NJ; and Boise, ID, children sent to theaters were not able to gain admittance.

I can understand how this lack of vigilance is possible, since the theaters I frequent always seem to be understaffed. There are often just barely enough employees to sell tickets and keep the popcorn popping. And most of the employees are of approximately the same age as the patrons, giving them little or no gravitas. How much of an enforcer role can they play with the people that they may see in homeroom on Monday morning?

Wouldn’t it be great if theaters would allow volunteer folks (along the lines of Guardian Angels - perhaps with colored berets) to help monitor the flow of patrons? With most of the dreck on the screens today, the average parent's motivations would certainly be pure. Heaven knows I wouldn’t volunteer to stand around a theater so I could sneak a glimpse of 8 Mile or Jackass. I’d volunteer - especially if they threw in complimentary popcorn and cherry Coke.