For a hilarious discussion regarding tipping in restaurants, see the first scene in Quentin Taratino's Reservoir Dogs.

fschultz - any will farrel except ELF!

I do lots of stuff by myself, either because no one wants to go with me or they can't. Honestly if I waited around for someone to accompany me to wherever it is I wanted to go, I would spend a lot of time at home instead of living life.
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Most of my friends think it's odd (to say the least) that I think nothing of, say, having dinner by myself. Some even say it's sad or that they "wouldn't be caught dead" doing something alone. Really? Not doing what I want because my self-esteem is so dependent on the company of others is what's sad in my book. I guess it helps that I really couldn't care less what others (especially complete strangers) think of me.

Please add Jerry Lewis, David Caruso, and Rosie O'Donnell.

OK, looks like we need a new blog from the Off-the-Clockers so we can talk about our favorite movies. Can we outlaw, right from the outset, any movie starring Will Ferrell or Ben Stiller?

It's been a belief for a long time that the world's sickest people are comedians. If anything supports that belief, its the movie The Aristocrats and the joke it's based on. It's not only the obscenity of it all but equal to its sick obscenity is its total lack of wit.

Network, the movie, was directed by a true genius, Paddy Chievsky. Network, though prophetic for its time, is getting very close to having understated the future. The witlessness of television today is disturbing.

Well, like I always say, "obscenity is in the eye of the pervert". That statement always went over well backstage at Church when I was an altar boy. That said, THE ARISTOCRATS is horribly obscene, even to a cynical mansard like myself. Okay, fine, you have a point. I only brought up that particular movie because it was one I had seen all by myself in a movie theater though. I will now recommend five movies to you that are my very favorites of all time, to prove that I am not ONLY a cynical mansard, but also a devoted cinefile who appreciates true celluloid greatness. I would highly recommend the Albert Brooks film LOST IN AMERICA, Hal Ashby's BEING THERE, Lumet's NETWORK, Scorsese's THE KING OF COMEDY, and of course, the Burt Reynolds classic THE CANNONBALL RUN. Those are my five favorite movies of all time, and if there are any on that list that you have not yet seen, Ms. Wheelock...well, what are you waiting for?? Janesville's sadly limited "rental resources" are sure to at least have a couple of them!!!!

Testerrific. Seriously. Of all the movies created in the history of movie-making, you had to pick The Aristocrats? It's an interesting documentary deconstructing the way various demographics of comedians tell the joke, but it *is* an obscene joke. A review on imdb.com describes it as, "the world's dirtiest joke, an old burlesque too extreme to be performed in public".

But I get where you're going with the deleted portion. As long as people don't think we're talking about The AristoCats, and expect to find a Disney movie.

Since Ms. Wheelock has broached the subject, I guess I will have to tell the ARISTOCRATS joke just so everyone on this message board will know what we are speaking about in such "coded terms". The joke goes like this: There is a very talented family of stage performers comprised of a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, and a grandmother. Unable to find a place to perform on their own, the family seeks out a talent agent to help promote their unique performance art. The talent agent asks them to perform for him, to demonstrate their talents, and so the father begins to <THIS SECTION OF THE POST HAS BEEN DELETED> and the talent agent is completely blown away and impressed by what he has just witnessed and asks the family what they call their act. The father, still breathing heavily, responds "THE ARISTOCRATS!!!!" I hope the Gazette does not delete the 14 pages of description here, but they probably will. Fascists....

I like just being alone, no one else to embarrass me by being rude to the waitress, complaining about every little thing regarding their food or gossiping about something I could give a darn about. Like others have said, I like the movies without the questions or comments too. At 60 I'm just happy finally being able to be myself. I just have one suggestion to anyone out there who is uncomfortable being alone at the table, read your paper or that book, look at the ceiling or the walls or even me....Just don't pretend there's someone there with you while you gab on that stupid cellphone and ruin everyone elses dinner - Please leave the darned thing in the car.

Heckfire, *I'll* take you out to dinner!

;-)

Didn't Pee Wee Herman used to go to movies by himself?

im single and go to restaurants by myself, i also like going to the movies by myself where i can enjoy the movie without being bothered or having someone ask a million questions about it.

I rarely get the chance to be by myself, thanks to my wonderful two year old (not complaining.) If I ever do get time to myself I would love to go somewhere quiet and read a book and drink some hot chocolate. I don't care what kind of looks I get. You don't know my story and I don't know yours. Don't judge me and I won't judge you.
My dad is a truck driver and he drives out west every other week. Even though he takes food with him, he sometimes stops at restraunts to eat a 'real' meal. I don't think there is anything wrong with it.

Back when I was single, I would go to movies by myself. Why not? It's dark, and it's not like you should be talking to someone anyway. And I have eaten by myself. I'm not a "fancy" kinda person, so I stay out of those places all together. Now that I'm married, I always have someone to eat with, but if he's out of town, or hunting...yeah, I'll enjoy a meal by myself. Who cares anyway?

Movies- Nothing to feel strange about from watching alone.

Restaurants- depends on the restaurant. You should feel strange at the really upscale restaurants. These places are not there just to "fill your belly". The meal is a social experience and you are going to look odd reading a book or doing the crossword puzzle by yourself. Cafes, fast food, normal super clubs, bar & grills and the like you should not feel strange eating alone. It also matters the time of day. Lunch time I think you can eat alone at just about any restaurant and not feel strange; dinner time it really depends on the restaurant.

And the person who commented about feeling strange taking up a table alone does have a point. A solo diner takes up the same space as a couple, requires essentially the same service and brings in half the income. On a busy night where there is a waiting list this is a bit insensitive.

I actually think it is nice to sit and eat alone at a restaurant - not all the time, but sometimes, and when I do this, I tend to bring a book or my computer.

And going to the movies alone? I've done it once, and would love to have time (and money) to do it again. It was a luxury for me, since I was able to get what I wanted for a snack, and just enjoy the movie without worrying about if my "date" for the movie was enjoying him or herself.

I eat alone
Yeah, with nobody else
I eat alone
I prefer to be by myself
You know I eat alone
I prefer to be by myself

The other morning while eating breakfast
I drank my coffee and tea
But none of the other bloggers
Were sitting next to me

I eat alone....

I would only suggest that if someone is eating in a restaurant alone and he or she is talking to himself or herself that he or she speak with complete courtesy and with the utmost respect for the minority opinion.

Probably the biggest reason people don’t go to restaurants alone is because they feel self-conscious. Once you’ve read the menu and ordered, you’re left to sit there and stare at the walls, the ceiling, or other the customers – which in some restaurants is liable to get you thumped. Unless you’ve broken the code and take a book along. (Newspapers are a little bit bulky to handle, especially once your food starts arriving.) I used to do a lot of business travel, and thought nothing of taking a book into any sort of restaurant that caught my eye. I never had a server make a negative comment about my being there, either.

As for going at a low point of the day, true, a single person at a table is still paying. But only ½ to ¼ as much as that table would usually earn. Thereby generating a fraction of the usual tip. But then again, the single person won’t be there yakking over 6 cups of coffee after dessert. So it all pretty much evens out.

when i did an internship in san jose, california two summers ago, it got to be up to 106 degrees and i didn't have air conditioning (and i only did my internship every other day...i had a night job on top of that).

i am a movie lover, so i saw many movies in the theater that summer. alone. it was a good way to keep cool and be entertained at the same time. i didn't know too many people out there, so i rarely had a buddy to see a movie with me.

now, i live right by a movie theater in madison, and i don't go alone as often as i did that summer, but i will every once in a while. if my boyfriend wants to see a movie that i'm not thrilled about, he'll go alone. we don't think it's a huge deal.

maybe it's because i'm in madison, but i see many people alone at restaurants/cafes all the time. usually it's downtown and they are student-aged, but no one seems to condemn them. i've also seen professionals on their lunch breaks eating alone with a newspaper or book.

so basically, i don't think it's sad or pathetic. i think that it just might take some confidence to do those things alone!

DJ - the comment was made based solely on the fact that I would most likely spend an hour or more there. I don't want to take up a table that another couple could use. I have worked in the food/beverage industry and know the importance of income and payroll. I would love to tip my server the amount she/he would have lost by me sitting there for two hours, but I don't make that much. :) And why so offended? I could be making room for you. Besides, a busy restaurant means interupted reading. I can lose myself in a book in a slow, quiet restaurant/cafe/coffee shop.

...and someone just sent me a concerned email about the title of my blog. It's a Foo Fighters song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAaU5JUBc...

prevention: You do realize that I mean Erie is just surrounded by small towns and forest until you get to Pittsburgh, right? It's not like I used its "Mistake on the Lake" nickname...
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Testerrific: Thank you for not *describing* "The Aristocrats". Then we would have to remove your comment!!
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sannio: I bet you are "narrower" than me because you don't eat out at restaurants as often! Which reminds me, I should work out tonight...

maresyann, what's up with this comment? "I would not go to a restaurant where "turnover" is important to both the staff and the business itself and I would always go during a "low" point in the day."
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A person sitting alone is still a paying customer.

Since I'm narrow and judgmental in regard to people eating alone, I choose not to for that reason.

Sometimes people (men or women) are on the road for their job and they need to eat... alone, by themselves. Hotels don't normally furnish eating or cooking paraphernalia, so they can't order delivery or cook in. Why should they be relegated to fast food drive throughs for their meals? Don't be so narrow-minded and judgmental about people eating alone!

ive been happily single long enough to have gone more than a few places alone. my theory is thats one of the main reasons peeps want to be in a relationship. seriously, so they dont have to go to receptions/holidays/restaurants alone.

One of my jobs is a server and I see people come into the restaurant and eat alone. Two ladies do it on a regular basis. I don't think it's weird. After work I sometimes sit and eat alone until my boyfriend comes or I just eat alone.

Monday's use to be my day off and I would take that day to do what I wanted to do. Monday's are typically slow in theaters so to go along with *testerrific* it many times was a private screening for me. I would first go out to eat at a supper club have a couple drinks grab a great meal. No rush to sit at the bar and hurry along. No rush to enjoy my steak. And then after that I would go enjoy a movie (depending on how much I ate determined the size of the popcorn I ordered). I have friends that I genuniely enjoy hanging out with and doing things with, however it's peaceful to just be by yourself once in awhile. There is absolutly nothing wrong with going anywhere by yourself. Or doing anything without someone being there. What is socially acceptable behavior anymore? Seriously have you been to a wedding or funeral lately and see how people dress to those functions??? THATS embarrasing! Have some respect for crying out loud :-)

I'm curious to hear from the people who think it's pathetic and embarrassing for people to eat in restaurants alone. Why do you think this way? All I've read is that that is just how it is--end of story. I have to agree with Beth--I go to a restaurant to eat. In the event that I want to do something special with friends, we might go to a restaurant, but we might just stay in and make food, too.

Ahem, as I'm sure you know, Beth, Erie isn't that bad of a place. ;)

Going to movies by yourself is fine. It is dark in there, and a movie experience is singular anyway. I have done it from time to time, and never felt weird about it. I prefer it actually. One of the best movie theater experiences I ever had was a few years ago when I was the ONLY person in the WHOLE theater to see "The Aristocrats" here in Janesville. I felt like I was at a private screening, which would always do me just fine. The reason I rarely go to theaters at all anymore is because of the ingorant butts around me who have to chat with each other through the whole damn thing, or answer their cell phones and chat. Maybe it should be a law that movie tickets are only sold to individuals attending the theater by themselves, who are solely interested in watching the movie. The restaurant thing is a different story. I would never go to a restaurant and eat by myself. That is just embarrassing. There are fine people who can deliver food to your house these days. Or there is something called a "drive-thru" that McDonalds invented in 2002. I am not sure why you would want to go to a restaurant and eat by yourself. That is just kind of weird. Yes, yes, there are restaurants that don't have a drive-thru, and don't deliver...but THOSE are the ones you wait for until you have a companion. Or if those restaurants are so good you can't wait, you pay for a companion. It has been done...not by me though...a...guy...I know...has done it..once....

I don't see a problem with dining or enjoying a movie or even a play or show alone, considering most people I know might not enjoy it. And I would definately not skip the experience because no one else wanted to join in. I would not go to a restaurant where "turnover" is important to both the staff and the business itself and I would always go during a "low" point in the day. My husband enjoys movies alone but I can't do it. I have to have someone next to me to either nudge or hide my face into, given the proper circumstances. Complete strangers don't appreciate that, especially when you reach into their popcorn.

Yeah, I mean, I'm not talking about the stereotypical movie scene in an upscale restaurant where the host looks condescendingly at the single person and says, "Table for ONE??!!" as the waiters scurry to remove all other chairs from the table...

It depends on what you mean by restaurants. I don't go to many sit-down restaurants by myself, but I won't hesitate to go to cafes on my own. I've gone to the movies a few times by myself, mostly when I was in college and something was showing on campus. It was actually a liberating feeling, knowing I didn't need someone to go with me to have fun.

Once I went to a college football game by myself because my friends were all being lame and "studying." I wouldn't recommend that.