To Trigger Warning or Not to Trigger Warning
Oh, when I say today’s topic is a touchy one, I mean almost taboo level. People are very polarized on the topic, and are easily (I hate to use the word but…) triggered. Yes, today, I’m discussing trigger warnings.
When I think of trigger warnings, I think of a general heads-up rating. I don’t expect detailed spoilers or cautioning about something that should be expected. For example, the title The Texas Chainsaw Massacre should alert viewers that there will be graphic violence. I hear the word massacre, and I’m not thinking tea parties and balloon animals. The word chainsaw just adds more to it. The movie is advertised as a horror/thriller and has an R-rating. Without knowing anything else, a R-rating indicated that this is not a film with content suitable for children due to offensive language, violence, or sexual activity. Thus, if I see a movie with this rating, I assume that it contains one or more of these elements. But that no longer seems to be enough.
And all right already. I can hear the rebuttals that no one uses the antiquated R-rating anymore. The scales TV-MA and NC-17 are what are used now. They’re the same thing in my opinion. Both of these ratings indicate that there is adult content that is not deemed appropriate for children. Specifically, TV-MA movies have an adult target audience and may include indecent language, graphic violence, and/or explicit sexual content. NC-17 movies have a target audience over the age of 17. Tossing age to the side, R, TV-MA, and NC-17 all are rating that wave mammoth red flags that indicate, “Hey, the stuff happening in this film is not for the kiddies.”
Before continuing, I need to rewind and relay some background information about the origin of the idea to discuss this topic. One weekend, a group of friends and I settled in to watch a movie together. Before the opening credits began scrolling, a disclaimer popped on the screen noting that the events in the movie were not real and had been created by the writer. The disclaimer further noted that although the movie used the names of historical figures, the movie content was not intended to be historically accurate. I found it odd that this disclaimer needed to be made because the movie was adapted from a bestselling fictional novel and had been heavily advertised as such. If the book was fiction, it would follow that the movie be fiction as well. By definition, fiction means something that is invented, imagined, or untrue. But okay, maybe there were viewers who didn’t know the movie was based on a novel. When did it become a thing to note when a movie is fictional? Usually, it is the other way around—that a movie indicates that it is inspired by a true story or factual events.
Now, “inspired by” and “based on” in movie language do not translate to mean historically accurate. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, for example, was loosely based on the crimes committed by a mesh of horrible serial killers including Ed Gein and Elmer Wayne Henley. The screenwriters took great liberties with facts to create cinema. It is reported that most “inspired by,” “true,” and “based on” movies contain a significant amount of fictionalization. So, if this the case (that even true story movies and books are largely not true), why is necessary to explicitly declare a movie/book to not be true? Wouldn’t that already be the assumption? But again, I’ll play devil’s advocate. Let’s assume, there is a need to declare a work fictional. Is it then necessary to point out the parts of the story or book that is fictional?
The disclaimer prefacing the movie that my friends and I had gathered to watch continued with a statement that the author had intentionally deviated from historical facts. As opposed to what? Accidentally deviating from facts? It was as if this disclaimer was needed to explain to viewers that the writer hadn’t made a mistake in reporting the fact. Again, isn’t this what fiction is—something that isn’t true? The movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood comes to mind. This movie contains depictions of real people but deviates in major ways from history. The “once upon a time” is an indication to viewers that the movie is a fairytale…of sorts. I mean, this is a Quentin Tarantino film. Call me an oddball but in my mind, a Tarantino film isn’t synonymous with fairytales and happily-ever-after. Just saying.
The point is that certain titles, genres, directors, authors, or brands should automatically conjure some expectations. For example, if I said Jim Carrey, most people would immediately associate him with being a comedian or a comedic actor. However, Carrey has had dramatic roles. When a book is marketed as science fiction, readers reasonably will expect plots to revolve around futuristic concepts (e.g., aliens/extraterrestrial life, space, time travel, parallel/alternative universes, advanced technology, etc.) What viewers were shocked to find that the movie E.T. was about an alien? And hard would it be for someone who had never watched an episode of The Walking Dead to figure out it was likely about zombies? At what point are trigger warnings unnecessary? If a person walks into an adult movie store, does an item in the store need to be rated X? Or can it be assumed that is what they all are and move on?
I feel (and the following statement is based on opinion and not any researched facts) that we are living in an era where many authors/writers are uncertain when and/or if to write a trigger warning. I, myself, have fallen victim to this limbo. Many years ago, I wrote a trigger warning thinking that I was being responsible only later to receive feedback that it was unnecessary. Under similar circumstances, I didn’t write a trigger warning under the same circumstances, and I received feedback from readers that they wanted a trigger warning. Another time briefly mentioned a taboo subject with no great detail. I decided to err on the side of caution and included a trigger warning. I received lots of feedback that the trigger warning wasn’t warranted. Yet still, another time I included a trigger warning; I received feedback that the warning “wasn’t strong enough.” If a person was informed that a bear was roaming his/her backyard, does it make a difference if I specify if it’s a grizzly bear or a black bear? My takeaway would be not to enter the backyard until animal control is on the scene and has handled the situation. The details of the type of bear can be sorted later. Priorities, folks.
Some will say to ask beta readers, and that isn’t a surefire solution, either. Recall the incident where I included a trigger warning and was told it was too mild. Well, that WIP had more than twelve reviewers and betas pre-release. Two days before going live is the first time that I or my editors received feedback from anyone being unsatisfied with the trigger warning. Honestly, I panicked. I felt as if I’d been punched in the throat. It was too late to halt the publication to make changes. I wasn’t upset about being told to rewrite the warning. I was upset because more than a dozen very studious betas hadn’t found it to be an issue, but two ARC reviewers did. Talk about a soul-crushing moment.
Many writers are leery of writing trigger warnings because it could possibly shy potential readers from reading. This doesn’t mean that writers are seeking to trick readers into reading their books under false pretenses. I wrote a trigger warning, and reviewers all said it was unnecessary. So, readers who may have considered reading may have been turned off because they thought the content would be super graphic. One weekend, a friend from out of state came to visit, and we decided to go to the movies. When we arrived, we didn’t have a choice of movies and decided to let the kids pick. They selected Insidious 2. I didn’t know anything about the movie, but from the ticket seller, I started to pick up scary vibes. Well, I don’t care for horror movies. I hadn’t laughed that hard in a long time. It wasn’t scary in the least. Now, had I known that it was supposed to be some super frightening movie, I would have refused to go and not have given it a chance.
Another reason authors are iffy about trigger warnings is that sometimes adding a warning gives away an element of surprise or a plot twist. I recall watching a movie (I won’t give the name so as to not give any spoilers) where a main character unexpectedly unalived himself in a very graphic manner. It was a shocking and disturbing scene, but not knowing it was coming added to the powerfulness of the scene and made the death all that more impactful. Although this movie had an R-rating, it was an older movie before trigger warnings became trendy and did not specify suicide as a plot. In today’s market, it almost certainly would come with a warning. Many viewers and readers have complained that movies and books have become dull with no new elements. Perhaps part of this can be attributed to viewers and readers having too much information about the plot. For example, some movie trailers show the best scenes. One of the reasons credited for the success of Avengers: Endgame is that the studio and producers kept the details of the movies close to their chests, going as far as including clips in the trailer that were not in the movie.
Triggers are very personal. What triggers one person may have little or no effect on another. Watching someone eat a rare steak grosses me out far more than a bunch of actors running around a screen with buckets of fake blood on them. At the dinner table, I was gagging while my bestie enjoyed his meal. In the movie theatre, I was unbothered while he could barely look up. Anything can be a trigger. I know a person who has a phobia of flying birds and another friend who has nightmares if she watches movies with buildings on fire or burn victims. Still, a coworker is triggered by clowns. So, what subjects require trigger warnings? Recently, I’ve seen trigger warnings that list smoking, drug usage, animal cruelty, microaggression, colorism, child abandonment, scars, eating disorders, panic attacks, body shaming, bullying, extreme poverty, and more. The list of what could be triggering is endless. So, where do writers begin? How do they know when to write a warning?
The last point I want to make is that some research has shown that trigger warnings can have the opposite effect of preparing readers. These studies indicated that not only did the warning not prepare readers/viewers, but in some instances, made their experience worse by increasing their anxiety even higher with the expectation of the triggering event. Several years ago, a category 4 hurricane ripped through the area. Approximately three months later, weather forecasters began discussing an approaching cold front. They indicated that the front wouldn’t bring much rain but could have gusty winds. In fact, they amped up the possibility so much that schools and businesses decided to close. Daycares and after-school providers closed which meant some parents had to take off work. Of course, there were businesses that threatened to terminate employees who didn’t report to work due to weather and required a doctor’s excuse. But many doctors’ offices and clinics also chose to close. The weather reports caused a great many problems. And to top it off, when the front came through, there were a few gusts of wind around 30 mph (not anywhere close to 80 mph as predicted). However, residents were so traumatized by the hurricane that they panicked at overcast skies. This happened on more than one occasion, so much so, that government officials had to ask news reporters to dial back the sensationalism, to report the facts without the theatrics.
And that will bring this post to a close. Now, it’s your turn to sound off. What did you think? What is your take on the subject? Do you agree or disagree? Did you find this information helpful or informative? Did you learn anything new, or did it change your opinion? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section. Also, let me know if you would like me to cover more of these types of topics or dive deeper into this one. If you like this post, please click the like button and share it. Your feedback allows me to know the content that you want to read. If you’re not following me on Creole Bayou blog, what are you waiting for? There’s always room at the bayou.
Get ready. It’s time to hit the ice again. Future Goals has arrived and is available.
When a college hockey player needs the help of an attractive older attorney, he gets more than he bargained for when trying to sort out the troubles in his career. Falling in love was never part of either man’s plan, especially as Corrigan’s and Sacha’s lives should never have collided. Now they’re left questioning if they’re standing in the way of the other’s future goals, or if there’s room for redirection.
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Missed the first four books in my hockey romance series? No frets.
Out of the Penalty Box (book #1), where it is one minute in the box or a lifetime out, is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links on where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.
Defending the Net (book #2) can be ordered at https://amzn.to/2N7fj8q or www.books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.
Ice Gladiators (book #3) is the third book in my Locker Room Love series. When the gloves come off, the games begin. Available at https://amzn.to/2TGFsyD or www.books2read.com/icegladiators.
Penalty Kill (book #4) retakes the ice. Get a copy at https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p or https://amzn.to/3ex0N9p and let the pucker begin.
For more of my stories, shenanigans, giveaways, and more, check out my blog, Creole Bayou, www.genevivechambleeconnect.wordpress.com. New posts are made on Wednesdays, and everything is raw and unscathed. Climb on in a pirogue and join me on the bayou.
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Author Bio
Genevive Chamblee resides in the bayou country where sweet tea and SEC football reign supreme. She is known for being witty (or so she thinks), getting lost anywhere beyond her front yard (the back is pushing it as she’s very geographically challenged), falling in love with shelter animals (and she adopts them), asking off-the-beaten-path questions that make one go “hmm,” and preparing home-cooked Creole meals that are as spicy as her writing. Genevive specializes in spinning steamy, romantic tales with humorous flair, diverse characters, and quirky views of love and human behavior. She also is not afraid to delve into darker romances as well.
