One aspect of the American landscape that is slowly and sadly disappearing is the drive-in theater. Once a staple of any self-respecting burrow, drive-ins are now relegated primarily to small towns with a strong blue-collar base, and even there they are certainly on the way out.

All of this is unfortunate, because going to the drive-in is one of the most enjoyable experiences in the world. It is also an experience that today’s children may never know.

I think part of the problem is that the drive-in is misunderstood. Some people seem to be under the delusion that going to the drive-in is about watching the movie.

In actuality, the drive-in is a lousy place to watch a movie. For starters, you’re either inside your car, on lawn chairs or in the back of Buford’s pickup truck.

On top of that, the sound is lousy, and the film projector usually breaks down at least 15 times.

But once you get past all that, drive-ins are great. Sure, poor film quality is probably what’s gotten drive-ins a bad rep over the years, but I say it’s all part of the experience.

The key is, you have to know what movies to go see at the drive-in. Don’t go see “Eyes Wide Shut,” “Das Boot” or Kenneth Brannagh’s “Hamlet” at the drive-in. Any film that takes itself seriously as a work of art shouldn’t be seen at the drive-in, because the atmosphere will prevent you from being drawn into the film.

On the other hand, there is no better place to watch a lousy movie than the drive-in. Why? Well, because you can make fun of it while it’s playing without distracting anyone else.

There’s nothing I hate more at a theater than when some jerk behind me won’t shut up. But at the drive-in, we can all be critics. And what better movies to rip than real pieces of crap.

Case in point: The last time I went to the drive-in in Ames before it closed, I saw a double feature of “Johnny Mnemonic” and “Bad Boys.” You would be hard-pressed to find a worse bill anywhere in America. Normally, we would have been miserable, but, since we were at the drive-in we had a great time.

My car was abuzz with calls of “Is that Henry Rollins?” and “Oh my sweet God, this movie sucks.”

The very nature of the drive-in feature is truly a thing of beauty. Double features are the norm, and triple features are not uncommon.

What better lineup is there than a recently released mediocre movie, followed by a three-month-old mediocre movie, followed by something almost completely unwatchable.

At the drive-in, the features are just the tip of the iceberg. For some reason, it seems that every drive-in has an enormous catalogue of “Mr. Magoo” cartoons. Not only that, but you can be guaranteed to see at least seven of them — and possibly a “Three Stooges” short — in the twilight hour before it’s dark enough to start the movies.

It is safe to say that a night at the drive-in is a pure slice of Americana. Just take the snack bar, for instance.

Most movie theater snack bars only offer popcorn, soda and candy. Meanwhile, most drive-ins also offer things like nachos, hot dogs, pizza and probably even those jalapeno popper thingies that have become so popular.

Not to mention the fact that you can sneak in everything up to and including a pony keg and a Smoky Joe grill. When I was a kid we used to sneak into movies with candy stuffed in our pockets. Just think of how much we could have snuck in if we had an entire car.

Drive-in’s are also great because they really do allow for the entire family to have a good time. My whole family used to take a trip to the drive-in a couple of times a summer.

My little sister’s could play outside or in the back of the van while the rest of us watched the movie. Many drive-ins even have a playground near the screen on which kids can play.

And sure, oftentimes the playground area is swarming with crack dealers, but isn’t that more of a reflection on our society than on the drive-in itself? I think so.

You may have noticed I have elected to neglect the issue of sex at the drive-in. While it is probably one of the most prominent images of what goes on at the drive-in in most people’s minds, I haven’t mentioned it in the interest of making the drive-in out to be an enjoyable place for the whole family.

But hey, if you also get the chance to get a little nookie, what could be wrong with that?

Maybe, in my early 20s, I’m just getting to the age when things I remember and appreciate start to disappear. So I suppose it’s only natural I would lament their passing.

But drive-ins were one of the unique points of our cultural landscape, and it’s too bad to see them go.

I recommend that if you have one in your area, you jump into a car with some friends, stow away several hundred pounds of Twizzlers and go to the drive-in before it’s too late.

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Ben Godar is a senior in sociology from Ames. He is arts and entertainment editor of the Daily; his sign is Cancer.