Trigger warnings are the new normal.
Everything from “Dumbo” to “Goodfellas” have been slapped with warnings for anyone coming across the content in question.
New stories. Classic tales. And, of course, “Blazing Saddles,” one of the most beloved satires of all time, couldn’t escape without a warning.
‘Blazing Saddles’ trigger warning shows culture has gone off rails https://t.co/IUNlOykFOx
— Christina Hoff Sommers (@CHSommers) August 15, 2020
The latest trigger warning, coming from the UK, may be the silliest yet.
This comes courtesy of the BBFC, the British Board of Film Classification. The content in question? “Wicked,” the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway “Oz” prequel. The film stars Cynthia Erivo as the green-hued heroine, a young woman mocked for her skin color.
The story touches on friendship, feeling different from your peers and, of course, flying monkeys.
The BBFC fears the film, which is crushing the box office competition, might trigger select audiences.
Why?
“…seeing beloved characters being mistreated, especially when Elphaba’s skin-colour is used to demonise her as the ‘Wicked Witch’, may be upsetting and poignant for some audiences.”
Yes, that’s a key point of the original show and the movie. Should we avoid stories that are “upsetting” and/or “poignant?” That might leave out, well, most content.
Even more important?
If you fear being offended or triggered by it, there are countless examples of films and TV shows where similar themes exist. Should they have trigger warnings, too?
If not, why not?
The saddest part? The far-Left Guardian’s take on the “Wicked” warning. The snark-filled column suggests the true villains are those who think this is woke gone wild.
But that would be political correctness gone mad, wouldn’t it. We shouldn’t have to put up with trigger warnings, even on films that have been heavily marketed for children despite being based on revisionist novels that contain several scenes set in BDSM clubs. Children need to learn that racism and animal abuse happens every day. They should be subjected to depictions of this without warning, especially if they’re five years old and just want to watch a nice fairytale movie with lots of lovely songs in it.
Smart storytellers trust children to embrace and accept themes that provoke conversations. No, a tyke shouldn’t be watching “Fifty Shades of Grey.” Many family films, like the recent “Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” deliver moral tales of wrongdoing and redemption appropriate for all ages.
And, shockingly enough, it’s drawing a crowd without a single trigger warning.
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