AMC Entertainment kills idea to allow texting in theaters

A couple days ago, AMC Entertainment chief executive Adam Aron told Variety that “You can’t tell a 22-year-old to turn off their cellphone,” so he was open to the idea of allowing phone usage in movie theaters in some form.

For offending the sensibilities of many people who enjoy movies without others on their phones, Aron swiftly got his ass kicked on Twitter. And now AMC is backing away from the idea altogether.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Aron apologized:

“Unlike the many AMC advancements that you have applauded, we have heard loud and clear this is a concept that our audience does not want,” Aron wrote. “In this age of social media, we get feedback from you almost instantaneously and as such, we are constantly listening. Accordingly, just as instantaneously, this is an idea that we have relegated to the cutting room floor.”

Perhaps Aron made the right call! I mean, you wouldn’t want anyone to ruin climactic moments in critically-acclaimed box-office hits like “Batman vs. Superman” or “The Boss.” Or maybe, as one of our colleagues at the Verge suggests, this was Aron’s plan all along:

https://twitter.com/thedextriarchy/status/721014428959944708