Manners maketh man
Don’t be touchy, but this week’s Touche reminds us to be more considerate, especially when watching movies in the cinema.
“Manners maketh man.” That was what Harry Hart (played by Colin Firth) said in both Kingsman: The Secret Service and Kingsman: The Golden Circle, movies.
That phrase stuck in my mind and I wondered about it. Where did the phrase originate from? Surely, it existed before both these movies?
Curiosity got the better of me and I turned to google.
Today, the expression means that “your mannerisms and behavioural characteristics make you who you are”. The phrase refers to the fact that people are usually judged by their manners and conduct. But, did you know that its earliest use had an even broader meaning – that what differentiates humans from savages is etiquette and courtesy?
According to Random House Dictionary of America’s Popular Proverbs and Sayings, the saying can be traced to the mid 14th century.
Well, back to the 21st century, I remember watching both Kingsman movies in one of the cinemas in town. (I have to admit I love watching movies, and I do so rather often.) But, both times, I had the fortune (or perhaps misfortune) of encountering other “mini movies” in the cinema.
During the first Kingsman movie, my husband and I were seated at the midsection. I turned around and saw that it was a full house that night. I was at the aisle seat and next to hubby was a heavyset guy.
The ads were running, and there was a couple sitting behind us, talking rather loudly. We thought they would quieten down once the movie started. But the running commentary continued. We turned around and stared, noticing that several others were also glaring at the noisy couple. Well, it was not exactly the correct time to try and impress a girl with your knowledge or commentary on the movie. But the guy and girl seemed oblivious.
“Mr Heavyset” finally stood up, turned around, and glaring at the couple, said rather loudly: “Are you here to watch a movie or chit-chat? If you are here to chit-chat, then please go to a cafe. Everyone else is trying to watch the movie! Don’t be so inconsiderate!”
Startled out of their conversation, the couple suddenly stopped talking. We could almost hear silent claps across the cinema!
When watching the second Kingsman movie, we encountered not one “mini movie” but several in the cinema!
The first was the infamous cinema chair kicker. When the lights were dimmed, the seat kicker launched into action. “Thud, thud, thud!” Although he was kicking the seat of the lady sitting next to me, I could feel the thuds too! We turned around and saw a boy who was seated next to an elderly woman. Finally, the lady got up, turned around and lowered her face to the boy. Although she was whispering, it was loud enough for me to hear! “Stop kicking my chair ... or else!”
Thank goodness, there was silence after that. But ... later, two feet in socks came creeping up to the head rest next to me. Ewww! The boy had put his feet up on the lady’s chair. To cut a long story short, she jumped up and there was a huge altercation between the lady and the elderly woman (apparently, the boy’s grandmother) on what was proper (or in this case, improper) behaviour in public. With that, “granny” grabbed the boy’s hand and dragged him out of the cinema. They didn’t return.
Ahh! Peace at last, right? Wrong! A baby ... you heard me right ... suddenly started crying (apparently disturbed by the earlier altercation)!
We looked upwards and saw a stroller at the aisle next to a young couple. What kind of parents would bring such a young child into the cinema? This wasn’t some children’s animation movie like Christopher Robin or Frozen !But even then, cinema personnel, both in Malaysia and overseas, have advised against bringing young children (below the age of two) into a cinema as the dolby digital surround sound can damage their hearing.
You would have thought the many “shhh”s around them should have spurred the young parents into action ... but both of them were still engrossed in the movie and popcorn.
Finally, someone yelled at them. The mother got up, picked up the crying baby and hurried out of the cinema.
Fortunately, these and other inappropriate behaviours in the cinema – bordering from inconsiderate to just plain rude – such as not turning off mobile phones and letting them ring throughout; talking on the mobile phone; did not lessen my enjoyment of the two Kingsman movies as well as other movies that I’ve watched.
But don’t you think that this “manners maketh man” motto should be applied in the cinemas too?