Cinema’s pyjama and onesie ban goes global
When bosses of a small Taranaki cinema decided to get tough on people turning up to watch films in their pyjamas, onesies and dirty workboots, they didn’t expect to find themselves making global news.
Ha¯ wera Cinema 2 outlawed the clothing in a ‘‘friendly reminder’’ to patrons posted on Facebook on Saturday, April 21 - and by Tuesday that message had been reported around the world thanks to the likes of the The Guardian and even the BBC.
‘‘We have a dress code at Ha¯wera Cinemas,’’ the original message read.
‘‘It’s simple really, as long as you are appropriately dressed and are wearing clean footwear you are good to go.
‘‘Please no pyjamas, onesies, dressing gowns or dirty gumboots no matter how cute they are!’’
‘‘Restaurants and clubs have had dress codes for years, why not cinemas?’’ manager Kirsty Bourke said on Tuesday.
She admitted she had been extremely surprised by the response, which has even seen her being interviewed on television and her Facebook post receive a number of supportive comments.
‘‘This whole thing has been extremely positive,’’ she added.
‘‘There has been an overwhelming response and the majority of it is positive. You’ve only got to look at the comments under our Facebook post to see why we believe we have made the right decision.
‘‘I’ve been getting texts all day from people saying things like ‘well done, wish our local supermarkets would do the same’.
‘‘The majority of people feel the same way we do, that pyjamas should be worn in the privacy of your own home, not seen in public.’’
‘‘We just thought we’d do a small Facebook post for our customers; we had no idea it would end up going global.
‘‘I think the majority of people don’t like seeing people out in public in their pyjamas, that’s why it’s hit a nerve.’’
Bourke said staff had noticed an increase in the number of people coming in wearing pyjamas and an increase in people wearing dirty gumboots and work boots, which often leave a mess that has to be cleaned up.
‘‘I haven’t talked to anyone from other cinemas, but there’s definitely been an increase in people wearing pjs in public places per se. From the cinema’s standpoint, that’s not the vibe we want to encourage at all.
‘‘It’s a lovely cinema and it should be a special occasion. When someone wants to take someone on a date to see a movie, do they want to be surrounded by people in pyjamas? I don’t think so.’’
Other Taranaki theatres agreed that pyjamas are not the best attire for going to the movies.
Debbie Campbell, events coordinator at Opunake’s Everybody’s Theatre, said they don’t have a problem with pajama-clad patrons.
‘‘It’s pretty good really,’’ she said. ‘‘There was one a couple of days ago, a group of boys, I think they were on a camp. They were in their gumboots. I kind of inspected them and they looked quite clean so I didn’t mind too much.’’
She said they don’t have a formal dress code but there was one from the old days they hadn’t put back up yet.
‘‘We have thought about it occasionally but it’s usually pretty good. I can’t say that we’ve had anything too bad come through the door.
She said they had couches and blankets in their downstairs cinema but pyjamas were not appropriate to wear to the movies.
‘‘We want it to be that kind of homely place but we haven’t seen any pyjamas.’’
Barry Milner, manager of Stratford’s TET King’s Theatre, said they had never had any issues.
‘‘Stratford people don’t go out in their pyjamas,’’ he said. ‘‘I think Ha¯ wera have done the right thing, really. I don’t think there’s a place for pyjamas and definitely not dirty boots, but that’s another issue.’’
He said kids might like to wear their Minnie Mouse or Shrek onesies to children’s movies, which wasn’t so bad.
‘‘I don’t think pyjamas are suitable but it wouldn’t particularly worry me.’’