Originally Posted by
Fraser
It is strange phenomenon...almost as odd as clapping at the end of a movie. Something I've never understood either. Do those involved with the film have a special sense of hearing? Do we throw rotten fruit if it is a duffer?
FWIW, I think applauding at the end of a movie has more to do with appreciating a common experience, or when the film speaks to people in a palpable way. Probably the airplane experience is similar. A way of recognizing the shared experience.
Both are something that once were wondrous and amazing, and now are merely prosaic, at least to those who 1) watch a lot of movies, 2) fly a lot, or both.
Actually, both experiences are actually still pretty cool, when you think about it with a naive/fresh perspective. Like a 4-year old at Christmas, maybe, or someone enjoying Mardi Gras for the first time.
Happy Mardi Gras, by the way.
lux