Label me hypocrite....

Yesterday, I checked the local paper for movie listings, checking to see if "Brokeback Mountain" was playing anywhere around here. Not suprisinly, it was not. The closest theater to me is the one in Leitersburg (if you're not from around here and don't know where that is, don't worry. Those of you that do, stay will me), so I sent an email to them and it's reproduced here:

"I'm just wondering when you're going to get Brokeback Mountain playing there? It's in wide release now, and it's getting all kinds of nominations and the reviews are mentioning Oscar possibilites, and I just wonder how long will I have to wait to see it, or if the content is too....controversial, do I need to take a trip to the city to see it?"

Now granted, perhaps I was...laying bait for a negative response, but today, the Manager, a Mz. Ridenour, sent me this response:

"I have made the decision to NOT show this movie at our theater. The content personally disgusts me. We are a "family" theater. Check with the Regal at the Valley Mall. If it is in wide release, they may be getting it sometime. "

"Disgusting"??? A "Family" theater??? Oh no, she didn't! Ya know, had she just said they weren't going to be showing it, and let it go at that, I would have let it go as well. I don't need her or anyone else preaching to me. But when she says stuff like THAT, I'm just supposed to sit and take it? Oh I don't think so. This was response to her:

"Thank you for your prompt reponse to my inquiry. I'm sorry that you refuse to show a movie about two people loving one another because you find it "digusting". Do you not find it "disgusting" that that someone would impersonate a retarded personto make money and get glory, as in The Ringer, or do you not find a man having sex with several women in the same family (grandmother, mother, daughter, and possibly a second daughter)such as that in Rumor Has It "disgusting" as well? What about people robbing businesses and other people such as in "Dick and Jane", is that not "disgusting" also? Or how about the torture and murder that takes place in Wolf Creek, do not not find that disgusting also? I suppose it's okay to kill someone in a movie, but not to love someone in a movie, right? Regardless, I will be checking out the Valley Mall as well as theaters in Chambersburg and Frederick, and assuredly, I'll find a theater that doesn't have such a hypocritical policy on the movies it plays. Despite your theater being the closest to my home, I can assure I'll never visit your establishment again, and I will tell all my family and friends about your response as well, and I'm certain they won't patronize it either. I've had many a good viewing experience there, and will miss it. I'm sorry you feel the way you do, and feel a bit sad for you as well, but that's really neither here nor there. Best of luck in life and business, what business you may continue to have."

And I mean it, I will NOT patronize that theater ever again. As friends of mine know, I preferred that theater, cause it was easy to reach for me, not in a mall where I had to fight traffic, and reasonably priced. But, just like Papa John's, I will not give MY money to a homophobic business, or run by a homophobe. Therefore, no more Leitersburg Theater for me.
And I understand, as the manager, she has the right to show or not show whatever movie she may or may not want to. And as the customer, I am free to go, or avoid, any theater I want, for any reason whatsoever. And I'm going to urge all the Palace's visitors in the area, NOT to patronize the Leitersburg Theaters. There's plenty of other non-judgemental theaters in the area, go see movie there.

After sending my repsonse, I remembered that on Sunday mornings, this particular theater in question opens one of it's large theraters, to a church service, so I guess I shouldn't have been surpised at the response I got.

POLT = listening to "Optimistic" by Radiohead

As you slide down the bannister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way.