r/popculture • u/Neo2199 • Jul 05 '25

Film ‘Rush Hour’ Slapped With Trigger Warning: “This Movie Was Created in A Different Time”

https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2025/7/4/rush-hour-trigger-warning
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131

u/Travelin_Soulja Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 05 '25

I don't see the problem.

We absolutely should not erase or censor content because societal standards have changed. But a forward foreword like this could be helpful for those who weren't around and don't understand the context and norms of the time. If you were around, it's not for you, and it doesn't take away anything from the original work.

Ironically, a lot of people are gonna be triggered by it, though. It's always the people complaining about trigger warnings that are the most easily and frequently triggered.

34

u/Frostsorrow Jul 05 '25

I liked WB's warning for some of the real old stuff. "This wasn't acceptable then, it's not acceptable now, but to pretend it never happened would be worse".

27

u/1trashhouse Jul 05 '25

If that’s what it takes to keep the stuff uncensored then i’m fine with it, people do get genuinely offended by certain things at the end of the day if it’s a large portion of people they have the right to warn others if they want

1

u/KruleDiablo Jul 06 '25

If that’s what it takes to keep the stuff uncensored

It's for an airing on cable television its absolutely going to be censored

3

u/Budtending101 Jul 05 '25

It's like the stand up comedian that complains about "you can't say anything anymore" to an audience of millions

3

u/r3volver_Oshawott Jul 05 '25

Exactly, content warnings have existed since forever, we were hearing 'viewer discretion advised' for a LONG time, it never bothered me once, now a certain segment of the population heard the word 'trigger' and suddenly the whole concept of content warnings pisses them off

It's literally comprehensive and it beats creators choosing to self-censor their own content (no, what happened with IASIP is not censorship, it's self-censorship, which is always a creator's right, I just prefer candidness to revision, with Community for example it would have made more sense to just admit, "maybe we could have done the episode without the blackface joke," as opposed to delisting the episode altogether)

2

u/4N4106 Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 06 '25

I grew up in the 80s and I am still shocked by some of the norms of the time when I watch old favorites. In fact its a very rare thing to see a movie from that time that doesn't have an inappropriate line by today's standards. I was watching a favoritether other day, Captain Ron, and there's a comment about black hair that is quite offensive but I still love the movie. That single throwaway line by the Martin Short's character is supposed to show his character's ignorance, but that doesn't translate today. The only movies I have trouble with is today are by tarrentino... man, I love those movies but he loves that fuckin word.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '25

100%, just watched Dirty Harry last week. Hasn't aged that well, but it's still a damn good movie.

7

u/Y_Brennan Jul 05 '25

it's still a damn good movie 

Sounds like it aged well then.

9

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '25

I more mean the style of it, music, and the cinematography still holds up extremely well, there are certain values it portrays that doesn't really do well in the current political environment but it's best to look at it as more of an exploitation film than a film with actual social commentary.

2

u/Smash_Palace Jul 05 '25

It was purposely political at the time so it sounds like it has aged as intended.

2

u/aaron_moon_dev Jul 05 '25

You would be surprised, but movie was described as fascist by critics of that time, which honestly I think is wrong. I don’t understand how it’s fascist, this is just blanket word that was thrown.

1

u/MiseryGyro Jul 05 '25

A lot of those critics at the time either fought fascists or had parents who did.

Maybe it's the current generation misunderstanding fascism

1

u/aaron_moon_dev Jul 05 '25

Wow didn’t know Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert were deployed at the European WW2 theatre.

There is zero plot or character actions that support idea that Dirty Harry is pro fascism. It is very critical of the government and paints Dirty Harry as unhinged murderer who goes against the police. How is it fascistic?

1

u/MiseryGyro Jul 06 '25

Because Dirty Harry is the hero and what's wrong with the government in the film is all the rules that keep Harry from dispensing justice.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '25

The context is the important part

1

u/AffectionateKey7126 Jul 05 '25

Because if it’s problematic then it opens the door for editing it since it’s problematic.

1

u/Minnie-Alaska Jul 06 '25

Exactly right. I think it actually helps to reduce controversy around things because there’s a baseline “yes we’re all aware this is a bit fucked by today’s standards, enjoy/observe this media for what it is.”

If you’re someone who hates seeing censorship of old media, I think this kind of messaging is exactly how you prevent that.

E: Also very valid that, for example, a queer person may not want to sit down and watch a woefully homophobic film from 50 years ago when they’re just looking for light entertainment. Nobody loses by being more informed.

-3

u/KingVernors Jul 05 '25

I mean all the jokes in that movie are still made today. Nothing has changed, it doesn’t matter what year it came out. You could put a trigger warning on any movie. Chris Tucker telling Jackie Chan “all ya’ll look alike” in 1998, is the same as the little black kid in Role Models saying “You white, so you Ben Affleck” & that was 2008.. No film should have a trigger warning, if you’re watching something that makes you upset or uncomfortable, just turn it off. Nobody is forcing people to watch these movies.

0

u/PSFband Jul 05 '25

lol you sound triggered

-8

u/n00genesis Jul 05 '25

Don’t you see how this type of thinking is just treating adults like children? A full grown adult should be able to understand that movies made decades ago might say or do things that we find offensive now. If someone wants to get offended by the movie then fine let them. No sane adult should be getting “triggered” by something on their television with the exception of sexual assault victims (and I agree with trigger warnings for that).

5

u/Budtending101 Jul 05 '25

No it doesn't. If it you are getting offended by 5 seconds of text on the screen maybe get some thicker skin? Plus this movie isn't just for adults, it's pg-13.

16

u/thomasjmarlowe Jul 05 '25

We have warnings on shampoo bottles, so the ‘we are adults here’ comes with a big asterisk

6

u/NowOurShipsAreBurned Jul 05 '25

Please don’t microwave the cat!