Warnings

[brown_betty]

To me, the warning, "do not read this if you're easily squicked," is completely useless. For one, of course I'm easily squicked by my squicks. That's what a squick is. So if I'm easily squicked by, say, squash-fucking, and can read incesty non-con with nary a qualm, does this make me "easily squicked

Comments

[ratcreature]

I agree that a very general squick warning isn't useful, otoh I guess very detailed warnings are rather spoilery, and sometimes ruin the effect. One compromise solution I've seen is to put detailed warning on an extra page or at the bottom of the fic. Also it's quite impossible to anticipate all squicks. I mean, my major one is an embarrassment squick, which isn't even that uncommon, at least I know several people who share it, but nobody ever warns that characters will be in embarrassing situations. At most people warn for sexual humiliation in kink/warning lists, which works fine for me, because in that context it's actually a kink for me, not a squick, but non-sexual embarrassment gets never mentioned.

[chevauchee]

Because sex is the only thing that could ever squick people, because sex is so icky and dirty. Thanks, Puritan morality!

I also have the embarrassment squick, as does my friend Ruth. Both of us find it nearly impossible to watch most American comedy because of it. And it's weird, because no one thinks to fault you for walking out of a horror movie or a particularly gruesome drama, but have you ever had to try to explain to your friends that no, really, you don't want to see that movie, because you had to walk out of Jerry Maguire because it was making you physically ill, so American Pie probably will make you hurl? People (well, most people) who don't have the squick are incapable of getting it.

[brown_betty]

I feel your pain. I really can't watch any comedy where someone being humiliated is meant to be funny. I just can't. I get stage fright on other people's behalf. But I guess it's not that severe, because I can still back-space away from fic.

[chevauchee]

Amen! I get all skin crawly and queasy, and I just fail to see the funny. It's not.

But yeah, once I figure out that a fic isn't going to work for me (either the embarrassment or something else), I close the tab. Worse case scenario, I've lost a few minutes out of my life. Oh noes! I can never get those minutes back.

[adn_heming]

My god. I thought I was the only one. I'm the one who closes their eyes and puts their hands over their ears when someone is placed in a socially humiliating/embarassing situation onscreen. And when people gang up to humiliate someone else, for humour, or whatever other reason? I WILL WALK OUT. I CAN'T TAKE THAT. I just can't.

[alixtii]

And here I thought I was the only one!

[chevauchee]

Dude, absolutely not. Actually, a friend of a friend (someone msilverstar knows) is apparently doing a thesis on it. I only remember this because I was all excited that there would be documentation that this is, you know, real!

[brown_betty]

Can we form a support group? We could have a comm where you post to warn each other for squick, and hold each other's hands at the rising popularity of squicky films which all your friends will want you to see.

[chevauchee]

BWAHAHAHA We absolutely should. blush_squick or something. I could have warned people about Ocean's 12* if I'd only had a place to do so!

* I really did enjoy it, but thank all that's holy that I was at the drive-in theater for that one. Man, was I in and out of that car a lot.

[kkglinka]

And then I was going to say something but ICON! Eeeeee hahahahahaha! Thank you.

[chevauchee]

_audrey made it. _audrey rocks like a hard-rocking thing.

[kkglinka]

Hard as a rock, eh?

Oh, wait, should I have given a warning for that?

[chevauchee]

Eh, only for the easily squicked whiny pussies in the room and really, who cares about them? *g*

[brown_betty]

Oh dear, and I was thinking of seeing it. Should I give it a miss?

[chevauchee]

It is a good movie, but ... hrm. Trying to do this without horribly spoiling it for you. Ah, yes. There are points at which various characters allow themselves to look like fools for reasons that are central to the plot, and it was a bit difficult to sit through, but not, say, SNL movie bad.

Though if you do give it a go, save yourself some squicking and just fast forward whenever Bruce Willis is on the screen. The scenes with him and Julia Roberts bothered me the most by far. Just total 'hide your face in your hands and wait for it to be over' squickville. To be fair, you'll miss a pretty important plot point, but nothing you won't be able to figure out from what follows immediately after, trust me.

[brown_betty]

Thank you for the warning, I really appreciate knowing that. I'll just bring a book along if I rent it.