Blogocentric Formulations

Batman Shooting

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/21/us/colorado-mall-shooting.html?_r=1&hp

The shooting at a midnight screening of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES in Aurora, Colorado is a terrible, terrible thing to hear about. It seems all anyone can talk about this morning (except for some of my classier colleagues and fellow movie industry professionals who are more concerned with how the shooting will affect the movie's box office performance this week ), but what really gets me is all of the extremist groups and individuals who are using it as a platform to push their agenda, and those who are completely overreacting to what - by all accounts - appears to be the isolated actions of a clearly disturbed individual. In reading about this incident this morning, I have so far heard the following claims/demands being made:

That the trailer of THE GANGSTER SQUAD be pulled from all DARK KNIGHT screenings (the trailer features a scene of a shootout in a theater);

That THE DARK KNIGHT RISES itself to be pulled from theaters;

That THE DARK KNIGHT RISES have its rating increased so children can't go see it unsupervised;

That we immediately push a ban on all firearms through Congress and repeal the 2nd Amendment;

That midnight screenings of any and all movies be discontinued immediately; and

That Hollywood stop making movies with violence and/or dark themes.

In just a few short hours, people have managed to take this tragedy and turn it into an opportunity for them to climb onto a soapbox and espouse their own personal agendas and opinions. What's even more disturbing is that many of these people seem to already be looking for a scapegoat with the movie itself, as if Warner Bros. or the Batman property or movies in general are somehow responsible for the actions of an individual. Remember another Colorado shooting just over a decade ago, when everyone was sure that it was Marilyn Manson and other heavy metal bands that were responsible?

In my opinion, the theaters actually seem to be handling things pretty well. Many theaters are increasing security, and adopting a cautious approach to future screenings. They're not pulling the movie or taking any rash actions... AMC Theaters, for example, is simply proceeding with its existing schedule while increasing the number of security personnel around their theaters, refusing entry to anyone wearing a mask or other costume that covers their face, and has already warned people in costume that they may be asked to remove it or leave the theater if other patrons find the costume disturbing or if it appears suspicious.

It's nice to see that at least some people are thinking rationally in the wake of this tragedy.