Ruminating on "Problematic"
I've been really locked into this discourse lately about the depiction of mature subjects in media. Mainly, this rush to condemn any abuse or violence a character may commit in a work of fiction. For whatever reason, entire swaths of the internet think that having a horrible character do horrible things in your story must mean you endorse their behavior. That somehow, your character engaging in harm must mean you engage in harm as well and are therefore worthy of the dreaded title of problematic.…huh? To be frank, this attitude will be the demise of storytelling.
What spawned this concern of mine was some discourse around the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Its spooky season so of course people want to revisit their campy horror favorites and Rocky is a classic for a reason. However, I’ve seen many decry the film as toxic and harmful depiction of LGBTQIA+ people in fiction. Now, I do acknowledge that a lot of the movie hasn’t aged the best given our modern understanding of the greater community at large but I don’t think every member of the crew set out to be harmful in their creation and I’d hate for some young child looking to find themselves in media feel like they are toxic and wrong for relating to Rocky Horror. There should be a way to view films as dated without completely removing their impact on our wider culture. How else are we supposed to move forward if we can’t see how we’ve messed up?
I also believe this attitude is far too uncharitable to the writers. A lot of stories need to have bad people in them and those people need to do heinous things. There's no other way to show who they are short of just telling you that you shouldn't trust them. Why then would you assume their actions reflect that of the writers? Especially if you a) don't know them personally and b) know this is a fictional character that needs to exist for the story to work? It feels like a form of preemptive virtue signaling in case someone catches you enjoying a story with a villain in it. Stories shouldn't be written or enjoyed on the defense.
Lastly, I’d like to see us get away from this idea that every film or show or piece of media in general needs to prepare you for it. It's one thing if there are graphic scenes designed to be triggering, then a warning is warranted then. But for other media in which there may only be awkward conversations and adult subject matter that make us uncomfortable, I think a warning about entire plot-lines makes seeing the film a waste of your time. It's okay to feel uncomfortable with a story. For a lot of writers, that’s the point and a pre-warning isn't going to make you feel more cozy.
When you are presented with something uncomfortable, a few things happen. First you're made to hold it in your body. Maybe it's a tickle on your neck or the urge to tap your feet but the result is that you're more likely to be locked in to whatever it is you're watching or reading. Then, your brain begins to search through your history and beliefs to pinpoint why you may be reacting like this. Have you experienced this? Do they remind you of someone? This gives you a firmer connection to the story which is likely all the writer really wants. Lastly, you want to move on and you're looking to the story to help you do so. Therefore, you're paying attention to the rest if it. If you allow this process to happen naturally it improves your experience substantially. But if you've already been completely closed off to something before you even watch it, I have no doubt you'll hate every minute.
I think this hits a little deeper for me because I can see firsthand how this attitude has killed so many good shows specifically. How “this character did this and wasn't condemned enough for me” leads to “this shouldn’t be aired” or even “this show can't be beloved” and in a time where everything even a little good is canceled, I'm not willing to toss away stories as easily as that anymore.