The real problem with the Minecraft movie trend that people seem to have missed

"Why is it so normalised to hate on young women for enjoying movies in a legitimately harmless way like we did during Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour, when boys are allowed to get away with ... THIS?" 

If you’ve been on the internet at all in the last week and a half, you’ve definitely seen the videos of teenage boys making a scene in A Minecraft Movie showings all over the world.

At first, it seemed harmless - young boys just having a good time, clapping and cheering and laughing along to the moments some of them had been waiting to see on screen for years. But now, security is being called, cinemas are being absolutely trashed, and live chickens are being left in theatres to die.

And yet, no matter how ridiculous it gets, so many are justifying these actions, saying it’s simply ‘boys being boys’ (ick) and asking ‘why can’t we just let boys have fun?’.

Looking at the results, I think the question answers itself.

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Dressed up for the Eras Tour movie screening, and as 'Journalist Barbie' for Halloween. Image: Supplied.

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Crazy cinemas aren't always a bad thing

Wild cinema reactions and themed showings are no new thing, created for A Minecraft Movie.

In the last decade alone, we’ve seen some of the biggest movies of all time hit the screen, including Avengers: Endgame - highest-grossing film of all time, the highest opening weekend gross, and the fastest cumulative grosses through $2.5 billion - Barbie - the highest-grossing film directed by a woman - and Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour - the highest-grossing concert film of all time.

Each of these rightfully spawned a huge response from fans, and I was there for all of them.

But, when you look at the difference in how these responses were looked at by outsiders, the reasoning behind it becomes so disgustingly clear.

Image: Supplied.

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The year of girlhood

I’ve been a Swiftie for as long as I can remember. Taylor Swift’s Sydney stop on her Fearless tour was my first ever concert at 10 years old.

So, you can imagine my excitement when it was announced that the Eras Tour film would be making its way to cinemas.

My local cinema had a dedicated Swiftie Committee who, in the lead up to the film’s release, put together a host of displays and stalls for anyone coming along to see it.

The result was a foyer complete with a Taylor Swift balloon arch, face painters writing the number 13 on viewers’ hands, and set ups for friendship bracelet making and swapping.

Everyone at my showing was dressed up and ready to sing their hearts out, but for some reason, rather than praise for ‘having fun’, this garnered criticism. Young women were being called out for their ‘annoying’ behaviour, kickstarting debates and prompting think pieces on theatre etiquette, and whether it’s okay to sing and dance at the cinema even when the singer herself encouraged it.

These girls were accused of ‘shrieking’, ‘being rude’ and acting ‘cultish’.

And sure, it was a little loud. But girls should be able to have fun, right?

Just a few months earlier, we had Barbie - a movie made specifically for women and girls to connect with one another, through a story so many of us could relate to.

In tune with the colour palette of the movie, viewers were encouraged to wear pink - and that we did. Barbiecore became one of 2023’s biggest trends. I remember going to work that day after rummaging through my drawers to find my one pink cardigan, specifically to wear to the cinema.

While this was far more tame than the Eras Tour movie showings, still the response from men had misogynistic undertones, with women called out for embracing their femininity, labelled ‘childish’ and called ‘bimbos’.

Perhaps two female-centred movies in one year was too much for them.

Police officers are being called to cinemas across the globe to rescue live chickens left behind, and break up bad behaviour at screenings of A Minecraft Movie. Image: TikTok / @laurenlundd, @screenhousetiktok.

How are they getting away with this?

When A Minecraft Movie was first released, I was so here for boys lapping up what looked like a fun cinema experience.

For me, it felt like their version of The Eras Tour or Barbie, and reminded me of reactions to Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home - I will forever remember the moment Andrew Garfield popped up on the screen, and if this was their equivalent, how could I blame them for getting excited?

But, what started as a harmless trend quickly turned sour, with innocent shouting and cheering turning into standing on seats, running around and throwing food at others in the theatre - so much so that cinemas not only here but across the world have had to shut down screenings, with some even calling security or the police.

This week, the film’s director Jared Hess told Entertainment Weekly that he thought this reaction was dramatic and overbearing.

“It’s weird when you’re having too much fun and the cops get called,” he said.

“It’s funny because I think it’s just literally cheering and throwing popcorn, which is so funny to me that cops are getting called for popcorn. Yeah, it’s hilarious. I’ve seen so many funny videos. It’s great, especially when people are climbing on their friends’ shoulders and standing up and cheering for those moments. It’s like this crazy anticipation. But, man, I’m just glad people are making memories with their friends and families.”

And, his perspective aligns with many Aussie parents, who are accusing cinemas of overreacting and stopping their boys from having ‘harmless fun’.

But, for many, it’s not harmless at all - just in the last few days, I’ve seen a number of videos of parents having to leave the cinema with their young, disabled or neurodivergent children because of the behaviour of others, as well as plenty who have opted against seeing the movie altogether in fear that their child would be hurt or overwhelmed. 

My question is, why is it so normalised to hate on young women for enjoying movies in a legitimately harmless way, when boys are allowed to get away with behaviour so poor it’s shutting cinemas down?

Young boys are in a difficult enough position as it is, being subtly force fed red pill ideology via social media at an incredibly vulnerable age. Not calling out violent and disruptive behaviour when you see it isn’t going to help anyone.

Originally published as The real problem with the Minecraft movie trend that people seem to have missed