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My wife and I recently attended a matinee at the AMC Fullerton 20 ^[2] theaters. I walked up to the box-office, paid for my tickets and got more than I bargained for. The cashier thrust two tickets, a receipt and an advertisement into my hand. Great, not only do I have to see ads in the lobby, before the movie (and often during the movie — hello product placement) but now I have to endure a box-office bombardment of crap as well.

When I studied the advertisement I was fairly dismayed to discover it was a flier directing me to purchase merchandise for the armed forces at their official government web site. I am not really sure why, but this severely rubbed me the wrong way. Why was the Fullerton AMC allowing the military to try and recruit me?

Find out after the jump…

I asked the theater manager that exact same question and she assured me that it wasn’t a recruitment effort, but rather an “advertisement for the varied merchandise available” at this particular branch of the military’s web site. Whatever. Same difference. Buy a T-Shirt, and while you’re there sign up for a tour of duty!

On the way out, I noticed only select patrons received the advertisement, so I assume it was targeted at a particular demographic in Orange County or maybe customers who were attending a certain kind of film. We were after all, seeing a teen oriented flick; I didn’t see them handing these ads to people going to see The Queen.

Don’t get me wrong, I have supported our troops in the past. And by “supported” I mean, had random anonymous erotic encounters with them during my hometown’s Fleet Week. Nothing says “high self esteem” like letting countless drunken sex starved sailors touch your under-the-swimsuit parts. Ah memories of youth. Good times.

Where was I? Oh yes, as I was saying, can’t we just let the recruiters prowl the Fullerton Union High School campus for unsuspecting youth like they always have? Is there really a need to solicit teens at the local AMC too? I go to the movies to escape reality, not to be constantly reminded of it. All of this begs the question: Who’s more desperate in this situation, the theater or the military?

Homoironic WWII photo courtesy of Northwestern University Library ^[3]