The merit of trigger warninings

I remembered your own dubiousness regarding the necessity of trigger warnings when I read this comment. If a dry description of a particular branch of gender theory requires a trigger warning, then I think we're fucked.

I still keep seeing these increasingly often. Often the description in the trigger warning is far "juicier" (please mentally substitute for a more appropriate word if you can think of one) than the actual content. Trigger warnings without a trigger... dot tumblr dot com, hmmm.

I have a fairly large collection of friends who have been raped, molested or otherwise sexually assaulted in their lives, and none of them are fans of trigger warnings, especially for TW's own sake.

The only time I find it useful is if it's either 1) highly unexpected (a blog about a news story about a shotting that happens to end up discussing a rape - and even then, eh) 2) in explicit discussions of situations and emotions. (emotions are far more likely, in my personal experience, to make me shudder) or as Knight said, if it's fiction, to let you know that rape is part of the fiction so you aren't reading along a nice love story for escape and find yourself where you don't' want to be. :-)

but I gotta say, if you are still so traumatized that the word *rape*, or a simple comment in a news article or discussion group will trigger you, you probably are not ready to be on the "general" internet yet, period. I don't mean to victim blame, if that's what i just did.

Though, there's only so far the "don't blame the victim" ethos can take you before you run into "you're an idiot, you really did deserve that". Usually around the point someone dons a Lady Gaga meat-dress and jumps into a lion enclosure.

My level for generic stupidity is quite low. If you are a victim AND a winner of the Darwin award, tough tittie!

I was having a comment on facebook about the Michigan (?) delegates who were banned for speaking because they said vagina, then again a month later (monday, actually) for telling men they need state ordered vasectomies. someone said "she should try harder, fight more to stay in and not be bullied". THAT was blaming teh victim, to me.

Understanding that you are still traumatized after a rape, and that normal discussions of such matters are hard for you, shouldn't mean I should have to watch what I say, and/or put a trigger warning on any topic where the word rape comes up.

I think you remarked elsewhere that it seems mostly to make the writer feel better. "Oh, look how sensitive and understanding I am!" Which doesn't necessarily equate with actually acting in a sensitive and understanding way. If you really had that empathy, you'd probably want to take the time to patiently explain your position at the top rather than jumping to a lazy and generic phrase.

you mean "warning, i use the word cunt often in this paper" isn't an effective way to show that you don't REALLY hate women, cause you warned them in advance? ;-)

We already have trigger warnings for that, it's called "Click here to view all comments".