#Gentleminions Trend on TikTok Causes Concern for Movie Theaters
Seven years after Minions, Minions: The Rise of Gru is now available. Following the TikTok trend #gentleminions, drones of Gen Z came to the theaters in suits. However, for some movie theaters, this movement was considered disruptive.
Currently, on TikTok, the trend #gentleminions has more than 5.4 million views. One TikTok video related to the trend reached 8.7 million likes. Meanwhile, according to Los Angeles Times, this trend helps “Minions: The Rise of Gru break the Fourth of July record during its opening weekend at the domestic box office.”
better start believing it. #gentleminions pic.twitter.com/54Yo8652r3
— leviticus (@dramatdc) July 3, 2022
Universal Pictures is ecstatic and encourages Gen Z to watch in suits.
However, movie theaters are having a very different reaction to the trend. The behaviors of trend-following fans troubled theatre staff and movie attendees alike. According to BBC News, those behaviors include “vandalism, throwing objects and abusing staff.”
Some #Gentlemionions followers throw popcorn on the floor. However, as Twitter user @cleoofffilm commented, “this is not very gentleminionly.”
Two tickets to see MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU please
— Kynan Marlin (@kynan_marlin) July 3, 2022
#gentleminions pic.twitter.com/0TEPVTlpt5
Staff needs to work much more than usual, and some families are leaving the theater even before the film begins. Children have been seen leaving in tears. As a result, theaters “suffered a ‘massive’ financial blow from all the refunds.”
Some theaters have been forced to ban people wearing suits from entering the theater.
Following the GentleMinions TikTok trend, some movie theatres are starting to ban groups of people in suits from watching the Minions movie pic.twitter.com/zOA7PfxtP0
— Dexerto (@Dexerto) July 4, 2022
The zeal of Gen Z Minion lovers has left countless movie-goers feeling disturbed. People come to the movies for a pleasurable, cathartic experience. TikTok trends have taught us a lot about beauty and culture, but the #Gentleminions trend has shown movie theaters the downside to trending behaviors.
Journalist | Instagram @immeradrian
