Applause Has Become A Mockery

Has the status of applauding diminished so much that anything can deserve an applause and standing ovations mean nothing more than good job? Is it just America that insults the applause or has all of society lowered the standards of the standing ovation? I have observed this trend over the last few years and feel it must be stopped. Let me remind you of what is and what is not deserving of praise by clapping.
Let us begin with live performances. This is very deserving of applause. The people that perform before a live audience earn the glorification they recieve. They train and practice for months to get one performance right. Anything can go wrong and there are no corrections for mistakes. The entertainers I am referring to are the following types: musicians (both vocal and instrumental), stage actors, dancers, athletes and public speakers. They are to be applauded at the completion of a magnificent achievement, such as a complicated musical number or the setting of a record.
However, these men and women are only worthy of standing ovations if what they have done can be considered truly spectacular. If it is anything less, clapping is what should be given. It can be clapping that lasts an hour and a half, but no one should stand. The standing ovation is the apex of applause. If it is given out like it is now, the meaning behind it will depreciate.
I went to see Jerry Seinfeld perform a few months ago, and when the audience saw him step out on stage, they erupted and flew out of their seats. The applause that ensued was tremendous. He hadn't done anything yet. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of Seinfeld. I love his show. I own his book, DVD and CD. He is a comic genius. Yet, does he deserve a standing ovation for stepping on stage? No. Save it for the end of the performance because he will definetly deserve it then.
Moving on to recorded performances. What I mean by this is a movie. What I have noticed lately is people are beginning to give rounds of applause at the rolling of the credits in a movie theater. Why are you doing this? Who are you clapping to? The actors can't hear you. The producers aren't there. Are you applauding the AMC employees for switching the reels so well? Way to flip that switch at the second cigarette burn (If you don't know what a cigarette burn is, watch Fight Club).
Here is why you don't applaude a film. Because they didn't get it right the first time. The director says action for each scene at least four times. The actor can correct any missed cue or forgotten line. The editor takes the best footage out of eighteen takes and splices it together. A movie is a collection of great scenes that were taken many times to get just right.
The way to show you enjoy a movie is to buy another ticket and watch it again. They rate the success of a film by money. Cash is what fuels Hollywood. It's all they think about. They don't care if you are cheering at the end of the movie. They want you to go to the local toy store and buy the new Tickle Me Spidey that has been made to coincide with Spiderman 2.
Here is what I am saying. Don't clap for a movie. It is retarded. No one can hear you except me. And frankly, it pisses me off. You're a moron if you applaude a movie. So stop doing it. Also, don't give everything a standing ovation. This will just give people who aren't deserving bragging rights to something they shouldn't have earned. They will pull a Reuben. (James got that)