Today’s comic is the yang to Wednesday’s comic yin. I thought it was important that Tom be served some kind of comeuppance for his comments in that strip because, well, I took a little heat for it.

I knew Wednesday’s comic and blog would generate a little controversy. It’s to be expected when you take a hard line on an unreasonable position.

Obviously anything I create for the site is meant to be interpreted as entertainment. But I think this is an instance where things got away from me a little bit.

Reader Matt Harrison forwarded me a link to a bit that Jerry Seinfield performed at the 2006 Oscar ceremony when he was announcing the nominees for Best Documentary. I had kind of forgotten about it, but when Matt mentioned it, part of the puzzle clicked. If you’ll allow me the indulgence, here is the transcript of his routine:

“I’m a huge fan of movies in general. I go all the time. I’ve noticed in theaters now they’re running some announcement trying to get you to pick up the garbage from around your seat. Oh, OK! Let me bring my orange jumpsuit and a wooden stick with a nail in it, too! Maybe I’ll work my way down the highway after the credits roll.

I’m not pickin’ nothin’ up! I’m the one that threw it down. How many different jobs do I have to do here?! There is an agreed-upon deal between us and the movie-theater people, it’s understood by every single person in this room. The deal is, YOU rip us off on overpriced, oversized crap that we shouldn’t be eating to begin with, and in exchange for that, when I’m done with something [holds out hand as if holding a soda cup], I open my hand [opens hand, letting the cup fall]. I’m not stickin’ my hand down into a dark hole to try and pry out three Goobers that have been soda-welded there since ‘The Shawshank Redemption’.”

That was kind of the spirit of things I was going for. Only problem is, I’m not Jerry Seinfeld and people can’t interpret your tone over the internet.

If I’m being honest, I wouldn’t have written what I did if I didn’t think there was a ring of truth to it. Concession prices are ridiculous and it feels like they’re adding insult to injury by telling us “Don’t forget to pick up after yourselves!” Especially when the status quo – the unspoken agreement – is that we’re spending our money to get away from those kind of responsibilities as long as there is someone there to do the job for us.

Of course, there is no logical defense against acting responsibly. Trash bins are at theater exits for a reason. As one of my readers, a theater worker, pointed out “People seem to have no problem bringing in a full bucket of popcorn and a 32oz. soda. But when it comes to taking out a few empty cups, it’s too much of a hassle.”

That’s hard to refute.

Reading the e-mails and forum discussions that spawned from Wednesday comic, I stuck to my guns at first. Partly because there’s no such thing as bad press and I wanted people to continue talking about the comic. I was also interested in seeing where the conversation would go. During the debate, I claimed that leaving your trash in the theater is a small way to “stick it to the man.”

That was the turning point.

The thing I overlooked in this whole debate are the people at the front lines – the theater workers who have to clean up this garbage. Yes, concession prices have inflated over the years, but little (if any) of that money trickles down to the theater worker. Why make an unpleasant job harder by refusing to make a minimal effort.

At first I protested. After all, I was once a theater worker. I used to have to pick up the most foul crap imaginable. We didn’t complain. That was the job and we knew it. Where was my advocate.

But then I realized that I’m nearly 30 years old and I need to get over it. This, as it turns out, is not the appropriately mature, adult thing to do. Additionally, as a blogger with some influence (however limited) it simply wasn’t responsible to suggest to my readers that it is acceptable to leave trash in a theater.

So as of this moment I’m renouncing my garbage-leaving ways and I encourage you to do the same. It doesn’t take a lot of effort and you’ll be the better person for it.

If you’re still looking for a way to “stick it to the man” and make your statement about the price of a popcorn and soda, boycott the concession counter. Send a message to the theater managers and hit them where it hurts – their pocketbooks. Don’t take it out on the little guy.

Or, you know, sneak your own soda into the theater.

C’mon! It’s Friday. I can still be a little bad!

Have a great weekend everyone!