Reply To: [TW: rape] Helping Sea Monkeys with triggers (at karaoke and otherwise), was: JCCC4 Post-Mortem
If Paul and Storm had reason to believe someone in the audience had been traumatized by a home invasion or kidnapping, I’d expect them to avoid that song. (Even though a deliberately ridiculous scenario played for laughs is less likely to trigger people than a profanity-laden attempt at emotional realism.) In any audience containing dozens of women, it’s pretty certain that one or more of them have been traumatized by rape or sketchy edge cases where there were “blurred lines” between consent and non-consent.
To be clear: I’m not saying offensive but thoughtful material should not exist. I’m saying it shouldn’t be performed before unsuspecting, possibly unwilling audiences. Anyone who signs up for karaoke ought to be very familiar with the song they chose, and have thought about whether it’s likely to be a problem for anyone.
Also, I’m not suggesting we call anyone out. If it gets to the point of calling people out, it’s too late. The goal is to avert bad choices before they’re made.