The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[Renate]

Eh, I'm not sure "trigger" is the right word.
I think some sort of content rating is not a bad thing.
For example, sex: some want to maximize it, some want to minimize it.

[andyh2000]

Originally Posted by Hitch

"Trigger warnings" trigger ME. Unless it's a movie and there's something that to my mind, is legit ("flashing lights may cause epileptic seizures") the rest is just bollocks.

And yes, I know, that will make me enormously unpopular. Because the entire world has to cater to everybody's various and sundry issues, emotions, neuroses, and on and on and on.

Don't care. I'm not "triggered" by people being unhappy with me.

Hitch

Has it bothered you having warnings before TV programs for 'strong' language, extreme violence etc for decades? Or is that only on UK TV?

Andrew

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by andyh2000

Has it bothered you having warnings before TV programs for 'strong' language, extreme violence etc for decades? Or is that only on UK TV?

Andrew

Yup, I think that that's ridiculous too. If they're worried about parents, and small children, fine--then put something up for parents. Something as simple as "parental warning" would do. They can do their own research--there are a billion websites up, "warning" parents about this or that or smoking or cursing or (gasp!) nudity and on and on and on. They can make their own decisions. Were it me, I'd watch the thing first and choose for myself if my kid could, or could not, see it--I wouldn't let some anonymous-to-me group or person choose FOR me. Shockingly, that's how parents parented for the decades before warnings.

About half the time, when I see a 'warning" for strong language, etc. my usual response is "thank GOD." I mean, go back only to what, the 80's and watch what was considered normal adult fare (by "adult" I do not mean porn) then, versus what's produced now and it's just...everybody has been infantilized.

ETA: (And really--aren't we talking about the same parents who cavalierly give their kids smartphones??????)

Hitch

[maddz]

Originally Posted by andyh2000

Has it bothered you having warnings before TV programs for 'strong' language, extreme violence etc for decades? Or is that only on UK TV?

Andrew

As I don't watch TV or go to the cinema, such warnings are useless to me. However, I've noticed content and trigger warnings, and lines & veils creeping into the RPG hobby over the past few years. In a way, that's a good thing given the age range of players; it's also useful for open gaming (i.e. convention games) where the GM doesn't know the players and you have no control over who sits at your table. It's also useful for a player to know in advance what sort of game is being offered.

For books, I don't necessarily approve of them. The book description should indicate that there is potential triggering content without spelling it out - a crime novel set in a violent society would probably include descriptions of violence; anyone reading the book ought not to be surprised by that. If someone complains, it was on them to read the description and make a choice whether to continue.

However, there's a line to be drawn between problematic content included gratuitously or where it's an integral part of the story - albeit a shock. Mark Smylie's Artesia novels are a case in point; someone picking them up without knowing the original comic series would be shocked by the kinky and pornographic sex scenes which my partner referred to as gratuitous. Knowing the comics, you wouldn't necessarily be surprised.

What I object to is random LBGHT content which looks like it's been grafted onto the story at the behest of an editor seeking to tick boxes. Again, if well-written and it flows naturally, no problem, but it's where it appears out of the blue and isn't a natural part of the story.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Renate

Eh, I'm not sure "trigger" is the right word.
I think some sort of content rating is not a bad thing.
For example, sex: some want to maximize it, some want to minimize it.

Content rating in a couple of letters is one thing; a mile-long list of every possible thing that could possibly trigger someone is a far cry from it. And there isn't probably anything in existence that couldn't be a trigger for someone - an eating or cooking scene could trigger someone with anorexia, an action scene could trigger someone who has been chased, mugged, beaten or threatened in real life, a car chasing scene someone who's been in a car accident, nasty parents someone who had an unhappy childhood and so on. Shall we insert a condensed version of the plot in the beginning of every book out there to avoid complaining reviewers afterwards?

I too have a trigger - animal abuse. And I have left books unfinished because of it, even very good books, because I was just unable to read further. Knowing the animal in question was completely fictional didn't help. Did I write a review berating the author for not warning me and giving me nightmares? No. The world is full of nasty, unpleasant things, that's life. And naturally the books meant for adults reflect it; how could it be otherwise?

[theducks]

Have any of you been in Public (USA)? The language used by grade school kids is almost the same as when I was in the Navy. And that was deemed not fit for public use.

[ownedbycats]

I've seen fanfic authors content-warn for things that don't even happen. Not even implied. I have no idea either.

[theducks]

Cats
Probably blindly pasting of generic boilerplate disclaimers.

I have instruction manuals that warn about doing things with the product that are not relevant to it.
We won't go into the idiotic ones that only someone severely challenged might do, AND THEY PROBABLY CAN'T READ

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by theducks

I have instruction manuals that warn about doing things with the product that are not relevant to it.
We won't go into the idiotic ones that only someone severely challenged might do, AND THEY PROBABLY CAN'T READ

I've always found those warning a good source of humour and even somewhat evil ideas.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by theducks

I have instruction manuals that warn about doing things with the product that are not relevant to it.

The manual for an old cheap-ass MP3 player I have warns not to attempt to move it without a cart. I suspect they mixed up the warnings with something else, but it gives quite the mental image.

Or those American medication commercials that are "don't take [name of medication] if you re allergic to [name of medication]." Not some ingredient in the medication, the medication itself.

[Deskisamess]

Many years ago, 1980 to be exact, we had what would now be considered a dangerous baby walker. A wheeled seat, that a baby could "walk" around in. The large sewn in tag on the bottom of the seat had a warning to "remove baby before folding for storage."

"Honey? Where's the baby?"
"Oh man, check the closet where we keep the walker."

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by Deskisamess

Many years ago, 1980 to be exact, we had what would now be considered a dangerous baby walker. A wheeled seat, that a baby could "walk" around in. The large sewn in tag on the bottom of the seat had a warning to "remove baby before folding for storage."

"Honey? Where's the baby?"
"Oh man, check the closet where we keep the walker."

The things you hear (well, read), just when you think you've heard it all...

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Content rating in a couple of letters is one thing; a mile-long list of every possible thing that could possibly trigger someone is a far cry from it. And there isn't probably anything in existence that couldn't be a trigger for someone - an eating or cooking scene could trigger someone with anorexia, an action scene could trigger someone who has been chased, mugged, beaten or threatened in real life, a car chasing scene someone who's been in a car accident, nasty parents someone who had an unhappy childhood and so on. Shall we insert a condensed version of the plot in the beginning of every book out there to avoid complaining reviewers afterwards?

I too have a trigger - animal abuse. And I have left books unfinished because of it, even very good books, because I was just unable to read further. Knowing the animal in question was completely fictional didn't help. Did I write a review berating the author for not warning me and giving me nightmares? No. The world is full of nasty, unpleasant things, that's life. And naturally the books meant for adults reflect it; how could it be otherwise?

(FWIW, Animal Abuse can set me off too, but while one of the upsides of the Internet are cat and dog videos, memes, etc. the downside is also that you learn about so many HORRIBLE things that are done to animals--fictional animal abuse has almost [almost] lost its distress for me. Almost.)

(I once came up with a plot for a mystery--murder, natch--but it required animal neglect/abuse as part of it. Couldn't bring myself to write it. just could NOT do it.)

NONETHELESS...don't want a trigger warning. I mean...not to sound cruel, mean, yadda but grow the FRACK UP.

Hitch

[ownedbycats]

Just... ignore the trigger warnings?

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Just... ignore the trigger warnings?

Yeah, I'm too OCD for that. I prefer to delete them. I delete ads and "other books by..." and excerpts and stuff anyway.