Matt Smithrecently opened up about his thoughts ontrigger warningsand how “everything” is being “dumbed down” for the audiences of today.
TheHouse of the Dragonstar believes the growing trend of trigger warnings is robbing the audience of the chance to feel raw emotions.
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Matt Smith revealed he is not a fan of trigger warnings, fearing they dilute the emotional impact of storytelling
“Isn’t being shocked, surprised, stirred the point?” theDoctor Whostarasked. “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.”
Matt, who plays Daemon Targaryen in HBO’sGame of Thronesprequel series, was asked about playing polarizing characters during an interview with the UK outlet.
“That’s the f—ing point,” he said. “We should be telling morally difficult stories, nowadays in particular.”
The star plays Daemon Targaryen in HBO’sHouse of the Dragon,the prequel series of theGame of Thrones
Image credits:Image credits: HBO
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“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,” he continued.
The actor also reminisced about going to “a local video shop” when he was young and watching erotic thrillers when he wasn’t supposed to.
“I used to go to a local video shop and getSlither,Basic Instinct,Disclosure—all these erotic thrillers. I was way too young to be watching them. I watchedFriday the 13thwhen I was nine,” he said.
“Actually, that scarred me. Absolutely ruined me,” he added.
“Too much policing of stories and being afraid to bring them out because a climate is a certain way is a shame,” the 41-year-old actor said. “I’m not sure I’m on board with trigger warnings”
Matt Smith says “I’m not sure I’m on board with trigger warnings.”
“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…pic.twitter.com/SFzxN3jDNd
— Variety (@Variety)September 3, 2024
The trend of trigger warnings arose as a way of protecting viewers, especially trauma survivors, from content that could evoke distressing memories or emotional reactions.
Supporters of trigger warnings believe they are a compassionate way to ensure that sensitive individuals can engage with content safely and at their own pace. On the other hand, critics argue that trigger warnings can hinder the raw impact ofstorytellingand art and also diminish the ability to provoke unfiltered emotions.
Not all netizens agreed with Matt’s take on trigger warnings, as oneReddituser said: “If you don’t ‘get’ trigger warnings, be thankful that you don’t havePTSDand STFU.”
“I would’ve appreciated a trigger warning for several movies I’ve watched. But okay Matt,” said another, while a third wrote, “As a wise man once said ‘if you don’t see the point in the trigger warning, it wasn’t for you in the first place.’”
“Lol the last sentence. The fact that he just completely contradicts himself tells me he’s just randomly spitballing,” one said.
Another pointed out, “Trigger warnings aren’t about being shocked, they’re about being re-traumatized.”
“Gonna gently disagree, I’m all for having art protected but I do think some kind of heads up for general audiences is fair (specifically with depictions of extreme violence/sexual abuse),” said another.
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