Trigger Warnings Keep Coming Even When They Have Spoilers Blaze Media

Streaming services seek to avoid 'trauma' when shows depict sexual or violent scenes. Despite trigger warnings increasingly spoiling the stories of shows and movies, entertainment and streaming companies only seem to be widening the net of themes that require advanced warning. The industry seemingly reached maximum parody with the latest trigger warning for 1990 crime classic "Goodfellas." The message warned viewers that there were Italian mobsters in a movie about the Italian mob. "This film includes language and/or cultural stereotypes that are inconsistent with today's standards of inclusion and tolerance and may offend some viewers," the message read. Warnings about stereotypes or offensive material are ever-present, but notifications about trauma-related triggers for TV shows have become even more detrimental to the user experience. In effort to prevent a sensitive viewer from experiencing any form of slight discomfort, trauma warnings have actually ruined the plots of many episodes.

The new Evita revival in London’s West End, starring Rachel Zegler and directed by Jamie Lloyd, was always going to spark a conversation. From its stripped-down aesthetic to the now-viral staging of “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” sung from a balcony outside the theatre, this production invites strong reactions. But the latest controversy isn’t about Zegler’s performance or Lloyd’s vision. It’s about a sign. Specifically, a sign in the foyer of the Open Air Theatre warning audiences about haze, flashing lights, and loud music. Some tabloids jumped on it, calling the production “woke” for adding “trigger warnings.” Online, a few commenters complained that the list of effects was “ridiculous” and spoiled the experience.

But this outrage misses the point entirely. Let’s be clear. Content warnings are not spoilers. They are tools. And in many cases, they are life-saving ones. For patrons with photosensitive epilepsy, a flashing light warning isn’t about comfort.

It’s about safety. Without it, an audience member could experience a seizure mid-performance. For others, such as veterans with PTSD or individuals on the autism spectrum, loud sudden noises or overwhelming sensory input can trigger genuine panic responses. The warning isn’t about coddling feelings. It’s about allowing audiences to make informed decisions about their own bodies and brains. What’s frustrating is how easily the theatre world, which prides itself on empathy and storytelling, falls into dismissive language when it comes to access and accommodation.

We build entire musicals around revolution, trauma, and liberation but balk at the idea of placing a small sign near the box office? In recent years, trigger warnings have become an increasingly integral part of much of the media that audiences interact with on a daily basis. Social media content, podcasts, and television episodes commonly feature warnings before their content begins, offering a simple way to inform audiences about potentially harmful or distressing content. Despite this, trigger warnings have yet to become common practice in the cinematic world. In the wake of recently released films like It Ends With Us and Blink Twice, which both offer explorations into the horrors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, discussions about these types of warnings... While some may argue that the presence of trigger warnings may lead to parts of stories being "spoiled" for audiences, the controversy surrounding ambiguously marketed films like It Ends With Us proves that the...

When audiences are unknowingly brought into a triggering scenario, it can lead to the viewer feeling blindsided. A lack of trigger warnings can also be a great disservice to the movie and its potential for success. As the discussion around the presence of trigger warnings continues, it is important to stress how they are almost always a harmless yet meaningful way to ensure that the moviegoing experience remains safe and... Much of the online discussion around the 2024 film It Ends With Us has centered around its leading actors' rather trivial and mostly hypothetical drama on set. In fact, the film has garnered so much attention that it has become one of the highest-grossing films of the year. While this style of controversy may prove beneficial in terms of box office success, it ultimately pushed discussions about what the film is actually about to the side.

This, alongside a rather ambiguous and romanticized marketing campaign, ultimately led many unsuspecting viewers to witness a rather traumatizing story about domestic abuse with no sort of warning beforehand. Although the film does feature an end credits notice that offers resources to real-life victims of domestic abuse, its placement in the film made it so that many viewers never got to see it. In the weeks that followed, audiences saw Zoë Kravitz’s directorial debut Blink Twice prefaced by a trigger warning regarding the film's sexual violence content, which many suspected to be a direct response to It... While it is impossible to know whether the team behind Blink Twice inserted the trigger warning after witnessing the backlash of other similarly themed films, it is safe to say that some audiences would... When comparing how the two films handled their potentially unnerving content, audiences have celebrated Blink Twice for allowing room for those viewers who wish to be informed of anxiety-inducing scenes beforehand. Both television and film have an immense power to immerse audiences into the world of the stories they tell, including the traumatic and unnerving events that are oftentimes so important to share on screen.

For viewers who suffer from PTSD, anxiety, or various other mental health conditions, these scenes can oftentimes be an overwhelming viewing experience that reminds them of traumas from their past or trigger distressed feelings... Television networks have become particularly aware of the potential risks of not including trigger warnings in their content, as evidenced by major shows like Industry, Euphoria, and Baby Reindeer all including content notices ahead... This trend becoming the industry standard for popular television shows makes TV viewing a much safer space. As content advisories become popular, Hollywood tries to find a balance between ruining plot twists and helping viewers avoid trauma You’re watching your favorite show, and one of the main characters is in a jam. He’s held captive by mercenaries and, for the past two episodes, has struggled to escape a labyrinthine prison.

It’s unclear whether our hero will live or die, but the next episode opens with a warning: “The following contains a depiction of suicide. Viewer discretion is advised.” Welp, you think, I know how this story ends. So what happens when trigger warnings need spoiler warnings? As content disclaimers trend in television, some viewers are taking issue when they give away crucial plot details or ruin surprises. Take Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer,” which dulled 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... In today’s reading landscape, content warnings have become an essential tool for both authors and readers.

They offer a way to navigate sensitive topics with care, allowing readers to make informed decisions about the content they engage with. Whether you're a writer looking to ensure your work is accessible to a wider audience or a reader seeking to avoid potentially triggering material, understanding the role and importance of content warnings is crucial. In this post, we’ll explore what content warnings are, why they’re used, and how to implement them effectively. Content warnings, also known as trigger warnings, are brief alerts that let readers know about potentially distressing material in a piece of media. These warnings help people to decide if they want to engage with the content, allowing them to avoid topics that might trigger strong emotions or discomfort. Using content warnings shows care and respect for the audience, making media more inclusive and considerate.

They can prevent unexpected distress and give readers a heads-up about what to expect. Whether to use content warnings is up to the author. Some prefer not to use them, considering them spoilers. Others argue that the genre of their book should be a warning in and of itself (for example, horror or thrillers are usually going to contain challenging material). Others will go as far as to say content warnings encourage censorship and hamper learning, by allowing people to shy away from content that would be otherwise valuable to consume. Ultimately, each creator can choose what best fits their work and audience.

You’re watching one of your favorite shows, and one of the main characters is in a bind. He’s held captive by mercenaries and, for the past two episodes, has struggled to escape a prison. It’s unclear whether the hero will live or die, but the next episode opens with a warning: “The following contains a depiction of suicide. Viewer discretion is advised.” You think, “Welp, I know how this story ends.” So what happens when trigger warnings need spoiler warnings? As content disclaimers trend in television, some viewers are taking issue when they give away crucial plot details or ruin surprises.

Take Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer,” which dulled 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... The list goes on: Shows like Netflix’s “You,” Hulu’s “Life & Beth,” TNT’s “Snowpiercer” and Apple’s “The Morning Show” have slapped trigger warnings on the beginnings of episodes to alert viewers who may be... Separate from typical parental guidelines — like a TV-MA rating that warns of drug use or nudity — trigger warnings are more specific (and more in-your-face). Some flag strobe sequences. Others contextualize “outdated” content. In May, AMC was ridiculed for warning that Martin Scorsese’s 1990 mob epic “Goodfellas” contained “cultural stereotypes that are inconsistent with today’s standards of inclusion and tolerance.”

But the most common trigger warnings in TV are content advisories relating to self-harm and sexual violence. They became popular after the release of Netflix’s 2017 teen drama “13 Reasons Why,” which follows Hannah, a high schooler who dies by suicide and leaves behind a box of cassettes detailing why. The Season 1 finale showed Hannah cutting her arms in the bathtub. A year later, after mental health experts criticized the show for glamorizing suicide and a study found it was “associated with a significant increase in monthly suicide rates” among teens, Netflix added advisory warnings. And a year after that, Netflix removed the suicide sequence entirely as it debuted the third season. Since then, a growing number of programs have opted to inform viewers before showing potentially traumatizing content.

But as trigger warnings continue to spread on TV, those who rely on them in other fields, like academia, stress that they’ve always been controversial — and widely misunderstood. “Trauma and discomfort have started to become conflated, and I think that’s where people pull away from the idea of a trigger warning,” says Colleen Clemens, the director of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies... Clemens has published a defense of trigger warnings and provides them for her students regarding topics that might specifically elicit a “trauma response,” as opposed to any subject that could offend. When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Trigger warnings crop up in social media posts, TV episodes, literature and now at the movie theater. On the surface, these messages are merely intended to inform audiences when content is potentially distressing, giving people the chance to emotionally prepare.

But not everyone believes these advance notices are helpful — and some even claim they are harming entertainment. Film and television are visceral, absorbing media forms. In recent years, TV shows with scenes of sexual assault, drug abuse or violence — like Netflix's "Baby Reindeer" or HBO's "Euphoria" — have included trigger warnings that preceded certain episodes. The presence of these warnings at the cinema, though, is less common. Zoë Kravitz's new film "Blink Twice" is among the first to be prefaced by a trigger warning (about sexual violence) on the big screen. "Many suspected" this to be a "direct response" to the "missteps" of the recent Colleen Hoover book-to-screen adaptation, "It Ends With Us," said Jake Fittipaldi at Collider.

Both projects feature depictions of domestic abuse and sexual violence, but "It Ends With Us" was widely criticized for its handling of the material. The Hoover project was "ambiguously marketed," forcing "many unsuspecting viewers to witness a rather traumatizing story about domestic abuse with no sort of warning beforehand," and "Blink Twice" likely did not want to make... In an editorial for The Hollywood Reporter, Bridgette Stumpf noted that the number of audience members who have been impacted by domestic violence is statistically high. "By not providing any content warnings prior to the start of the film, 'It Ends With Us' ultimately fails the survivors it is supposed to advocate for," she said. It may seem low-stakes to some, she argued, but it's different for people with PTSD. "When we have survived a traumatic experience like domestic violence, and we see similar stimuli in the future, we don't just remember our own experience, we relive it," she added.

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