House of the Dragon star Matt Smith has lashed out at Hollywood’s “wokeness” and said producers are “policing” storylines. Speaking to reporters in London, the actor also condemned “trigger warnings” and said storytelling has been dumbed down to avoid offending. Mr. Smith stated that he believes the entire purpose of storytelling is to challenge our intellect and to make us think, adding that feeling uncomfortable is simply part of the experience. Addressing his role in the British science fiction classic Doctor Who, he said scaring people in a controlled way was the purpose of the show and the purpose of science fiction more broadly.
The actor is not alone in his view. Fellow Briton Dame Judi Dench recently made similar observations and condemned London theaters for issuing warnings before performances. The Oscar winner suggested that if people are too sensitive to handle controversial theatrical themes, they should “stay at home.”
Dame Judi made the remarks after learning that a London performance of Antony and Cleopatra included a note of caution to audience members, telling them the play contained “depictions of suicide, scenes of violence and war, and misogynoir references.” Like Smith, Dench argued that the point of art is to evoke emotion, adding that people view theater subjectively and derive their own meaning from storylines. Regarding excessive sensitivity, she said, “My God, it must be a pretty long trigger warning before King Lear or Titus Andronicus.”
Yet another British actor, Ralph Fiennes, has joined the argument and called for trigger warnings to be scrapped. Fiennes said audiences should be shocked by what they see on stage or screen, and stories and performances must sometimes be “disturbing.”
His view mirrors that of Oscar winner Sir Ian McKellen, who starred in a play about two retired men who enter a relationship after meeting in a London park. The Other Palace theater cautioned audiences that the performance included “strong language, sexual references, and discussions of bereavement and cancer,” which McKellen dismissed as “ludicrous.” He added that theater “needs to be alive and in the present,” and “shock” is what makes performances exciting.
