Judi Dench is jumping into the trigger warning debate — and TBH, her comments alone might just warrant a trigger warning in and of itself … ’cause she’s got a fiery take about it.
The actress says she didn’t realize many productions now give viewers a heads-up about distressing material, telling the Radio Times, “My God, it must be a pretty long trigger warning before King Lear or Titus Andronicus! Crikey, is that really what happens now?”
After the news sank in, Judi’s take basically amounted to crapping on the idea of protecting viewers, saying … “If you’re that sensitive, don’t go to the theater, because you could be very shocked. Where is the surprise of seeing and understanding it in your own way?”
She doubled down, and made it clear the beauty of attending a production lies in the excitement, surprise, and stimulation it offers — at least from her point of view, anyway.
FWIW, Judi’s not totally blind to the rationale behind trigger warnings … acknowledging their necessity in certain circumstances to prepare people — but more so than not, she thinks they’re silly.
Big picture … Judi says she largely feels they detract from the viewer’s experience.
Judi joins a growing list of big names speaking out against trigger warnings. Earlier this year, Ralph Fiennes suggested theatergoers had “gone soft,” while Bill Maher went as far as saying they were ruining America.