My Terrible Experience at the Santikos Palladium

I went to a Santikos Theater called Palladium and had a wonderful incident. I wore face paint and was asked by the management to wash it off because it was scaring people. I complied. After I washed it off and sat back down the management team asked me to just come back at another time. They refunded my money and gave me a rain check.

This is the email I wrote to the Palladium.

Dear Sir or Madam, 

I am Japanese. Hence the last name Kobayashi. Big Hero 6 has Japanese themes in it. Namely the Kabuki mask used by the villain. It does not mean bad. It’s a theater mask. Every Friday I facepaint because it’s fun and this Friday I decided to do something Japanese and chose to do the Kabuki Mask from Big Hero 6 (a film you show in your theaters). If you do not know what a Kabuki mask is here is a link and if you would like to see a picture from Big Hero 6.

I do not get to do many things that are Japanese, so it was a special day today. 

As I have done before I decided to go to the movie theater and watch Mockingjay with my Kabuki facepaint. Moments before the film starts I’m asked by your staff to please come with them. They explained that people were afraid of my facepaint and asked if I could wash it off. I explained that I’ve done this before, wore facepaint to the theater and they had no problem. They had nothing to say to that and just insisted that I wash it off. I agreed to wash it off. I was very offended that I would have to wash off my heritage to appease people’s prejudice, but I did. Upon doing that they allowed me back to my seat...only one of the management team came back and asked me to leave as he mentioned the Colorado shooting as a reason.

The Colorado guy didn’t come into the theater and sit with any facepaint. Nor did he calmly leave. He came in shooting people. I don’t understand how I’m anywhere close to being that person when I wore my Japanese theater facepaint in a theater.

I hope the people that complained don’t go and see Big Hero 6. I wouldn’t want them to be freaked out by another culture.

I was refunded my money and given a pass, but that doesn’t fix being told to wash my face off to remove my Japanese heritage and then told to leave anyway.

I have never felt so humiliated and insulted than I did tonight. I am Japanese and had I been sitting with those who were also Japanese...they wouldn’t have complained about me. They would have started a conversation with me and we would be talking about the mask itself. So those that complained about what they saw acted out of prejudice more than they acted out of any care for anything else. And it’s unfair that I had to suffer humiliation due to someone not understanding what a Japanese Kabuki mask is.

I hope I’m able to return to your theater that I really, really like without feeling as if I’m unwelcomed because I am not the same color or the same in any fashion as others that complained.

Again, (because I have sent an email before stating how great your staff is) I would like to say that your staff (not the management staff at all) who handle customer service, tickets and concessions...all the teenagers have never, ever made me feel unwelcomed. If only the adults could learn a lesson or two from them.

I am going to go back and use my pass. I am going to watch Mockingjay, but I don’t know if I could go back after that. I don’t even know if Mockingjay will be forever tainted by this event...that every time I hear or see it I think about how I was treated for not being like everyone else because I’m Japanese and they are not.

Jay Kobayashi (do not be afraid, Kobayashi just means small forest)


HERE is the reply

Mr. Kobayashi,

I am very sorry that you had this experience at the Palladium. At Santikos we do value every guest and strive for the highest quality experience for each guest. A general manager is often called upon to make difficult judgment calls when guests have conflicting expectations. This was unfortunately the case with your experience last evening. We do hope you will return and have many other positive experiences at the Santikos Palladium.


Thank you.General Manager

My Reply:


Mr. General Manager,

If the policy is not to have face paint, then there should be a sign. Also that should include hats and hoodies, seeing how I was also wearing a hoodie. Not to mention any costume, because we wouldn't want to upset any of the old people who decide to see a war movie about kids dying. Which would mean the teenager that saw Mockingjay today dressed in a Hunger Game's costume should have been asked to leave. Maybe I should have complained because I'm sure I could find something offensive about her wearing that. As in it offended my sense of taste. Then there's the horror trailer that came on before the film...that too should be removed due to it also might frighten someone.

If we are to limit our view of others to the small fraction of people who can't handle something different, we are bound to have nothing fun left. It is the rule of the business to have no face paint, that's fine. But said business has NO sign that says such. And if face paint is offensive to some, then makeup is offensive to others. No woman should be allowed to wear makeup. It frightens me. For God knows how unattractive they might look without it.

Even at that theater the employees dress up on occasion, is that to stop because someone might be afraid one of your staff is dressed up like a big box of popcorn? They might have an addiction to popcorn and seeing it that big in their face might make them fall off the corn wagon.

The problem wasn't that I was asked to wash my face, it was the manner it was done. It was insulting and the fact that whoever complained got what they wanted made it worse because they got to see it and feel as if they were justified in their asinine behavior. If I was as bad as I was lied about, treating me the way I was treated would have made matters worse. I have respect for people and their job far more than the need to set a bunch of old people in their place.

The other problem was telling me to wash my face and then telling me to leave anyway. What logic was behind that? I don't think there was much going on there.

And if that becomes the policy of no face paint or costumes (cause the fear it might cause those that hate anything that isn't as boring as they are) then how are you to handle the slew of superhero films to come? Especially Avengers Age of Ultron.

If you'd be so kind to give me the corporate information. I'm more mad now than I was last night.

Thank you,

Mr. Kobayashi

/end

And that was that. I called their corporate phone number and left a message. I have not received a reply email and I'll update if I get a return call tomorrow. This is all, for now.