NC-17 RATING FOR THE "NOTORIOUS" MOVIE PROVIDES MEMORABLE NIGHT IN PHILLY

Over the weekend John expressed an interest in seeing "Notorious," the new movie about the Notorious BIG and Puff Daddy. I wasn't shocked by his eagerness to want to see this movie - I too wanted to see it after I saw the previews - I was just impressed with his knowledge of these rappers and his willingness to go see a movie on a subject I didn't know he was into.

While parking the car I asked if he was ready to be the only white people in the opening night of this movie. He said, "I bet we will be two of four of the only white people, but it will be fine." I wasn't concerned about it, I was just well aware of the minority standing we would be experiencing amongst the mainly black crowd interested in this movie.

While I was waiting in line to buy tickets to the show I noticed five younger black kids standing in front of me, maybe in junior high or early high school. There was a sign in the window that said the film was rated NC-17 and no one without proper identification will be admitted. The guys in front of me were visibly annoyed by this. I could tell they were VERY excited to see the movie and needed to decide what to do if they couldn't get into the movie.

It then became obvious they were gearing up to ask me to buy them tickets. They quietly argued amongst themselves to see who would ask me. Finally one of them (the smallest and possibly the youngest of the group) asked if I would buy them five tickets. I said, "You guys want me to pay for your tickets?" I was playing dumb, acting like I wasn't aware of the entire situation that was being played out in front of me. The tallest guy had the money in hand and said, "We have fifty dollars for our tickets, but they won't let us buy them because we are too young." (It wasn't like they were asking me to buy them beer or cigarettes or a ticket to see a porno, this was a movie that probably had less violence than the video games they were playing before they came to the show.)

I agreed to buy them tickets. I put $70 on my debit card and they handed me $50 in cash. Then they each, one by one, shook my hand as I handed them their tickets. I wasn't shocked that they were so polite and courteous throughout the entire interaction but I was just surprised at the great manners they displayed and how socially graceful they were by shaking my hand to thank me for buying them their tickets. This type of gratitude showed real class and gave me a optimistic outlook for the youth of our country. I know one experience shouldn't shed light on the masses, but I think it had a big impact on me because it wasn't what I expected to happen, and I was happy it did happen.

We all walked in together, with John looking perplexed at what just happened as he was waiting off in the distance watching this all go down. The woman taking the tickets said we didn't have the right box on our tickets or something crazy. I had the receipt in my hand and she said I needed to go back to the box office and get the correct ticket. I was furious! I grabbed John's ticket and then all of the tickets from my new found friends, cut in a twenty person line at the box office and told the girl behind the counter that the girl taking tickets wouldn't let us in because we have the wrong ticket. She left the ticket office and then came back and said she will now let us in.

Was this all because a random white guy bought five underage black kids tickets to a NC-17 movie? Whatever it was, I found it to be very poorly handled and it really me pissed off. We were all eventually allowed into the show.

Apparently there were two major fights that broke out due to this NC-17 rating, one reported in Texas and the other in one of the Carolinas - which made national news. The situation that happened at our movie must have happened all over the country.

The moral of the story is, if you have any underage kids who want to see a NC-17 movie, let me know, I will help buy their tickets. I'm good like that.