Matt Smith recently opened up about his thoughts on trigger warnings and how “everything” is being “dumbed down” for the audiences of today.
The House of the Dragon star believes the growing trend of trigger warnings is robbing the audience of the chance to feel raw emotions.
While speaking to The Times of London, the 41-year-old actor spoke about how he was “scarred” by some of the movies he watched as a kid, and he didn’t seem to mind if such a trend continued with younger generations.
Highlights
- Matt Smith criticized trigger warnings, arguing they dilute emotional impact and hinder storytelling.
- He reminisced about being scarred by movies he watched as a child, suggesting such experiences aren't entirely negative.
- “Isn’t being shocked, surprised, stirred the point?” he asked. “Too much policing of stories and being afraid to bring them out because a climate is a certain way is a shame."
- Critics of Matt's stance argue that trigger warnings are essential for protecting trauma survivors from distressing content.
Matt Smith revealed he is not a fan of trigger warnings, fearing they dilute the emotional impact of storytelling
Image credits: Photo by Mike Marsland/Getty Images for Sky/NOW
"Isn't being shocked, surprised, stirred the point?" the Doctor Who star asked. "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's Game of Thrones prequel 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's House of the Dragon, the prequel series of the Game of Thrones
Image credits: Image credits: HBO
“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 get Slither, Basic Instinct, Disclosure—all these erotic thrillers. I was way too young to be watching them. I watched Friday the 13th when 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"
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 of storytelling and art and also diminish the ability to provoke unfiltered emotions.
Not all netizens agreed with Matt’s take on trigger warnings, as one Reddit user said: “If you don’t ‘get’ trigger warnings, be thankful that you don’t have PTSD and STFU.”
Some netizens didn't agree with his comments, with one saying: "The fact that he just completely contradicts himself tells me he’s just randomly spitballing"
“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.