Senior respect

The film industry has fallen victim to the dumbing-down of America, especially when it comes to noise. When did movie theater managers decide to turn the volume up so high that people, even children, are forced to cover their ears? Many savvy moviegoers have taken to wearing ear plugs.

Soundtracks today are offensive in volume. The music scores tend to be constant and intrusive rather than supportive, repeating the same brief theme countless times, so that anyone with a musical sense is annoyed.

Audiences over 50 are being treated as though they simply don’t matter. Not only in quality of films (how many explosions can one story support?), but with the noise factor. A recent film, “About Schmidt,” told the story of a 66-year-old man in search of the meaning of life. Obviously, the film was aimed at the “geezer market.” Yet, in a Santa Monica theater, the gray-haired audience was subjected to high-volume rap music over advertisements before the trailers began.With common sense, and respect for seniors, theater owners and filmmakers would do much better. This is the fastest growing segment of the population and could become the fastest growing target demographic movie audience.

Judith Plowden

Venice