I used to work in a premium lounge cinema, and if someone brought chips or MnMs or varies other sweets, we'd offer to put it in a bowl for them. If you said "Just to avoid crinkles in the theatre" you would be able to see the visible relief in their eyes.

thats the only movie theater etiquette you have??? i have sooooo many.

A friend of mine in college went to see a revival of The Ten Commandants. During the part where Moses is coming down the mountain, he decided to open a bag of snacks. The bag was so loud everyone turned toward him and shushed him. He stopped and decided to wait until the movie was done.

I worked at a movie theater for about four years, half that time was spent as an usher cleaning theaters. We found various alcohol containers all the time (almost always empty) but never a condom - used or otherwise - and never had to boot anyone for *cough* amorous activity.

because masturbation in a movie theaters reserved for man only

Not to mention - getting off to a movie universally understood to be anything BUT sexy. ;)

"Oppression".

Given how unsexy the movie is supposed to be, it must have required a heroic level of commitment just to jill off to it in the first place.

Why not ask to join in?

Nah. My popcorn greasy fingers are for licking, not sticking.

Popcorn grease is a great lubricant...so I've heard.

Besides, the person doing this is usually disgusting in general.

Ewwww.

Ha but ew.

Or maybe red-handed.

Yeah I get the sentiment behind the whole calling this woman a heroine thing (I love a lady who bucks gender stereotypes as much as the next person), but I agree with you that it's actually pretty squarely in the NOT OKAY category. When guys do it, we're all pretty much united on the front that they're total creeps, so it's pretty messed up to try to apply a different standard of behavior here.

I'm a little curious as to how she even got caught...not that I'm a public masturbator, but I can rub one out quite discretely when I need to. When guys masturbate there's a level of vigor and bodily fluids involved that makes it significantly harder to hide what's going on, so it's really no wonder they get caught all the time.

I am also firmly in the NOT OK camp, but as to your second point...if there was someone within a couple of seats of her who happened to glance over, it would be pretty obvious. Hand placement and motion would be apparent.

Plus, I assume that the jerk who masturbates in a movie doesn't bother to be discreet about it, so there might be more obvious motions, hand placement, and...scents...

Yeah I guess I didn't take into account the fact that the public nature of the movie theater might have been instrumental to her arousal. I always forget that there's a whole subset of the population who gets off on stuff like masturbating around people who have no interest in seeing that happen (hence the whole weirdos touching themselves on public transportation phenomenon). So you're right that she probably didn't care about being discreet. I'm honestly not sure if I would have reported that if I'd been the unlucky person seated nearby. That's such a bizarre situation to be in.