Trigger Warnings

Trigger Warnings, a relatively new phenomenon are now ubiquitous, especially on television.  I can easily remember a time without warnings and you were never quite sure what to expect from a tv series or a film until you actually watched it.

The motive for their introduction was obstensibly to warn people about potentially viewing difficult material and came from the same philosophical underpinnings as “safe spaces” and “micro-aggressions” on American campuses.  For instance and by far the most cited example is if you are a rape victim, you are entitled to be warned about the content of a programme so that you’re not forced to relive the experience.

Many psychologists disagree and this is a matter of some debate.

However, it has nevertheless caught on and trigger warnings  have become mainstream.

That is perhaps because they also serve a further function, a marketing one.  For instance, if I was flicking through the different channels and I get a warning that the following programme contains violence, sex, gore and scenes of horror – I go “yippee” and eagerly await what is about to come.

But recently I’ve noticed that I might be getting falsely warned.  On netflix, specifically the latest episode of Star Trek always “warns” me about upcoming sex, violence and gore.  Quite frankly, we must have completely different ideas of “gore” and sometimes the sex is non existent, unless they are talking about the plants pollinating each other or something.

Even Narcos warns me “about real dead bodies” in every episode.  They all looked quite alive to me in the last one.

I am feeling somewhat “untriggerred”.  This is surely even more serious surely, than being triggered.

Can I lodge some sort of complaint?  Will they laugh or take me seriously?

But even worse, think of the children!

They’re Mammies see the Warnings and suddenly Star Trek is off limits.

Or even worse –

All those teenage boys who have found out the password to the Netflix and want to watch some sex.  It will all seem so easy until…

What is the world coming to and how I yearn for those simpler times.