Not content with their spaces being safer, theaters increasingly seem to want to be “safe spaces.”Take the audience advisory for the new Broadway revival of the musical “1776.” Highlighted in red on the production’s website, it warns that the show, about the political wrangling that led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, “contains stylized representations of racialized violence” as well as “sexually suggestive themes, occasional strong language, haze, a brief strobe effect, a non-firing replica firearm, and a gunshot sound effect.”The warning struck me as a little alarmist, especially after seeing the show. The “racialized violence” is a reference to the show’s somewhat overheated, but historically accurate, depiction of the debate over slavery. The only strong language I heard was an occasional “damn it, Franklin”; and the sexual material was so mildly suggestive as to be barely noticeable. As for the replica firearm — well, the country was at war, wasn’t it?Just how much coddling do theatergoers need these days? An audience advisory for the touring production of the recent revisionist Broadway revival of “Oklahoma!” gives a jarringly literal spin to the term “trigger warning.” It alerts viewers to the exact number of guns that appear onstage and details the timing and plot circumstances of each of the four gunshots heard in the show. “The third shot is around 18 minutes into the second act … with a character surreptitiously picking up the gun, then firing it off in order to bring order to a chaotic scene on stage.”
Excerpted from an op-ed column at the Washington Post.
I always think that these op-eds must try harder for something that's actually an issue. Good for the author that none of the triggers mentioned are relevant to them but it's for the people who need them. How is having a note in the program hurting anyone's experience of the theatre? For those who need the notice, it allows them to be able to enjoy the theatre (or whatever media is displaying the notice). Op-eds should be more concerned at how those in power or running for office are interested in overthrowing democracy in the United States -- that's a message that people need to hear.
ReplyDeleteI think if an op-ed can help us see that we've gone bonkers that might be useful. I mean how else do we find our way back to sanity? It's no use pretending there's nothing to see here as we become an increasingly fragile and neurotic society.
DeleteThose trigger alerts aren't for general theatergoers, but to avoid startling any nervous police.
ReplyDeleteI wonder why this triggered the op-ed author so much. Seems like s/he/they need to inspect their burgeoning neuroticism.
ReplyDeleteCurious how this op-ed qualifies as evidence the author was "triggered." Perhaps I fail to understand the meaning of the word.
DeleteI don't think anyone is reading the full editorial - just my excerpts, which may not be representative.
ReplyDeleteI did read the editorial and I think your excerpts are representative. Given my experience with the Kool-Aid drinking left, "trigger warnings" are part of a new religion and any questioning is met with howls of disapproval. Push harder and experience cancellation. Parallels with the conservative Catholicism of my youth are pretty amazing. So, for your penance, say ten Hail Marys; try to sin no more.
DeleteMy mother is epileptic, so the strobe effect is a crucial warning.
ReplyDeleteStrong language usually means any mention of God or Jesus or Damn in an expletive, which makes religious extremists clutch their pearls.
Anyone with PTSD or cPTSD will react to a gunshot, whether or not they've been told to expect it, but obviously the forewarning helps tremendously.
My guess is that the opinion writer didn't have a problem with the sexual elements because they were conventional examples of men sexualizing women, which is just how things are supposed to be (/s).
"My guess is that the opinion writer didn't have a problem with the sexual elements because they were conventional examples of men sexualizing women, which is just how things are supposed to be (/s)."
DeleteDo you know anything about the new musical, "1776"? The revival has a racially diverse cast of women, nonbinary and trans actors. The cast playing the Founding Fathers are women, and the production takes a less “binary” view of gender.
Hardly conventional.
I will agree that a warning about the strobe is appropriate.
"...religious extremists clutch their pearls..." and feminist extremists clutch their curls, tearing their hair out over "men sexualizing women." Suppose it was a play about lesbians sexualizing women? Or a play about gays sexualizing men? There's a lot of sex-negativity in the trigger crowd. So, why not do what the Catholic Church did? Create a Legion of Decency. If a play is too sexy, just condemn it. Publicize the verdict. Use the boycott to de-sexualize culture as much as possible. Its been done many times before. The rest of us will try to retain some libidinous liberty while this mania passes.
DeleteTrigger warnings are not censorship.
ReplyDeleteOutright bans and even threats of violence against theaters as well as schools and libraries that offer things that make some people uncomfortable are more likely to come from the right.
The right tends to ban books based on the topic of the book. The left tends to ban books based on the author's views or actions. The motivation might be different, but the result is the same, limiting access to a book. At least conservatives are honest about trying to ban a book because in their minds it goes against "cultural values." Liberals assert “It’s not a ban, it’s an economic consequence for bad behavior."
DeleteAs Peter Derk said, "I’ll take an honest dumbass over a smart liar."
While I'm not into trigger warnings, I do appreciate being made aware of what IS in a play that might be objectionable. Some might have issues with strong sexual content (or nudity), others with pervasive language. I wish there were ratings like movie ratings for plays. This would allow me to take my son in good conscience...instead of trying to find someway to apologize for it all later.
ReplyDeleteIt is rare that you would be unable to find a review of a play that you are considering attending. Even the smallest of community theaters generally have a pre-opening night show for family and reviewers to attend.
DeletePerhaps high school and church related community theaters may not have a review available, but those venues are unlikely to have sexual content or inappropriate language.
Here's a trigger warning I can get behind: "A play is a work of art created in real time. We the artists insist on freedom of expression. Please join us only if you are willing to support us in exercising that freedom, even as this exercise may disturb or offend."
ReplyDelete