25%

Watching a movie is supposed to be relaxing, right? Not necessarily if you're one of the four kids living at my house. And definitely not if you are our parents. First mom and dad are bombarded with pleas for permission to use the television. And then, once we've made sure we won't be ambushed by my parents demanding why we are using the TV, You should see my siblings and I try to choose a movie.
There are four of us here at home, so each of us holds exactly 25% of the decision-making rights. We all wish we had more power in that area. And we all go to great lengths to get our favorite movie into the DVD player. A couple of years ago I found Jumanji under the couch. Alyssa used to hate that movie. I wonder how it got there...but yeah, that's one devious example. The selection did become a lot easier when we joined Netflix. Now we usually watch whatever movie we are loaning at the time, yet even then the discussions can become rowdy. Sometimes we argue over how and why the movie that we have found it's way to our mailbox, even though in hindsight i can say firmly that yes, those debates were in fact pointless. Especially since we always know exactly where to place the blame. My mom has always been in charge of what DVDs get into the queue. Until I took over about 6 months ago, anyway. My mom tends to be drawn to obscure, old movies. I don't dislike all obscure movies, but most of the time there is a reason they are obscure. Take "The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill And Came Down A Mountain", for example. Yes, that is a real movie. It wasn't as bad as "Go Down South", though, which we sat through about fifteen minutes of before we gave up. My mom is responsible for all the weird movies we've been delivered. There have been a couple diamonds in the rough, but even at this moment there are about five terribly cheesy, Netflix movies stuck in my head. I cringe at the thought of sitting through them ever again. Blech. Yup, we've gotten some clunkers from Netflix. So when the sibs and I want to watch a movie but all we have is some film from 1950 about a boy and a balloon or something, our best bet is to pick from the winners that we own. And so we're back to all agreeing on a movie to watch from the millions sitting on the bookshelf in the TV room. We usually go for a comedy, one genre we can all find common ground with. But we all have our favorites! Get Smart, Nacho Libre, Rocketman, What About Bob, Garfield, Cool Runnings, etc. So we each wield our 25% stock for all it's worth and hope we don't get stuck watching Alyssa's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (although I think Garfield has come to overshadow that favorite over the years, Thank God). But even with all the compromises and wrestling matches that result from having to share the TV, It never really occurs to me to try and kick my siblings out so that I can watch whatever I want, whenever I want. Not that I could if I wanted to, but I don't think I would either. Television is a social thing at our house. I have never really sat down and watched a movie by myself unless i was sick, and even then my siblings are usually watching it with me. It's always more fun to laugh at Bill Murray or Jack Black or Steve Carell when you're relaxing on the couch with a friend. And siblings are friends that are pretty much on hand all the time...so I always watch stuff with them. Because what's the point of watching Nacho Libre if your siblings aren't there to memorize the lines and laugh at them with you, later? And I like to avoid that awkward moment when I'm laughing at the TV and look around for Jojo, but he's not there. It's always more fun to laugh with someone. So if the price of having a good laugh with the brothers and sisters is having a mere 25% of the movie choice, then okay. Its worth it...i guess. Hahaha. Besides, Jojo and I packed away Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the Box, and Alyssa still hasn't figured it out. ;)