Xuenou > Movies > Teens dress up to see “Rise of Gru,” and now some theaters are banning “Gentleminions”
Teens dress up to see “Rise of Gru,” and now some theaters are banning “Gentleminions”
That Menace 2 Society TikTok has created another distraction that's birthing a mini-uproar. Teens are dressing up in suits and ties and the like and showing up, "Men in Black" attired, to "Minions: The Rise of Gru." They've created an online TikTok "cult," as a sort of game. A mock cult based on an animated…

Teens dress up to see “Rise of Gru,” and now some theaters are banning “Gentleminions”

That Menace 2 Society TikTok has created another distraction that’s birthing a mini-uproar.

Teens are dressing up in suits and ties and the like and showing up, “Men in Black” attired, to “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”

They’ve created an online TikTok “cult,” as a sort of game. A mock cult based on an animated comedy whose heroes speak and sing in gibberish? OK. Fine.

Seems harmless enough on its surface, right? But some theaters and chains are seeing “disturbances” in these repeat-viewing flash mobs. In the UK and the US, this copycat behavior is being banned from cinemas. Not sure if the kids are acting out and acting up in theaters, as this seems unclear.

If it was just young white males showing up en masse at daytime screenings of a child’s cartoon, I could totally see this ban. If you’re not a little freaked out by any odd white teen boy behavior these days, you’re not paying attention. Mass shootings, anyone?

Parents complaining at teenagers messing up their experience of taking their children to a CHILD’S movie is not unreasonable. And if the teens playing at this are indeed creating “disturbances” of another sort, sure. Ban them. Theaters have shut down screenings of movies that draw gangs on the fear that rival gangs might show up.

And if you want to carry on with your #gentleminions, do it at night. Any parent dragging their tykes to see “The Rise of Gru” after 9 or 10 seems less likely to sweat a few well-dressed nerds nerding out over a very funny movie.