Material Girl Madonna, has been banned from a Texas movie chain, Drafthouse, after allegedly texting during a screening of Steve McQueen’s ” 12 Years A Slave”.  The Drafthouse theaters have a strict policy of no texting during movies and patrons have been removed from the theater for indulging.  Founder and Owner Tim League made this public when he called out Madonna on his Twitter account, saying “until she apologizes to movie fans, Madonna is banned from watching movies @(alamo)drafthouse.”

Being that Madonna was in Texas, she should actually consider herself lucky.  Instead of just throwing her out and banning her, she could have been given a lethal injection.  But it does raise the question of proper movie theater etiquette.  Most movie goers accept the idea that talking during a movie, either to another person in the theater or on the phone is bad form.  But it can also be amusing as when I saw Rocky IV.  The woman behind me narrated all the fight scenes.  She began by yelling, “Throw the left Rock, throw the left” and followed it up by urging him to “stay away Rock, he’s too big for you.”  But is texting the same thing as speaking out, to a friend or on the phone and clearly the answer is no.  All of the silly sounds associated with texting can be silenced and done discreetly, without bothering anyone else in the theater if one so chooses.  If he’s so concern about etiquette, why doesn’t Mr League ask men to wear suits and ties and women to wear dresses?

Perhaps Mr. League was simply looking for some publicity from the incident or he doesn’t like her because he doesn’t approve of her lifestyle.  Either way, if her texting was so distracting, why was she not asked to leave during the movie as is the theater’s policy?  It’s highly unlikely she will apologize nor should she.  I suppose she’ll just have to find another theater in Texas to in which she can view a premier.  With all of the issues and lack of respect on display throughout the US, I really don’t believe this is the place to draw the line.