Reason 971 of why I think men are weird

[Connonym]

In the course of a discussion with my ex, he mentioned that if he goes to the theater with a male friend (or even with his twin brother) they always sit with an empty seat between them. They won't sit right next to one another unless the theater is crowded. I thought this was pretty weird so I decided to start asking my male friends "Do you leave an empty seat between you and a male friend at the theater or do you sit next to one another?"

As of now 10/14 men questioned definitely leave an empty seat. The remaining 4/14 don't.

So men only please, what do YOU do?

[Courtesy Flush]

1. C. Never go to the movies with another guy

[swag]

2. That's funny. The high school football players used to do that.

I always sit next to whomever I happen to go with. It usually doesn't mean I'm going to fuck them.

[ThomCat]

3. I'm gay, so I guess I'll skip the poll and just say

that I sit next two whomever I'm with. No empty seat between us. Man, woman, GLBT, straight, whatever. If I'm there with someone I'm sitting next to them.
:shrug:

I guess I'm just not worried that people will think I'm gay.

[Little Wing]

4. 972

The absolute silence you'll hear when two dudes are in the bathroom for a number 2.

It's a waiting game, a mental battle of wits, pucker ability, and how long you can be not at your desk without raising suspicion.

[Oeditpus Rex]

5. The only reason I can think of for a movie-seat buffer

is so each guy would have his own arm rest.

Other than that, I don't understand it at all. :shrug:

[xchrom]

6. men ARE weird.

but that's why i love 'em.

[Connonym]

7. 973

Every guy I talked to about this felt the need to explain the rules of the urinal. Not that I asked.

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. Except me

:P









But I was about to before you told me MK did it. :blush:

[Connonym]

11. I almost missed the fine print!

See, you're just as weird as the rest of the XYs.

[Oeditpus Rex]

12. Alas, my lib'rul brain

is not always powerful enough to overcome my Neanderthal genes. :cry:

[Beer Snob-50]

17. That is an important rule

leave a urinal between you unless there is no urinal to leave between you.

[xchrom]

30. i totally don't get that either.

[MrCoffee]

8. of course you leave an empty seat

how else are you each gonna get your own armrest?

[Deep13]

16. No reason to crowd each other.

My wife and I leave an empty seat. We need to put our coats somewhere.

[last_texas_dem]

10. I don't leave a seat in between

at the movies. Perhaps mostly 'cause I'm one of those annoying people who likes to talk during the previews (and occasionally ask questions during the movie) and the buffer seat would just make it too complicated! haha I do leave the buffer urinal, though, if at all possible; because, in my experience I can't "go" when someone is standing next to me, and I've talked to other guys with the same problem. I'd be interested what sort of psychological thing might cause this...

[NewWaveChick1981]

13. What happens if the movie theatre is totally full?

Does the "rule" apply then with a total stranger sitting in between? :rofl: Very, very weird.... :yoiks:

[Deep13]

15. I don't go to the movies if it is that full.

Makes me claustrophobic. Otherwise, we take adjacent seats.

[Beer Snob-50]

20. if the total stranger is a very attractive female

the rule does not apply.

[MrCoffee]

22. if a total stranger is there, there's not an empty seat...

and i want my friggin' armrest!

[Deep13]

14. Leave empty seat: claustrophobia, not touchy feelly person.

If there is room, there is no reason for dudes to be crowded together. I have no desire to be that close (either literally or figuratively) to another man. I don't feel or think gay, consequently there is no reason for me to act gay. Besides, the crowding makes me uncomfortable. I get anxious, warm and figetty.

[Oeditpus Rex]

18. 'Act gay'?

:shrug:

[Deep13]

21. Sitting together like a couple.

Looking for a reason to sit together rather than having some space.

[Oeditpus Rex]

23. Oh

I misunderstood. Apologies.

Still, I think more of reasons not to sit apart than reasons to sit together — but that's rather splitting hairs, so I shan't push it.

Then again... I'm thinking about it, and even with my closest male friends, when we go out to eat or something, we sit across from each other rather than adjacent. Maybe that's in the nature of facing the person(s) one is speaking with; I dunno. I'm not that well-versed in this stuff.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

19. I like having the extra space to spread out.

Nothing to do with being or looking "gay".

[rockymountaindem]

24. I'm a guy, and I'd sit next to him because

it makes it a lot easier to whisper sarcastic comments about the movie, or talk about how hot the women in the movie are. I mean, what's more "gay", two guys who are so insecure they have to sit one seat apart, or two dudes sitting together going "woah... look at that babe!"?

[Patiod]

25. Well, in their defense, some of them have really broad shoulders

My SO will sit next to me, because it's okay if he "invades" my seat with his football-player-sized shoulders, but he doesn't want to do that with a guy friend or a stranger.

[EOTE]

26. I could go either way...

When I'm with my GF, I never leave a buffer because if the seats are too close together, I can always put my arm around her and not have to be constantly bumping shoulders. I'm a big guy and often times I bump into the person next to me when we're side by side. I'm guessing even women seek out the seats where they don't have to sit immediately adjacent to someone else. Some men might do this out of homophobia, but I'm guessing the bulk do it for comfort.

[JVS]

27. If I sit next to my brother, who gets the armrest? If we sit apart, then...

we can both have armrests, a place for coats and candy, and better personal space.

[Taverner]

28. There is a code for this - and it's much like the urinal code

If the theater is packed, you sit next to him
If the theater is empty, you leave one seat between you
If the theater is filling up, sit next to him, but you put stuff in the seat to your right, so later on you can "stretch out" when you've moved to that seat.

[hfojvt]

29. I never do anything with anybody for the most part

but I would probably leave the empty seat. But not because I am worried about people wondering if I am a manly man or something like that. I just like to have my personal space if I can. In most theaters though, that option is not available.

[One_Life_To_Give]

31. Where's the box for seats too small?

If there is enough room in the theater and I am just out with the guys. Why would I want to be shoe horned into a singel seat when I can spead out and not worry about my arms hanging off of the armrests into the next seat.

[Westegg]

32. Leaving empty seat? Weird...

...I don't get that at all. Who's afraid, and of what? They worried that they may clutch each other during some "scary" moment in a horror film? Hell, maybe I've spent too much of my life in New York and L.A., but that's a new one for me. I could see leaving a seat empty on an airplane during a non-full flight-- for the leg-room alone-- but in a movie theater? It's down-right rude, frankly. Unless the theater is 75% empty-- in which case, what the hell you doing seein' that movie anyways?

Bottom line: Men who do that definitely have issues.

[6000eliot]

33. We do it with urinals as well.

[jgraz]

39. That's just splatter avoidance

[Connonym]

34. Final tally is 19:21

leave a seat between us wins at 21/40.

Thanks to all who participated. I must apologize to all men for calling you weird. The numbers indicate, in this situation, only half of you are. But oh how we love you anyway :loveya:

[RevCheesehead]

35. The empty seat is for the giant tub of popcorn.

Duh. Even I knew that. :popcorn:

[jgraz]

38. DING

:applause:

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

36. More space.

And the poll is a loaded question.

Although once I went to the movies with a girl I liked and our gay friend and he sat between us. I was pissed.

[Alexander]

37. I'm a man. I sit next to my male friends the same way...

I sit next to my female friends.

Well, maybe not those female friends. ;-)

But I think anyone worrying about such a silly thing has some issues with sexuality.

In the case of urinals or something, yes. Leave space.

In a movie theater? You're not unzipping your fly. I don't see what the big deal is.

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

40. It's Completely the room deal

I don't like to go to sold out sporting events, concerts and movies cause the asicles are usually are small so your knee is up against the back of the person in the row in front of you and the same thing with the person behind you. Then fight for the armrest is another thing. It's like if I spend 60 dollars for a basketball game or concert I want some comfort!

[Hardrada]

41. This came up (urinals) on Seinfeld and George Costanza

announced, "I'm a stall man myself." I can use either. Another issue is using the lower urinal. I try too because of the splatter factor. Also how come so many people manage to whiz on the floor??

[Poll_Blind]

42. How am I going to yawn-slip my arm around a fellow male if there's...

...a seat between us? Sheesh. :) I'm pretty sure I'm not gay, though, everyone over 18 gets the treatment. Great ice-breaker with other theater-goers, too.

PB