Categories: Need to know

Chinese woman sues movie theatre for showing commercials

Woman claims “emotional damage” from enduring 20 minutes of ads

by macleans.ca on Tuesday, September 7, 2010 11:32am - 0 Comments

A Chinese woman is suing a cinema and film distributor in the city of Xian on the grounds that the companies failed to warn her that she would be forced to watch 20 minutes of pre-movie advertisements. Chen Xiaomei, a lawyer herself, says her freedom of choice was violated by the ads that preceded Aftershock, a popular Chinese film about a 1976 earthquake. Xiaomei is seeking compensation of 35-yuan ($5.20) to cover the ticket price, 1 yuan (15 cents) for her emotional damage and a written apology. She is also lobbying to have commercials limited to a maximum of five minutes and for cinemas to be required to publish the actual times that the opening credits roll.

Vancouver Sun

Phil_King

I have to admit that commercials in the theatre tick me off. Previews are one thing, but the number and length of commericals in movie theatres is getting out of hand.

In a day and age where one can fastforward through commercials recorded on one's PVR or whatever, it's quite the shock to sit through 10 minutes of commercials before you even get to the damn previews.
John D

I went to a movie yesterday and the length (and volume!) of commercials was beyond annoying. I'll just download something next time.
citizen_CA

Good for her! Movies have been getting more expensive to see, so when I do go to the theater it really irks me to have to sit through a bunch of commercials. I paid to see the movie, not the commercials.

true north

Agree..My wife and I had not been to the movies in over 25 years (honest ) Admission, two popcorn, couple of pop and some licorice…$ 54.00….and then we have to endure all these ads, some guy with big hair in front of me and some idiot behind us belching in my ear, and the large woman with the weak bladder going to the bathroom every 20 minutes..Never again….I'll just have to get my kid to show me how to use the home theater thingy again and I'll stay home……

ntt

Our local small town 5-plex has only three or four commercials, so an endless loop is played,
6or 7 reps in ten minutes is not uncommon, worse than water torture.
If they were in Chinese ,at least we could tune them out.
fuddle duddle

at home i try to turn the channel or hit mute when a commercial comes on …same thing when you get one on your computer …i guess when they force you to watch commercials at a theater you are what they call a "captive audience"
RunningGag

No one else thinks that it is bizarre that this woman is suing over what would be about $20 in Canada, and a letter of apology? Only a lawyer.

JSC

If this story was coming from the US, I'm sure it'd be for $20,000,000.

RunningGag

But even considering the difference in the ticket price, it's still an awfully small amount to be suing over. I don't get it.

true north

Maybe by her suing over this Advertising thing , it is her way of getting Free Advertising without advertising…just a thought.

Gary

Commericials are an affront to intelligence and irritating. I purposely avoid the products pushed the hardest.
Madame Merlot

Five minutes would be endurable. I agree that 20 minutes is too long when we have paid for the main film. Some of the previews are OK. But the Ads are demeaning and stupid. Stop the Commericials and stop treating people as though we are idiot consumers.