Les réponses à chaque côté sont similaires, mais les américains semblent être plus directs lorsque ils agissent, soit car ils regarderaient de manière bizarre ou soit car d´abord ils veulent voir si les commentaires leurs intéressent. Je pensais que les américains utilisaient moins la polytesse et qu´íls étaient plus direct quand il y a quelque chose qui leurs dérange. Il ne m´étonne pas les réactions des francais car ils ne veulent pas avoir des problèmes avec les gens, même s´ils le pensent. C´est une caractéristique des francais..ils ne préfère pas être directs.....

est-ce que les américains sont très preocupés par ce que les gens pensent, même si elle sont des personnes qui ne conaissent pas '? est-ce qu´il y a une certaine apparence que vous voulez sauver sous toute condition'

I think it's true that Americans do care a lot about what other people think about them in many cases. However there are also many other instances in which they are quite oblivious to it. For something like the movies I think you will plenty of people being loud and stupid and totally ignoring others.

I also agree with the fact that the French definitely seem to be much less direct in taking their actions than Americans. I think that's the case in most situations.

I agree that while Americans in general are very concerned with self-image (especially superficially: appearance, social status, sex appeal), in a situation such as this you are always going to have people who just don't care about other people. It shows ignorance and a completle lack of respect for anyone but oneself. I personally find this extremely obnoxious, which is why I wouldn't hesitate to ask a group of moviegoers to please quiet down in such an instance. It is impolite for them to continue at the very least!

In general, I think that the American responses were more sarcastic and verbally-abusive than the French responses were. The French definitely seem more polite to strangers, even if they are being rude. Unlike the Americans, for the most part, they keep their frustration and anger to themselves. The Americans, on the other hand, do not hesitate to express themselves when they feel that their rights are being violated. It is necessary to be so verbally-direct sometimes because some people really won't react to your reminders to "Be quiet." In France, does it suffice to tell people to "Be quiet" in the movie theaters? Especially among the teenage population?

En fait je pense qu'en France, on préfère ne rien dire et éviter un conflit qu'intervenir. Parfois, on sent que quoi que l'on dise ou que l'on fasse, la personne en face est stupide et ne changera pas. Les gens n'aiment pas trop se faire remarquer je crois. Nous sommes sans doute plus pudiques.

In response to you, Jorge, I do think that many people do care a lot about what others think. I think you see this especially with the forum "Americans seem obsessed with." For example, the idea of having something bigger or better, like a car or whatever sometimes becomes important. I do agree that Americans tend to be more direct in many of the instances, especially because it is very rude when people start talking during the movie.

I agree with Judy. The French responses seemed a lot more polite and restrained. Many Americans believe that "respect is something earned." So when someone acts in a disrespectful manner, Americans are more likely to do the same. Even so, there was a bit of variety in the American responses. They ranged from avoiding conflict, to discretely asking the offensive people to quiet down, to throwing popcorn. I think the American responses represent different personalities, while the French list shows a standard code of conduct.

My observation about this topic is that Americans seem to act a bit more passive aggressive than the French do in situations like these (by the way, do the French use a term like "passive aggressive" in the way we do? We use this term to describe someone who expresses their dissatisfaction with something in an indirect manner-- like glaring at someone or laughing with them obnoxiously until they quiet down. They're not always very confrontational about the problem face-to-face). It seemed to me that the French are more likely to confront a noise perpetrator directly-- even if it takes a little while to approach them-- than Americans are willing to do.

I found this topic to be very interesting to analyze. On the surface the two lists appeared very similar, as both sides said something to the extent of "I would tell them to be quiet." However, upon closer examination many differences appeared. The American side had a much great range of responses; everything from totally avoiding the issue to calling the talking people names and throwing popcorn at them! I was wondering, what is French cinema like? The theaters here are usually quite large with as many as 15 or 20 different screens. However, many people prefer to wait for movies to come out on DVD, so they can watch them in the comfort of their own home. Is there a similar movement in France, toward renting movies instead of seeing them at the cinema?

I agree with Holly’s observation: the French seem to be more polite and direct when confronted with this situation. On the other hand, Americans seem to use more non-verbal and indirect communication. Among younger people in the US, I feel that those talking would either continue talking or if they do stop, they would probably throw a disdainful look at those asking them to be quiet. I think this situation would also have different outcomes depending on where people are sitting in relation to each other, i.e. if those talking are sitting above the others, then they would be less likely to stop talking.

Pour Tish Scolnik : A Paris par exemple, tu peux louer un film a des distributeurs automatiques qui ressemblent a des distributeurs de billets. Cela coute environ 1.5 Euro pour 6 heures. Mais beaucoup de personnes preferent quand meme le cinema. Cela fait une sortie, le film sort d`abord au cinema est n`est disponible dans les videoclubs que six mois plus tard. En plus, les etudiants ont des tarifs assez avamtageux et beaucoup d`evenements promotionnels sont organises par l`industrie du cinema pour attirer des gens. En ce moment, c`est le "Printemps du cinema" : les places sont a 3.5 Euros pour tous. Mais il y a aussi la "fete du cinema" ou la premiere place est a plein tarif et les autres gratuites. Bref, les cinemas se portent bien en France. Mais peut etre ont ils peur du phenomene que tu decris...

Helene- I think the point you bring up is very interesting. I feel as though in some ways, some Americans can even be the same way. For the reactions to this situation, it did seem like the American responses were more about doing something, but I know that there are still plenty of people who wouldn't say anything just because of the whole confrontation thing. Do you find that this type of situation comes up a lot or no? Do most people at the movies you go to seem respectful?