# Please explain why some people clap after seeing a good movie in a theater **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 4, 2002, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-why-some-people-clap-after-seeing-a-good-movie-in-a-theater/107270 "2002-05-04T17:49:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2002, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-why-some-people-clap-after-seeing-a-good-movie-in-a-theater/107270/21 "2002-05-08T22:41:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clayton\_e \* > \*\*There isn’t someone who is in the theater who was in the movie, the production of the movie \*\* Didn’t notice this earlier. Speak for yourself! Mr. Rilch **was** in the production of **Spiderman** (tho the credits don’t reflect this; see related Pit rant), and he often sees friends/cow-orkers in credits. If you don’t want to stick around for the credits, you don’t have to, but don’t knock those who do. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-why-some-people-clap-after-seeing-a-good-movie-in-a-theater/107270/22 "2002-05-09T03:09:18Z")
Hey, I’m not knocking the credits. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-why-some-people-clap-after-seeing-a-good-movie-in-a-theater/107270/23 "2002-05-09T15:59:26Z")
They clap? That is so weird, we just flail our hands in the air instead. No clapping, oh, did Imention Im deafened? ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2002, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-why-some-people-clap-after-seeing-a-good-movie-in-a-theater/107270/24 "2002-05-09T21:59:42Z")
Oh, and **Eve** : Why do people hiss B.D.? I **liked** her book! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@bibliophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophile)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-why-some-people-clap-after-seeing-a-good-movie-in-a-theater/107270/25 "2002-05-10T02:55:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clayton\_e \* > \*\*Really, those out there who do this, WHY? > > There isn’t someone who is in the theater who was in the movie, the production of the movie and there isn’t even a teenage ticket collector in the room (who you might thank for making it possible for you to see the movie). > > Is it just me who has seen these people? \*\* At the risk of alienating the clappers out there, I can’t stand it when people clap at the end of the movies. I drives me insane. You’re clapping for getting what you had expected to get. You go to the theater, plunk down your $8.25, expecting to be entertained for two hours or so. When the entertainment is finished, why applaud? It’s not like a concert or a play where the actors or musicians can hear your appreciation. Think about it, if you do through the drive thru at McDonald’s and they manage not to screw up your order, would do burst into applause? While I don’t doubt that Tom Cruise or whoever, would appreciate your enjoyment if he was sitting there, chances are he’s not. And even if you didn’t like the movie, what do they care, they’ve got your money already, and unfortunately there are no refunds just because the movie sucked. What I want to know, is why do people clap at the end of awful movies? I’ll give you an example, Armageddon practically got a standing ovation when I saw it in the theater. Granted, it didn’t exactly promote itself as high art or anything, but even still, it was pretty lame if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![leechbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@leechbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leechbabe)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2002, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-why-some-people-clap-after-seeing-a-good-movie-in-a-theater/107270/26 "2002-05-10T04:10:29Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by bibliophile \* > \*\* Think about it, if you do through the drive thru at McDonald’s and they manage not to screw up your order, would do burst into applause?_\* leechbabe raises her hand I’ve done this on one occasion, there was a fast food outlet (not McD’s) on my way home which I used to stop at for dinner on a fairly regular basis. It got new management and they were clueless regarding customer service. After a week of getting my order wrong everyday they finally managed to serve something that resembled what I had ordered. I stood there and applauded them whilst the other customers looked on in surprise. Incredibly rude of me yes, but it got my point across and they never stuffed up my order again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-why-some-people-clap-after-seeing-a-good-movie-in-a-theater/107270.md?page=1)