Commentary: The Different Effects Of Trigger Warnings
by Frank Martin
Trigger warnings have become an important part of the media landscape. As society becomes more sensitive to emotional and mental trauma, these warnings have been used to let people know that they are about to experience issues that may be sensitive to them. For instance, this article will soon be talking about an extreme form of self-harm. It doesn’t necessarily stop those stories from coming out, but it’s a step in a positive direction to be more aware of the effects certain stories can cause. But trigger warnings don’t just affect those they are intended for. Individuals without trauma also read those warnings and have a reaction to them. So it’s important to look at those instances, as well.
A trigger warning recently appeared before an episode of Rick and Morty. Such a warning typically refers to a single scene in a story, but for this particular episode it involved the core of the plot and persisted throughout: difficult conversations about suicide. The episode revolves around a planet filled with people who look like humans, but every time one of them commits suicide, their insides turn to a delicious spaghetti. Wrecked by guilt, Morty (Harry Belden) tries to rectify this horrible truth with the planet, but it goes terribly wrong as the phenomenon is commercialized into a capitalist dystopia.
When someone sees a trigger warning with a potential trigger, they immediately sit up and decide if the difficult subject matter is worth the trauma. But if someone doesn’t have that trigger, then the warning serves a different purpose, especially in a show that’s already as controversial as Rick and Morty. It might spark curiosity about the upcoming story and whether or not the warning was worthwhile. It may even garner interest because it lets the viewer know that controversial content is coming. In this case, the reason for the trigger warning is obvious. Suicide doesn’t occur in a single scene with a single character. It’s prevalent throughout the entire episode, so there’s no escaping it. In the grand scheme of things, trigger warnings are not overused and warranted more often than not. Still, it’s important to note that even though they are helpful to people with trauma, trigger warnings have at least some sort of effect on everyone who sees them.
Rick and Morty is now streaming on Max.
