Turn off the cell phones, already people

[BlueStreak]

I performed (as a musician) at 2 Christmas Eve services (2 different churches). Now, I am supposed to believe this is the holiest ceremony of the Christian church, possibly excepting Easter. And when there is a reenactment of the nativity scene, this must therefore be among the holiest of holy moments.

At that holy moment, no fewer than 7 people stood up making quite a commotion with their cell phones taking pictures and movies of this.

Talk about spoiling a moment ... geesh.

[Skink]

1. Probably texting

[BlueStreak]

4. They weren't texting. They were running up and down the aisles

taking pictures and videos. I would have thought that this was supposed to be a moment of quiet reflection. But I was just hired help so there you go.

I expect this kind of thing at the 3rd grade recital. I don't expect it at a supposedly sacred service.

I predict that before long, the preacher will have to start each service the way they do at the movies. "Dear friends in Christ, please take this moment to silence your cell phones, and please remember that the big fellow upstairs strictly prohibits any taking of pictures."

[elehhhhna]

5. I like when they use ipads and effing block EVERYONES view.

love that

[cbayer]

2. Everyone feels the need to document everything theses days.

It drives me crazy.

No, I don't want to see a picture of the cow that you saw standing by the side of the road.

It was better when you had to be really thoughtful about your photos because it cost money to buy the film and have each photo developed.

In addition, I think people miss the actual experience because they are so busy documenting it.

[CrispyQ]

3. If there is one thing I hate, it is a cell phone going off during any type of performance.

They all vibrate. Don't be rude.

There was a recent article about a study that showed that people who spent time at an event recording it, didn't remember the event as well as people who simply watched & participated. Makes sense to me. I would not expect the wedding photographer to remember the wedding as well as an attendee.

As a traveler in my younger days, I always preferred to purchase postcards or memorial books of photos of the places I visited, instead of taking my own photos. I would carry a camera, but it was to photograph me with the people I was with, not the places we visited. There is no way any photo I took of a scenic view would come close to a post card.

We have these new technical tools & we think, "I should use them!" Sometimes we forget our very ancient, superior tool, our brain, our memory, & perhaps we should choose to use it instead. No spoiled moments then!

[cbayer]

6. +1 - very well said.

[LuckyLib]

12. Yes. Just be. Enjoy the experience, forget being a "tourist" and let yourself observe the sights,

the sounds, and the music. There is no need to record everything you experience. It pales in comparison with the real experience. Your observations about photos on post-cards being superior to anything you can take is absolutely true. Just stand an take it in -- through your own senses.

[enough]

7. As a very amateur musician with great respect for all pros in any venue,

I absolutely HATE this kind of behavior. I'm much more pissed about the lack of respect for the performers than about the lack of respect for the ceremony.

Jeeze, why go to a place where musicians are playing/singing their hearts out with so much skill and reverence, and act as if nothing particularly interesting is going on. I really wonder what people think human life is about these days.

[bench scientist]

8. that is why I have always appreciated this sign

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

should be deployed everywhere

[okasha]

10. Love it!

Not too long ago, I attended a performance of Romeo and Juliet. In his pre-curtain speech, the producer announced that the owner of any ringing cell phone, snapshooter or parent of a disruptive child would be escorted off the premises.

Righteous.

[BlueStreak]

13. OMG - I know so many bassoon players

that are getting this photo right now !!!

[TexasProgresive]

9. Pre digital and cell phone cameras

I was the family photographer. Somewhere along the way I realized that while I was preserving memories for others- I was not really a part of the action. I just don't care to take pictures anymore.

[SheilaT]

11. Before cell phones,

when my kids were little, most parents already had some kind of video recorder, and they did the same thing. At least one school they attended requested parents NOT block others when they recorded, and another one forbade it altogether but filmed the performance themselves and you could purchase a copy if you wanted.

Perhaps the real question is how often do people ever go back and look at their videos? How often do these digital/electronic records get deleted or wiped out in some way?

The nice thing about physical photographs is that they tend to hang around for a long time.

[BlueStreak]

14. I never saw anybody do that at a church service

and most certainly not in the middle of the midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

[SheilaT]

17. Since I never went to church services,

I cannot comment much, but it's hard to imagine that those who were racing around recording school events weren't also doing the same at churches. No matter what, it's the total disregard of others that's being discussed here.

On a related note, many years ago, when I realized that I was photographing everything but not participating, I gave up a lot of the photographing. Which means I don't have records of certain events, but I honestly don't regret that lack.

[BlueStreak]

18. As a musician, I play in about 20 churches each year

Even during the era when everybody and his dog owned the latest camcorder, I never, ever saw anybody do this with a camcorder. It is only assholes with cellphones. It is as if they are thinking "Well, it isn't as if I am making a major production with a camcorder. It's just a cell phone, so nobody will notice."

[SheilaT]

19. Interesting.

These days I'm not attending the kind of events that people would record, so I haven't had the pleasure of seeing this behavior.

[hrmjustin]

15. I hate when cell phones go off in church.

[Niceguy1]

16. let's see the control its entirety up to the father

our church is very strict rules on when and where you can do that. Depending on the ceremony it's only a professional photographer and other ceremonies your you aee allowed to take pictures