Why do people play "air" violin when someone is upset?

I've seen people before pretend to play violin, almost like air guitar, when someone is either upset or complaining about something. Does anyone know why they do this?

Why do people play "air" violin when someone is upset?theatre tickets

The origin of this action started with the song "Hearts and Flowers" published in 1899. The violin version came to represent in silent films any scenes that were melodramatic, sentimental or mock-tragic. Pretending to play the violin (and humming the tune if you know it) when someone is complaining about something means you are playing "Hearts and Flowers" for their melodramatic scene or problem like was done in the silent movies.

Musician, composer, teacher.

Why do people play "air" violin when someone is upset?opera house opera theater

The violin is an instrument usually associated with sorrow. When one plays an "air violin," he is responding to another's sorrowful state. This is usually a form of sarcasm, representing the lack of care one feels of the other's pain or sorrow.

An example,

Skinny woman says, "I feel so fat today."

Larger woman plays the air violin.

Worker complains about his working conditions.

Boss plays the air violin.
I believe it's called the pity violin. They `pity` the person, so they play the pity violin.

Rather mean if you ask me.
because the violin is usually played in a sad or depressing part of a movie or a play.
a7x is correct : in the old movies whenever a sad part came on, the background music would usually be very sad violin music......... often with a very wide vibrato.
Because they don't have any sympathy for the person - it's the "poor me" "don't you feel sorry for me" attitude that annoys people so they play a pretend violin.
It mean that they don't really care what you're complaining about or think that it is a stupid complain.