Over the last few years, we’ve seen the rise of trigger warnings in all manner of media, from TV shows to movies and even plays. While speaking with The Times of London, Matt Smith gave his two cents on trigger warnings. The House of the Dragon actor worries about “everything being dialed and dumbed down” when audiences are given a warning on what and how to feel.
“We should be telling morally difficult stories, nowadays in particular,” Smith said. “It’s OK to feel uncomfortable or provoked while looking at a painting or watching a play, but I worry everything’s being dialed and dumbed down. We’re telling audiences they’re going to be scared before they’ve watched something.“
Smith continued, “Isn’t being shocked, surprised, stirred the point? Too much policing of stories and being afraid to bring them out because a climate is a certain way is a shame. I’m not sure I’m on board with trigger warnings. I used to go to a local video shop and get Slither, Basic Instinct, Disclosure — all these erotic thrillers. I was way too young to be watching them. I watched Friday the 13th when I was nine. Actually, that scarred me. Absolutely ruined me.“
I can totally understand that some people appreciate (and even require) these types of trigger warnings so they know what they’re getting into. However, I feel like there must be a better way to go about it than spoiling major plot points, which some of these warnings have done.
Many studios have also been including content warnings in their films. Earlier this year, the British Film Institute slapped a warning on a retrospective on James Bond composer John Barry. “Please note that many of these films contain language, images, or other content that reflects views prevalent in its time, but will cause offense today (as they did then),” reads the warning. “The titles are included here for historical, cultural, or aesthetic reasons, and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.” AMC also inserted a warning into Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, which read, “This film includes language and/or cultural stereotypes that are inconsistent with today’s standards of inclusion and tolerance and may offend some viewers.” In these instances, I would love to believe most audiences are aware that films produced decades ago don’t always have the same values we have today. Times have changed. We know this. We can watch and enjoy an older film without trying to judge it through a modern lens. So often, these types of studio warnings feel like they’re trying to cover their asses in case that one person out of a million complains.
What are your thoughts on trigger warnings? Do they have their place, or do they go too far?