These need not insult your audience's intelligence. However predictable, a traditional puppet show is often very witty and incisive. This relates to the previous point. Because you can't really compete with the linear immersive trajectory of films or books, you need to pay much closer attention to the interactive moment. Aristotle criticised later Greek tragedy for indulging in spectacle and extravagant stage machinery, rather than sticking to the proper values of plot and characterisation, but these apparently gratuitous moments are vital to the success of traditional theatre.
Some critics argue that they are vital to all narrative forms.
They are particulary important within multimedia because you don't have control of the path the user follows through your piece. Stage managed moments don't have to be extravagant. Just as the stage is miniature, so often too is the context or interaction. Even a small rollOver can have drama, if it's well handled. Multimedia is full of this kind of dull or dramatic micro-event.