BY PAM LOBLEY

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

NOW THAT’S FUNNY

At an AMC movie theatre in Kent, Wash., a man became so frustrated with a noisy kid that he hit him. He has been charged with assault.

The man, 21-year-old Yong Hyun Kim, said he thought the boy he hit was an adult. In fact, his victim is only 10 years old. Mr. Kim had been watching “Titanic” in 3-D. Maybe he still had those funny glasses on, and that’s why the kid looked so big.

The boy was there with his friends, and they had been making lots of noise. According to The Christian Post, Mr. Kim, who was enjoying the movie, had repeatedly asked them to be quiet. The kids ignored him, and then started throwing popcorn. Mr. Kim got so angry he climbed over the seats and confronted the kids, who just laughed at him. Enraged, Mr. Kim hit one of the children, causing him to lose a tooth.

I blame Celine Dion for this. I can’t listen to that song anymore, either.

Mr. Kim could face three to nine months of jail time if convicted of assault. However, if a jury of his peers has anything to say about it, he won’t be convicted. Comments from readers of the story on several different sites including the one above and this one in the Washington Post show overwhelming support for a guy who loses patience with a bratty kid.

The general feeling these days is that kids have become totally out of control and that parents have given up. A bunch of 10-year-olds left unsupervised at a PG-13 movie seems to support that idea.

I don’t know what the management of this particular theatre was doing during this fracas, but an AMC spokesman, Ryan Noonan, issued a statement that said, "We strongly encourage guests to be respectful of their fellow moviegoers, and to report any disturbance to an AMC associate so that we may handle it directly."

Thanks, Ryan! Super helpful!

I don’t condone hitting a child, but I don’t think this guy deserves jail time. How about community service? Maybe he could help out in an after-school program. Just kidding.

In any case, I see a few lessons here …

Those kids should have not have been watching "Titanic." 10 years old is way too young to watch that movie. It’s heavy on history and storyline, and it’s really long, and the kids were bored and that’s why they were acting up.

Mr. Kim should not have been watching "Titanic." OK, so it’s 3-D, big deal. You know how old that movie is? It’s so old they’ve proven that the boat probably sank in an entirely different manner than portrayed in the movie. Look it up.

When kids are acting up in the movies, go get the management. Ask them to step in. If enough people do this, management will have to work way too hard, and they will start making rules that kids under 15 must be accompanied by a parent.

Don’t hit people. Even if they really have it coming.

Netflix!

Today’s obnoxious child is tomorrow’s JPMorgan trader. Parents, I beg you, act now and manner up your kids. Or at least keep them locked up under your surveillance.

Pam Lobley writes the “Now That’s Funny” column. Her book, “You Definitely Know You’re a Mom When …” is now available on Kindle. Follow her on Twitter @plobley.

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