Matt Smith recently spoke to The Times of London about his concerns over trigger warnings, saying he worries “everything’s being dialed and dumbed down” when audiences are being tipped off in advance and being told what to feel. The “House of the Dragon” star said “the fucking point” of his acting choices as of late is that “we should be telling morally difficult stories, nowadays in particular.”
“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 added. “Isn’t being shocked, surprised, stirred the point? 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.”
Smith remembered going to “a local video shop” when he was younger and seeing provocative films such as “‘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. Actually, that scarred me. Absolutely ruined me.”
Trigger warnings have become increasingly common in media ahead of movies or television episodes that contain graphic subject matter, including depictions of sexual assault or self-harm. Separate from typical parental guidelines — like a TV-MA rating that warns of drug use or nudity — trigger warnings are more specific. In May, for instance, AMC made headlines for warning that Martin Scorsese’s 1990 mob epic “Goodfellas” contained “cultural stereotypes that are inconsistent with today’s standards of inclusion and tolerance.”
Variety reported earlier this year on the growing debate over triggering warnings spoiling plot points for viewers: “Take Netflix’s ‘Baby Reindeer,’ which spoiled a shocking assault scene with a preemptive warning reading: ‘The following episode contains depictions of sexual violence which some viewers may find troubling.’ Or Apple TV+’s ‘Severance,’ which tipped viewers off to an episode cliffhanger by revealing, ‘The following contains a depiction of self-harm.’ Or ‘Better Call Saul,’ which, on the international streamer Stan, foreshadowed a major character death with a suicide hotline number.”
Head over to The Times of London’s website to read Smith’s profile in its entirety.
From Variety US