A few weeks ago my friend attended a concert with a few other people. The concert was held in a large arena, and my friend’s group had ticketed seats. It was the sort of gig where you could dance in your seat if you wanted to, but there certainly wasn’t a raucous rock vibe. She noted many older fans in the audience.
My friend was surprised to see two young women in their 20s take the seats behind her group. Unfortunately, the women decided to talk loudly over the music throughout the entire show. This wasn’t just making the occasional comment about a song, or singing along to a certain track; they were carrying on a full-on conversation at top volume.
My friend and people within her group were distracted and annoyed. They tried the old “maybe if I give them a disapproving look they’ll shut up” trick, to no avail. Another woman sitting nearby leaned over and politely asked the women to lower their voices, but they continued to chatter away. Everyone had to strain to hear the music.
It’s easy to chalk up this behavior to age, but bad manners may just be universal. Another friend was in London to attend a critically acclaimed West End play. Two rows ahead of her sat an older man who started speaking to his female companion. An usher quickly headed over and asked the man to pipe down, at which point he hissed, “Calm down!” He did, however, heed the warning and stayed quiet for the rest of the performance.
For the record: Talking during a concert, movie, play, performance, presentation, or any other event in which someone else has the floor is rude and disrespectful. If you need to carry on a conversation, take it outside or wait for the event to end. Don’t ruin everyone else’s experience. And don’t be aggressive when you are asked to be quiet; you are in the wrong here.