Is Rule Bending Ethical in Movie Theatres?

Movie theatre candy smuggling is a practice employed by citizens and moviegoers who might otherwise be good people. The practice has reached epic proportions and is out of control. According to a poll by www.candyaddict.com candy smuggling into movie theaters occurred in 89% of respondents. These respondents did not leave their names and addresses. However, the poll maker actually admitted to participating in this reprehensible and immoral practice that is evidently rampant within our nation.

For those of you who might be snickering think again. Candy smuggling is a gateway crime that leads to bigger and worse things. It starts out with one small packet of raisinets, then another one for a date, then perhaps bottles of soda, then maybe a candy smuggling business, then the slippery slope gets steeper leading to small pets, other contraband, and then maybe even low cost labor across the Mexican border.

So what is the cause of all this? Life stress, marital problems, a sick desire to do wrong to the honest business owners and employees who work hard to provide a meaningful movie going experience? Polltakers at www.candyaddict.com openly confess their sins are due to the 'high candy prices' at the concession stand. But does that make it right and should such a sin bring about shame and guilt?

If you think this isn't a problem, think again. Mentos has actually endorsed the practice of candy smuggling in a 'You Tube 'video. The link for this video is provided with this article and might be best viewed by a mature viewing audience only. In the video a man attempts to smuggle a 6-foot long pack of Mentos into the theatre before being stopped by Movie theatre employees who actually seem aware and accustomed to the practice of candy smuggling. However, in this case they drew the line at a 6ft long 'outside food' product. The practice in other words, has become an accepted crime so long as it is practiced 'discreetly' according to the movie theatre employee in the film.

Is there help for the 32% of poll contributors who claim to do it every time and the other 57% who aren't far behind. There is no movie theatre candy smuggler hotline, no candy addicts anonymous, no candy smuggler's rehabilitation, public service commercials, nothing. How much is this costing the entertainment industry every year? This is a serious problem according to a forum participant on www.wessalmon.com. This individual named only 'ux'; states the following:

"As I understand it- sales from the vendors is how theaters stay in business. The ticket prices are pretty much entirely going back to the company that made the movie. Buying from the vendors is a vote to keep them in business. Bringing in your goods is a vote for them to go out of business."
Is 'ux' the only sane one among us or are movie theatre candy smugglers the righteous ones? The following testimonial from a movie theater operator who refers to the profit motive and actual cost of overhead may shed some light on the issue.

"After about three months I learned what every theater operator worth his salt understands about his business. For every dollar generated at the box office, roughly 50 cents gets plowed back into the overhead. However, for every dollar spent at the candy counter, you wind up keeping about 65 cents."
So, if profits are being diverted with every smuggled box of candy, why then, is the movie theatre business turning a blind eye to this practice? The only reasonable explanation seems to be a matter of economics and consumer psychology, and three thoughts on the matter follow:

1-While profits at the concession stand do decline with candy smuggling, maintaining the prices does insure a high margin from those who do buy the candy.

2-It may not be worth it to lower the cost of candy to increase the demand for it at concession stands because then a reciprocal increase in sales would be required to make up for the difference brought about by the lower price.

3-The smuggling practice quite possibly increases movie attendance. When people think they're getting a deal, they're more likely to buy or do something costing money.

According to these three points, it is simply not a great economic advantage to crack down on candy smuggling into movie theatres because it will create dissonance among movie clientele and that could lower attendance and profits. What's more, lowering the cost may not be a great financial advantage and not everyone smuggles candy. What's more, concession stands have become increasingly savvy in their product offerings thereby enticing patrons with less smugglable things like nachos with cheese. Although 'where there is a will there is a way', and someone, someday, if it hasn't already happened will probably smuggle a whole Taco Bell fiesta platter into a movie. There is a line folks, and it does get drawn occasionally as we saw in the Mentos movie. Advertisements too have been preceding movie previews for 2-3 years now, which means extra revenue for the theatres. These advertisements make the candy smuggling practice even less worth enforcing than before.

So if the economics isn't an issue what about the morality of the practice? the 'slippery slope' ? and the addictions to candy? Perhaps movie theater candy smuggling is not as bad as this article makes it out to be as the consensus among moviegoers and theatre operators and employees seems to be that it is 'OK'. But one thing is for sure; the practice is a psychological indicator of what seemingly everyday 'normal' people might be willing to do if the price gets 'too high'!

Sources:
http://candyaddict.com/pictures/v/misc/movie_cand y_smuggling_poll.jpg.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu21hMjLPCA
http://www.wessalmon.com/000043.html
http://www.moviecitynews.com/columnists/klady/2005 /gb_050409.html