Celebs complaining about audiences on social media

[EM55]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 5:16pm

How do you feel about celebs who use social media to complain about audiences? (I am not talking about cell phone use or rude behavior, those things are understandable and I agree with calling out people who can't respect the theater experience) I started noticing a supporting cast member of a current show geared toward families, is complaining about the children in the audience. Their comments, while I am sure intended to be funny, and I am sure to some they are,  are pushing the line of good taste when directed at small children and I wondered how people felt about it. And yes I know the small children aren't aware of the posts, but their parents would be. Obviously it's their personal social media and they can say what they choose in general, but I just wondered if anyone thought they should keep comments about the audience to themselves or a personal account that was not general public accessible, or if they shouldn't edit themselves and audiences are fair game?

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 5:24pm

Jackie Hoffman's at it again, huh?  

[Laurelbluesky]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 5:27pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Jackie Hoffman's at it again, huh?  

 

"

Hahahaha, I was thinking the exact same thing. 

Anyways, I think actors who use social media to complain about their audiences have every right to, since I mean, we do have freedom of speech. It's not like they're posting the comments on the show's official Twitter (hopefully) so I mean they should be free to complain about it. 

(First post from a long time lurker, I hope I'm doing this right) 

 

[EM55]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 5:29pm

I was trying to be gentle, but yeah haha. I mean referring to a toddler as a b*tch even if you intend it as kidding is probably not something your marketing team should have to deal with.

[LarryD2]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 5:42pm

Jackie is Jackie. They knew what they were getting when they hired her, and if her Twitter account was ever going to be a problem, she wouldn't have gotten the job.

[pc1145N]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 5:51pm

I agree.....Jackie is Jackie! I enjoy her tweets. The producers knew exactly what they were getting when they hired her....so I don't think it's a problem.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 6:07pm

I can't stand Jackie Hoffman on-stage -- she is a ham -- so that may impact my view.  If she is going to accept roles in shows like The Addams Family and Chocolate Factory, what the hell does she expect?  Add to that the fact that the quality of both shows is pretty poor -- that based on viewing Addams and reading the feedback here -- and kids minds are going to wander.

The key contributor is that parents who love the theatre and can afford the prices, can't wait to take their kids to the theatre so they can develop that love at an early age.  They are not thinking clearly.  

I did it when my kids were young, and it worked sometimes (e.g.,The Lion King, The Producers) and didn't work others (e.g., Phantom and The King and I).  At the King and I, my (I guess a little spoiled) 5 year old son was on the aisle seat in the orchestra, when he decided to get up and practice his bowing in the aisle.  When I realized what he was doing, based on laughs from behind us, I pulled him back into his seat, but thought 'boy, I guess he is really enjoying it'...only to hear him announce five minutes later to anyone within 5 rows of us to hear that he was bored...luckily, we were not that close to the stage.  I concluded at that point that further visits would be restricted to Disney and Peter Pan for several years.

I do think that parents could do a better job letting their kids know that they need to be quiet before the show begins.  Based on my experience, some have not.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 6:14pm

Jackie Hoffman's tweets are effing hilarious. 

[EM55]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 6:24pm

I appreciate the viewpoints!

In response to Jarethan, I would have thought your son bowing was hilarious haha, but I could also see if someone else was annoyed by the distraction. I 100% agree with you that I think a lot of parents, especially at full price orchestra prices!, are trying to establish an appreciation of theater. Sometimes the child is ready and the material works for them, and sometimes it doesn't. Trial and error finding what interests them.

But I have to say that in the case of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Jackie's comments about the kiddie audiences, I have seen the show a few times over the last couple of months, I personally really liked it and being a fan of Mr Borle and Mr Rubenstein I forgive a lot of it's faults, and while there were a lot of younger kids at a matinee I saw versus an evening show, the audiences I saw immediately settled down, got invested in the performances and most of the children in the audience were better behaved than the adults! So in the small sampling that I saw her complaints weren't called for but I of course didn't see each show.

I don't know, maybe the toddler really was being a B haha.

[DAME]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 7:15pm

She is hilarious and I don't mind it at all.  

[hork]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 7:31pm

I just read her tweets and have no problem with them. It's like her own little stand-up routine, and it's all in good fun. It's not like she's making personal attacks or belittling anyone. 

[Patty3]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 8:33pm

I knew this was Jackie from your description. She's within  her rights to say whatever on her Twitter account. I've witnessed some really rude behavior by adults in the theater so I am sure their kids are no better. I saw Hello Dolly today and the woman sitting next to my friend sang loudly throughout the show. We were 8th row orchestra. I'm surprised Bette didn't hear her.

And a woman sitting next to me at Groundhog Day yelled at some 20 something audience members behind us because they were laughing.  Uh, it's a comedy.    

Updated On: 5/8/17 at 08:33 PM

[Cfried]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 8:36pm

I love Jackie Hoffman and this doesn't bother me at all. Her tweets are HILARIOUS. 

[haterobics]

Posted: 5/7/17 at 9:23pm

EM55 said: "I was trying to be gentle, but yeah haha. I mean referring to a toddler as a b*tch even if you intend it as kidding is probably not something your marketing team should have to deal with."

If these people didn't see the reviews online before booking their tickets, one imagines they aren't following individual cast members on Twitter, either.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 1:28am

I've never worked a job--theater or otherwise--where negative comments about the customers would have done anything but get me fired.

If Hoffman has a following because her tweets are witty, however, I can understand that perhaps her producers don't mind.

BTW, yes, we have freedom of the press (perhaps a better guide here than freedom of speech). But employers have every right to fire you for what you "publish". Constitutional protections shield you from the government, not all consequences.

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 1:50am

GavestonPS said: "I've never worked a job--theater or otherwise--where negative comments about the customers would have done anything but get me fired.

If Hoffman has a following because her tweets are witty, however, I can understand that perhaps her producers don't mind.

BTW, yes, we have freedom of the press (perhaps a better guide here than freedom of speech). But employers have every right to fire you for what you "publish". Constitutional protections shield you from the government, not all consequences."

 

I was was thinking the same thing as I read this thread. My personal online life is linked in a few ways to my employer which has a significant online presence. We support an organization that likewise is prominent. While I often enjoy Jackie's humor, I wouldn't dream of bad-mouthing employees, patients, or the missions of either organization, even in jest. True, I'm not Jackie Hoffman, I don't work in the comedy or entertainment fields, and I don't have the weight of a union behind me. I know it's her shtick to push the limits with her ad libs and other comments so I get it. And frankly, given how the young characters are treated on stage, I find a sort of funny comparison to her treatment of the young audience members. 

It still seems we as a society are figuring out how to use social media appropriately. Look at all the athletes who post some inappropriate comment followed up about a day later with an apology. 

 

[EM55]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 8:04am

PatrickDC I think you and I are close to the same page here. I admit that a lot of what she says is very funny, I'm just not sure she should be saying it on a page linked to her show and tagged with variations of the show's title. In light of the struggles this show is having with reviews and audience buzz on social media, I don't think she is helping haha. Having said that, as the other person posted out people who are bringing small kids are probably not following her. It was just interesting to me to see if other people were fine with it, outraged or amused. Seems like most feel not a big deal, I don't know though, I have never been a fan of the "oh that's just their way" mentality. I think if you are a public figure you should be a little more careful. But then again when I mentioned this to friends in conversation, they had no idea who she was til I said "Mamacita" and even then didn't know her name haha.

[Rockyfan2000]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 9:09am

I find Jackie Hoffmann's tweets absolutely hilarious!  

[Jane2]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 10:02am

Well, I don't read twitter nor do I like Jackie Hoffman on stage at all, but my thoughts on this topic are general. When it comes to your employment, I don't think it's wise to broadcast your negative thoughts.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 10:06am

I kind of always assumed Jackie Hoffman's bark was significantly worse than her bite, and take a lot of what she says on social media with a grain of salt because of it.

I also thought this thread was going to be a rehash of that video Laura Benanti made last year chiding people for not applauding. 

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 10:10am

I hope parents are reading her tweets and the offenders are sufficiently embarrassed enough to either stop attending the theatre or start parenting their children.  If Hoffman gets herself fired, then she gets herself fired.  I don't think she's oblivious to the possibility.

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 10:26am

Just read her twitter. Her tweets are lame and trying to hard and she doesn't appear to have that many followers or people who respond, so I don't care about this.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 10:27am

Babe_Williams said: "Just read her twitter. Her tweets are lame and trying to hard and she doesn't appear to have that many followers or people who respond, so I don't care about this."

But you cared enough to reply?

10,000+ followers is fairly substantial, plus she is verified.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 10:31am

I mean, Jackie Hoffman keeps getting herself hired, so I'm sure her employers don't care. This is her schtick, and it's been that way for years. 

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 5/8/17 at 10:33am

LizzieCurry said: "Babe_Williams said: "Just read her twitter. Her tweets are lame and trying to hard and she doesn't appear to have that many followers or people who respond, so I don't care about this."

But you cared enough to reply?

10,000+ followers is fairly substantial, plus she is verified.

 

"

She doesn't get many responses to her tweets and none of her tweets are witty or edgy as she thinks. Just my opinion.