UK Theatre Criticized For "Sound Of Music" Content Warning- Page 2

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 10:59am

As Charley Kringas noted, they literally do this for all of their shows, the label it as a potential spoiler and there isn't anything noted as a 'trigger warning' or 'content warning.' 

This seems like the dumbest thing to let raise your blood pressure. Come on now. 

[sinister teashop]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 11:17am

A hundred years ago these warnings would have been advertised on posters and loudly proclaimed by barkers in front of the theater to entice the audience to buy tickets. 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 11:34am

songanddanceman2 said: "jkcohen626 said: "songanddanceman2 said: "The fact that theatre has existed forever without having to do this should speak volumes. Its pandering to the very very few but vocal voices on social media who get triggered by anything that could make them feel.....anything."

Without having to do what though? Tell you about the show? Last I checked, telling you what you're seeing in very basic terms has existed for most of forever.

The only triggered or offended people I see here are all of you who are so bothered by this."

Utter rubbish. Movies have age certificates and more recently 'contains violence'. From a production of Romeo and Julliet announcing it contains suicide to this, its like nobody is just allowed to go in to a show and experience a story and emotions anymore. And these signs are not just on websites, it's on boards inside the venues.



Announcing a show contains gun shots or strobes etc is perfectly normal, the rest is all pandering to a small offended by everything audience.



I have a major play opening in the UK next year and it contains very adult things, but if I and the producers have to put everything on a board in the theatre that the show contains, then its pointless doing the show."

Should we have put a content warning on this thread? Seems like the subject matter here is very upsetting to you

Updated On: 7/10/23 at 11:34 AM

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 11:35am

You'd think these were Brexiteers with all this snowflakiness about snowflakery. 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 11:50am

joevitus said: "Oh please. Do they post these warnings before performances of Cabaret?"

Yes. 

https://barringtonstageco.org/Season-Shows/cabaret/

Labeled under "Content Advisory:" "This play is recommended for ages 12 and up. However, every child has different sensitivities and parents should use their best judgment.

This show contains sexual content, drug and alcohol usage, depictions of Nazism, some violence and strong language."

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 11:52am

Kad said: "songanddanceman2 said: "jkcohen626 said: "songanddanceman2 said: "The fact that theatre has existed forever without having to do this should speak volumes. Its pandering to the very very few but vocal voices on social media who get triggered by anything that could make them feel.....anything."

Without having to do what though? Tell you about the show? Last I checked, telling you what you're seeing in very basic terms has existed for most of forever.

The only triggered or offended people I see here are all of you who are so bothered by this."

Utter rubbish. Movies have age certificates and more recently 'contains violence'. From a production of Romeo and Julliet announcing it contains suicide to this, its like nobody is just allowed to go in to a show and experience a story and emotions anymore. And these signs are not just on websites, it's on boards inside the venues.



Announcing a show contains gun shots or strobes etc is perfectly normal, the rest is all pandering to a small offended by everything audience.



I have a major play opening in the UK next year and it contains very adult things, but if I and the producers have to put everything on a board in the theatre that the show contains, then its pointless doing the show."

Should we have put a content warning on this thread? Seems like the subject matter here is very upsetting to you "

No Kad, just somebody who this actually affects rather than some person on a message board.

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 11:58am

Another thing I'd throw out there, is that these statements also certainly exist as insurance. I doubt there are a lot of people who actually look at them or need to look at them before buying a ticket. The type of person who doesn't know the Sound of Music has Nazis is not the type of person who scours the website to look for a content warning.  

What is does do for the theatre is that, if that type of person gets upset with some sort of content in the show and claims they had no idea it was about Nazis, they can point to their website and say it was there the whole time.  

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 12:05pm

We are living in a world where we need to warn people that hot coffee is hot with a warning that says "Warning: Hot" or else people shouldn't be expected to assume that their hot coffee is hot. With that kind of reasoning out there, we should expect warnings on pretty much every show out there. 

When most people think of Sound of Music, they think of Julie Andrews singing Do-Re-Mi and then there's a romance and clothes made out of curtains and then it ends. People forget all about some random muttering about Nazi this or that. 

So to see the stage show, especially the scene where the family performs, with its often realistic swastikas hanging from the fly lines, is often quite shocking to people. Remember what happened at LaGuardia recently: 

https://artsintegrity.org/2018/12/18/teaching-students-audiences-about-swastikas-the-ss-and-the-sound-of-music/

 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/10/23 at 1:31pm

jkcohen626 said: "Another thing I'd throw out there, is that these statements also certainly exist as insurance. I doubt there are a lot of people who actually look at them or need to look at them before buying a ticket. The type of person who doesn't know the Sound of Music has Nazis is not the type of person who scours the website to look for a content warning.

What is does do for the theatre is that, if that type of person gets upset with some sort of content in the show and claims they had no idea it was about Nazis, they can point to their website and say it was there the whole time.”

 

Exactly.

I worked at two prominent NYC theaters in positions dealing directly with audience members and ticketbuyers while I was in college and in the year or two after. There is no shortage of people willing to complain and get into a snit over any multitude of issues, from a show’s content matter or even mere title to a show’s runtime or scheduling- and it transcends politics, age, gender, or any other demographic group.  Theaters have to cut these people off at the pass whenever possible, because they are the ones who will make a huge fuss.