DEI game funded by taxpayers bombs as players are encouraged to 'cancel' each other for racism



A video game that received a reported $1.4 million from the Norwegian government has immensely underperformed after gamers exposed the strange diversity-driven game mechanics.

Dustborn, created by Red Thread Games, was published by the company Spotlight by Quantic Dream. Quantic Dream is a French subsidiary of NetEase, a Chinese technology company out of Hangzhou, China.

Just two weeks into its release, Dustborn became a gigantic flop after gamers became aware of how much diversity, equity, and inclusion is jammed into the game.

The story involves a female character who essentially uses left-wing ideology to defeat enemies across the "Divided States of America."

'We have zero tolerance for hate speech, harassment, and threats of any kind.'

An X post revealed at least four skills players can use in the game.

This included "cancel," which is described as the following: "We've learned how to CANCEL someone."

"CANCEL will allow us to isolate people from their friends and compatriots. In battle, this could be a useful tool against enemies."

"Normalize" is also an option that allows users to "normalize negative emotion."

Other skills include "bully" and "sow discord."

Gameplay footage uploaded online showed off hilarious scenes that allow the user to get offended.

In one scene, a police officer asks the main character about a "black kid" she knows and if he has any information. The player is immediately given the ability to use the "trigger" function, which results in her saying, "You are racist!" to the cop.

In another portion of the game, the player is given no choice but to be cruel to a robot who is trying to give the main character a ride.

A caption reads "that machine is not coming near us," as the character freaks out and says, "Don't touch me!"

It should also be noted that the robot also has preferred pronouns.

Unfortunately, these game mechanics weren't meant to be funny.

'We have a point of view with this game.'

Just days into its launch, Dustborn's engagement on gaming platform Steam has been abysmal. At the time of this publication, it had peaked at just 76 concurrent players.

If this were an independent game, it would be one thing, but Dustborn received a reported 14 million kroner ($1.4 Million USD) from the Norwegian government/taxpayer and another €150,000 ($166,000 USD) from the European Union.

According to game developer Mark Kern, the Norwegian Film Institute raised the money while the EU contributed through its Creative EU grant program.

Gaming outlets have averaged a score of 68% in their reviews for Dustborn, while 374 user reviews on Metacritic have averaged an outstanding 1.1/10.

The backlash caused Red Thread Games to state what it sees as disrespectful criticism.

"We expected Dustborn to spark conversation and debate, and looked forward to engaging with our players in a positive and constructive fashion," the developers wrote. "Unfortunately, that conversation has been drowned out by a tidal wave of hate and abuse."

"We embrace discussion and debate. But we have zero tolerance for hate speech, harassment, and threats of any kind," the statement added.

The developers then called for a world where everyone can feel "valued and empowered to share their stories."

— (@)

"The developers made it clear they were inspired to create the game based off the 2016 Presidential campaign," said John F. Trent, editor for culture site That Park Place. "They also attempted to normalize immoral and evil behavior through its game mechanics such as the ability to 'cancel' people."

"It's a great thing that the game failed spectacularly and many gamers did not purchase it nor play it," Trent added.

Brazilian website DEI Detected called the game an actual representation of DEI itself. The site pointed out the game's "forced diversity, virtue signaling" and a "(woke) political agenda."

The outlet described Dustborn as having a "soy-filled" combat mechanic in which gamers fight with the power of words, based on the premise that words can hurt.

Any discussion as to whether or not that game was politically motivated from a leftist stance can be put to rest simply by referring to Red Thread studio leader Ragnar Tørnquist. In 2020, Tørnquist told outlet VG247 the following:

"We have a point of view with this game," Tørnquist said. "We're not stepping back and saying 'you figure it out'. We're actually saying, 'No, fascism is bad' — but we are also going to let our characters argue about it."

The studio head added that the developers "believe in" a diverse cast and setting and that the clearest theme is unity in the face of oppression.

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'People are being coddled': Trigger warnings increasingly embraced by Hollywood even as they spoil plotlines



Despite trigger warnings increasingly spoiling the stories of shows and movies, entertainment and streaming companies only seem to be widening the net of themes that require advanced warning.

The industry seemingly reached maximum parody with the latest trigger warning for 1990 crime classic "Goodfellas." The message warned viewers that there were Italian mobsters in a movie about the Italian mob.

"This film includes language and/or cultural stereotypes that are inconsistent with today's standards of inclusion and tolerance and may offend some viewers," the message read.

Warnings about stereotypes or offensive material are ever-present, but notifications about trauma-related triggers for TV shows have become even more detrimental to the user experience. In effort to prevent a sensitive viewer from experiencing any form of slight discomfort, trauma warnings have actually ruined the plots of many episodes.

As Variety reported, Netflix's "Baby Reindeer" gave away that a sexual assault scene was coming with a warning that read "the following episode contains depictions of sexual violence which some viewers may find troubling."

For viewers of a popular series, it's fairly easy to predict what the content warning is referring to when it can easily be connected to a character's story arc.

An international streaming service called Stan foreshadowed a suicide in "Better Call Saul" with a hotline number. Apple TV+ did so similarly by warning viewers about "a depiction of self-harm" in the show "Severance."

'When you give a trigger warning you're validating a person's feelings about getting offended.'

Suicide and sexual assault are the top reasons for applying warnings before content, but even if it comes at cost of the plot, many industry members just don't care.

John Whipple, founder of "Does the Dog Die" said that he doesn't care if he ruins movies. "I Spoil Movies and I’m Proud of it" the latest article on his website read.

Whipple said his data makes it obvious that there is an unmet need for very specific content warnings for all forms of entertainment.

Colleen Clemens, the director of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at Pennsylvania’s Kutztown University, told Variety that while trauma and discomfort have started to become "conflated," she still supports trigger warnings.

"I appreciate a TV show that says at the beginning that it depicts sexual violence," she told the outlet. "That's great, thank you for telling me. I can now make a decision if I feel like I could watch that right now."

Clemens even wrote a piece in defense of trigger warnings for the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2016.

She described trigger warnings as a way to avoid memories of trauma. She even noted that she has given verbal trigger warnings when teaching at a high school, and even to adults in a university setting.

"I do not see the act as coddling. Rather, I see it as an act of nurturing," Clemens said.

Stand-up comedian Leonarda Jonie sees it quite differently.

'Now trigger warnings are broadened to include nonsensical gender identification, safe spaces, and even warnings of 'trans-misogyny.'

"The whole reason for trigger warnings is because people are being coddled. They're told that they're not responsible for their own feelings, that it's someone else's fault."

"When you give a trigger warning you're validating a person's feelings about getting offended," Jonie continued. "It's telling them they should be offended and it fuels their self-righteous attitude."

No type of content seems to be safe from such warnings, which in many cases, have turned into a way for activists to voice their own political opinions before a viewer/user has the chance to consume the content.

In early April 2024, it was revealed that a board game based on the "Tomb Raider" video game contained a scathing review of the game's main character. The game described it's own lore as "colonialist" and condemned the title character for being a person who steals from tombs.

Melissa Carter, showrunner for both TV shows "The Cleaning Lady" and "Queen Sugar," said she felt trigger warnings act as an "extra guardrail" for young viewers.

"A [trigger warning] could at least prepare them for something that's personally upsetting to them," she said.

Commentator Lewis Brackpool believes that is no longer the truth.

"Trigger-warnings used to be about warning parents and viewers of any graphic imagery with regards to distressing content. Now trigger warnings are broadened to include nonsensical gender identification, safe spaces, and even warnings of 'trans-misogyny,' which is an oxymoron within itself," Brackpool explained.

"I’d advocate to go back to the 1990s trigger warnings to which it served a solid purpose."

With numerous Disney classics and even James Bond movies receiving trigger warnings as of late, industry insiders continue to state that the warnings are here to stay. Streaming services have seemingly decided that avoidance of discomfort or potential trauma trumps the overall user experience.

There may be somewhat of a compromise available, however. An example being the CBS show "Ghosts," which posted a warning on its Facebook page while still attempting to be mindful of spoilers.

"Tonight's episode deals with sensitive subject matter. … We won't go into detail as not to spoil the episode, but we will share support resources."

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AMC hits 'Goodfellas' with a trigger warning over stereotypes and a lack of 'inclusion' and 'tolerance'



Classic mobster movie "Goodfellas" was slapped with a trigger warning by network AMC, which warned that the movie did not live up to "today's" standards of what is considered inclusive and tolerant.

Television viewers of the 1990 crime drama starring Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, and Robert De Niro were greeted by a sensitivity warning, of all things, for a true story about members of the Italian mafia.

"This film includes language and/or cultural stereotypes that are inconsistent with today's standards of inclusion and tolerance and may offend some viewers," the message read.

However, as the New York Post reported, similar movies on the channel didn't get such a warning. Strangely enough "The Godfather" only received a standard message of "viewer discretion," along with a warning about nudity, strong language, and "intense violence."

'This is how life was back then. It was not a clean beautiful thing. You can’t cleanse history.'

— (@)

A former NYPD police officer, Bo Ditel, who played a policeman in "Goodfellas," said that political correctness is ruining everything.

"The f***ing political correctness has f***ing taken everything away,” he told the New York Post. "This is how life was back then. It was not a clean beautiful thing. You can’t cleanse history. If you want to tell true history, you gotta tell it the way it is."

A former captain of the Colombo crime family also told the outlet that the mob doesn't need protecting.

"It's crazy," he said.

"Lemme speak for all of us Italian Americans: We don't need any coddling," one self-described Italian chef remarked.

Lemme speak for all of us Italian Americans:

We don’t need any coddling.
— Cooking With Sal Minella (@SalMinellaUtube) May 18, 2024

"This is why I own physical media. I won't have to put up with this nonsense," another reader said.

This is why I own physical media. I won't have to put up with this nonsense.
— iBolski 🇺🇸 ✝️ (@iBolski) May 20, 2024

Other reactions included several social media users pointing out that the movie is based on the true story of mobster turned FBI informant Henry Hill and, therefore, shouldn't receive a warning.


Warning: May include lasagna, garlic, wine, and Joe Pesci.
— App (marv) (@appalachiafrog) May 18, 2024

Trigger warnings for movie classics are nothing new in recent years. Disney put lengthy content warnings on its platform Disney+ for films like "Dumbo" and "Peter Pan" in 2020.

In early 2024, classic James Bond movies were presented with trigger warnings by the British Film Institute. The two films in question were 1967's "You Only Live Twice" and "Goldfinger" from 1964. Both films star iconic Scottish actor Sean Connery.

Warnings read that the "films contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then)."

"The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners," the institute added.

The newer film, "You Only Live Twice," also received its own specific warning of "outdated racial stereotypes," the Independent reported.

The AMC channel is owned by AMC Networks, which also operates the IFC, Acorn TV, and Shudder.

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Tomb Raider game gets content warning for 'offensive depictions' and 'racial and ethnic prejudices' in remastered release

Tomb Raider game gets content warning for 'offensive depictions' and 'racial and ethnic prejudices' in remastered release



Popular video game franchise Tomb Raider received an in-game content warning for "offensive depictions" and "racial" prejudices for a recent remastered release, but it was not censored.

Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, released on February 14, 2024, was a re-release of classic Lara Croft video games that have historically had massive sales. In fact, 2013, 2015, and 2018 iterations of the game were more successful than their predecessors, with the franchise having sold a total of over 75 million units throughout its life span.

The games even spawned movies starring Angelina Jolie in the early 2000s, with another version released in 2018.

While production house Crystal Dynamics chose not to censor or delete any portions for the remastered version, the art did come accompanied by an in-game warning about its content from the ancient times of 1996-1998.

"The games in this collection contain offensive depictions of people and cultures rooted in racial and ethnic prejudices. These stereotypes are deeply harmful, inexcusable, and do not align with our values at Crystal Dynamics," a prompt in the game read.

"Rather than removing this content, we have chosen to present it here in its original form, unaltered, in the hopes that we may acknowledge its harmful impact and learn from it," the warning concluded.

What\u2019s going on with the Tomb Raider Remastered Collecti\u2026.oh.
— (@)

Although the developers did not provide details as to which specific portions of any of the three games were deemed offensive, fans and outlets such as Bounding into Comics have pointed to some educated guesses.

One such guess was an enemy called a "tribesman" from the third game. The characters purported to be from Polynesia and "shoot poison darts from blowguns" and killed and ate explorers on multiple occasions.

Apparently the controversy is not that the Tomb Raider remasters include dated racial stereotypes, but that they put the warning there for no reason

idk I mean I am pretty woke but uhhhhh https://t.co/eqzsGF4RUP
— Celwynvian 🏳️🌈 (@Celwynvian) February 14, 2024


Another pixelated tribesman is depicted with a strong accent in a cutscene. However, the harsh polygonal character modeling of the mid-1990s makes it hard to imagine that any person was particularly offended.

The character is described killing and eating a "white fella" who brought him a "magic stone."

Tomb Raider wasn't the only remaster of note to receive a warning in its new version. Capcom's Mega Man Battle Network warned players that the company "values diversity and inclusivity within its games."

"Please be aware the games in this collection may contain some cases of insensitive cultural depictions and are presented as originally created to preserve their authenticity," the warning added.

While such warnings would likely be fit to serve a newer, more sensitive audience, it is indeed a strange move for gaming companies to criticize their own material that is likely being replayed by those who enjoyed the titles originally.

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'Will cause offence': Classic James Bond films slapped with trigger warnings for 'outdated' stereotypes

'Will cause offence': Classic James Bond films slapped with trigger warnings for 'outdated' stereotypes



Classic James Bond movies from the 1960s received trigger warnings from the British Film Institute ahead of upcoming screenings. The warnings told audiences to expect outdated themes and racist stereotypes.

The two films in question were 1967's "You Only Live Twice" and "Goldfinger" from 1964. Both films star iconic Scottish actor Sean Connery.

The organization has featured the two films as part of a celebration of soundtrack writer John Barry, showcasing Barry's musical scores in the motion pictures.

However, the website warned that the "films contain language, images or other content that reflect views prevalent in its time, but will cause offence today (as they did then)."

"The titles are included here for historical, cultural or aesthetic reasons and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners," the institute added.

The newer film, "You Only Live Twice," also received its own specific warning of "outdated racial stereotypes," the Independent reported.

"As a cultural charity with responsibility for the preservation of film and moving image work and presenting it to audiences, we continuously face and deal with challenges presented by the history of film and television programmes and how they reflect views prevalent to their time," the BFI told the Guardian.

"Whilst we have a responsibility to preserve films as close to their contemporaneous accuracy as possible, even where they contain language or depiction which we categorically reject, we also have a responsibility in how we present them to our audiences," the film institute insisted.

"Goldfinger" has been criticized for sexist dialogue on the part of James Bond, who at one point tells a woman to "say goodbye" so he can conduct "man talk," before slapping her on the buttocks.

At the same time, in "You Only Live Twice," the Bond character is disguised to look like a Japanese man for one of his spy missions.

In 2023, original work from James Bond author Ian Fleming were revised due to worries of offence as well.

The N-word was edited out of books from the 1950s and 1960s, with some depictions of black people also removed.

An example of a revised line was from "Live and Let Die," where James Bond described some possible African criminals as "pretty law-abiding chaps I should have thought, except when they’ve drunk too much."

The line was changed to "pretty law-abiding chaps I should have thought."

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Grammy-winning singer Ne-Yo questions why parents allow children to determine their gender: 'You could identify as goldfish'



Grammy-winning R&B singer Ne-Yo has questioned why parents allow their young children to determine what gender they are. The singer also railed against parents permitting children to make life-altering changes to their body because they feel they are transgender at a young age.

Ne-Yo started off by clarifying that he has no issue with anyone in the LGBTQ community.

"I have no issue with the L-,B-,G-, I have no problem with none of y’all, with nobody," Ne-Yo began. "Love who you love. Do what you do."

The singer then added, "I just personally come from an era where a man was a man and a woman was a woman. And it wasn’t but two genders, and that’s just how I rocked it."

Ne-Yo then delved into preferred pronouns and people identifying as whatever they feel they are.

"Now, you could identify as goldfish if you feel like it, that ain’t my business," he said. "It becomes my business when you try to make me play the game with you. I’m not going to call you a goldfish, but you want to be a goldfish, you go be a goldfish. It’s just, we live in a weird time man.”

“I feel like the parents have almost forgotten what the role of a parent is,” he continued. “If your little boy comes up to you and says, ‘Daddy I wanna be a girl,’ and you just let him rock with that?"

"If you let this 5-year-old little boy eat candy all day, he’s gonna do that," he said. "Like, when did it become a good idea to let a 5-year-old, a 6-year-old, a 12-year-old make a life-changing decision for themselves? When did that happen?"

Ne-Yo asked, “He can’t drive a car yet, but he can decide his sex?”

Velez replied, "And he can cut off his pee pee."

The "Closer" singer continued, "I heard somebody say one time, if your son comes to you and says, 'Daddy, I want to be a girl,' ask your son, 'Son, what is a girl?' What is he gonna do?"

Ne-Yo noted that a boy can like the color pink and play with dolls, but they are still a biological boy.

Ne-Yo noted that California's proposed law A.B. 957 would make a child's gender choice part of their welfare, and a parent could lose custody of their children if they did not affirm the child's preferred gender.

Velez stated that "a lot of people want self-pity."

Ne-Yo responded, "That was one thing that was not allowed in the house I grew up in."

He said to "give those emotions the moment that they deserve," but then to "keep moving."

The Grammy-winning singer advised, "It's not about the fall, you can fall a million times, you get up a million-and-one times."

He asked, "I don't when the world became so sensitive?"

He also poked fun of "trigger warnings."

"Comedians can't tell jokes anymore. Everybody is offended. It's a joke, you're not supposed to take it so serious," Ne-Yo declared. "His literal job is to joke."

Ne-Yo has won three Grammy Awards and sold millions of albums. Ne-Yo has written songs for other big-name music artists – including Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Celine Dion, Carrie Underwood, Rihanna, Leona Lewis, and Enrique Iglesias.

Ne-Yo, who's real name is Shaffer Smith, has seven children with three different women.

Last month, Ne-Yo shared photos of his children in an Instagram post with the caption:

I'm a FATHER before I’m anything else. Not money, not fame, not even the love of the craft. I do this for THEM. THEY are my reason. I’m nowhere near perfect and that’s ok. My kids love me. And I’d die, kill, steal, whatever to make sure they never need for anything. The best thing I’ve ever done. I LOVE MY TRIBE! I LOVE MY SQUAD! AND I WILL FOR ALL OF THIS LIFE AND THE NEXT…AND THE NEXT!

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Ne-Yo: When Did it Become OK for a 12-Year-Old Boy to Say He Wants to Be a Girl? (Part 3) www.youtube.com

College students in UK get trigger warning about George Orwell's iconic '1984' — a novel that features 'thought police' and censorship as a primary theme



A college in the United Kingdom has issued a trigger warning to its students — pretty much all of whom are considered adults — about the content in George Orwell's iconic novel "1984."

Turns out the powers that be at the University of Northampton are saying the dystopian tome about totalitarianism contains "explicit material," which some students may find "offensive and upsetting," the Daily Mail reported.

One of the many ironies stemming from the school's trigger warning decision is that "1984" features "thought police," "Big Brother," and pervasive censorship among a number of dark forces controlling humanity.

What are the details?

Indeed, critics of the college's decision say it runs counter to the themes in the book, the Daily Mail added.

However, "1984" isn't the only work to come under Northampton's thumb in connection with the "Identity Under Construction" module which "addresses challenging issues related to violence, gender, sexuality, class, race, abuses, sexual abuse, political ideas, and offensive language," the outlet said.

Others getting flagged as potentially "offensive and upsetting" include the Samuel Beckett play "Endgame," the graphic novel "V for Vendetta" by Alan Moore, and "Sexing the Cherry" by David Lloyd and Jeanette Winterson, the Daily Mail reported.

What did critics have to say?

"There’s a certain irony that students are now being issued trigger warnings before reading Nineteen Eighty-Four," member of Parliament Andrew Bridgen said, according to the outlet. "Our university campuses are fast becoming dystopian Big Brother zones where Newspeak is practiced to diminish the range of intellectual thought and cancel speakers who don’t conform to it. Too many of us — and nowhere is it more evident than our universities — have freely given up our rights to instead conform to a homogenized society governed by a liberal elite 'protecting' us from ideas that they believe are too extreme for our sensibilities."

Orwell biographer David Taylor added to the Daily Mail that "13-year-olds might find some scenes in the novel disturbing, but I don’t think anyone of undergraduate age is really shocked by a book any more."

What did the college have to say?

"While it is not university policy, we may warn students of content in relation to violence, sexual violence, domestic abuse, and suicide," a school spokesman told the Daily Mail. "In these circumstances we explain to applicants as part of the recruitment process that their course will include some challenging texts. This is reinforced by tutors as they progress through their program of studies."

Northampton also issued warnings in other modules on its English degree course, the outlet said, adding that the likes of Mark Haddon’s 2003 novel "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" was marked with a warning that it includes the "death of an animal, ableism, and disability, and offensive language."

Northampton is ranked 101st in a list of the UK’s 121 universities, the Daily Mail said.

Anything else?

The outlet added that earlier this month Salford University students were given a "trigger warning" over Charlotte Bronte’s "Jane Eyre" and Charles Dickens’ "Great Expectations" — and that English literature undergraduates were warned they might find "distressing ... scenes and discussions of violence and sexual violence in several of the primary texts."

Blaring automatic 'trigger warning' siren used in classrooms and universities sounds alarm when it detects 'offensive' language



A new "trigger warning" detector called Themis is being tested in classrooms and universities, according to a recent report from the Daily Mail.

What are the details?

Zinah Issa, the innovator behind Themis, recently debuted the device at Dubai Design Week and explained that she named the system after Themis — the Greek goddess of social order and justice.

The Daily Mail reported that some people are testing the device in classrooms and universities, as well as in more intimate, home-based situations.

According to the report, the device is fairly small — lamp-sized — and is intended to "moderate" unsavory or possibly offending discussion in classrooms and universities in order to "manifest political correctness" around conversation.

Issa told the Telegraph that such things as racial terms, offensive jokes, and remarks about body image trigger the device, which emits "extremely bothersome alarms" that last approximately two minutes.

"Through the use of speech recognition and sound sensors, we were able to program Themis to detect offensive terms and sentences — racial slurs, offensive jokes — through the microphone," Issa explained.

Issa explained that the alarms are intended to prompt deep discussion.

"Extremely bothersome alarms last approximately two minutes, after which Themis turns off, allowing an open, understanding discussion among people on the possible trigger matter and the potential reasons behind Themis's activation," Issa explained.

According to the Telegraph, Issa hopes to roll out the device to classrooms, universities, and more following testing.

"Themis was designed to be placed in intimate social settings, such as dinner parties or family gatherings, because based on our research, people are less likely to speak up when they get offended, unlike settings where people could be held accountable," Issa explained. "However, after exhibiting in GGS [Global Grad Show at Dubai Design Week], a lot of people were interested in having it in workspaces or even classrooms, so this is something that we want to develop Themis around. We'll plan on sending out more surveys to further understand Themis's target market and the audience it could reach and potentially testing it out within educational and work settings such as universities, schools, and offices."

Issa added that she hopes the device will encourage those violating Themis' parameters to embark on a journey of "self-critique."

National Archives slaps 'harmful content' warning on Constitution, Declaration of Independence, other founding documents



The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) determined recently that America's founding documents may be "harmful or difficult" for some users to view since they reflect "outdated, biased, offensive, and possibly violent views and opinions."

In order to caution readers before they access digital copies of the offensive documents — which, of course, include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights — NARA has plastered a "Harmful Language Alert" above its entire online catalog.

When users click the alert link, they are redirected to NARA's "Statement on Potentially Harmful Content." There the agency explains, almost regretfully, that it is "[their] charge to preserve and make available these historical records." And by virtue of this charge, the agency explains, harmful content will be preserved.

NARA then includes a hefty list of the specific types of "harmful or difficult" content that can be found when sifting through the documents. The agency notes that some items may:

  • reflect racist, sexist, ableist, misogynistic/misogynoir, and xenophobic opinions and attitudes;
  • be discriminatory toward or exclude diverse views on sexuality, gender, religion, and more;
  • include graphic content of historical events such as violent death, medical procedures, crime, wars/terrorist acts, natural disasters and more;
  • demonstrate bias and exclusion in institutional collecting and digitization policies.

Below the list, NARA pledges to work "in conjunction with diverse communities" in order "to balance the preservation of [America's] history with sensitivity to how these materials are presented to and perceived by users."

NARA didn't offer any specific reasoning for why the content warning was introduced, though it likely stemmed from recommendations submitted in June at the completion of the agency's racial inequality review.

In the shocking report issued earlier this year, NARA's Task Force on Racism argued that the rotunda itself in the agency's flagship building serves as an example of "structural racism" because it "lauds wealthy White men in the nation's founding while marginalizing BIPOC, women, and other communities."

The task force also claimed that descriptions on display in the building frequently "use racial slurs and harmful language to describe BIPOC communities."

Of note, the task force also recommended that "trigger warnings" be put in place with historical content to "forewarn audiences of content that may cause intense physiological and psychological symptoms."

"Providing an advisory notice to users gives us an opportunity to mitigate harm and contextualize the records," the report reads. "It creates a space to share with the public our ultimate goals for reparative description, demonstrate our commitment to the process, and address any barriers that we may face in achieving these goals."

(H/T: The Federalist)

'Trigger warning' — coined to prop up woke students' psyches — is on college's 'oppressive language list.' Why? Because of its gun connotations.



It appears the term "trigger warning" first showed up in TheBlaze way back in 2014 in a story about warning labels being placed on classic books.

The piece, citing the New York Times, noted a movement sweeping across college campuses to employ "trigger warnings," which alert students "that the material they are about to read or see in a classroom might upset them."

As you likely recall, colleges began to create "safe spaces" and call out "microaggressions" while issuing "trigger warnings" — all of which might seem rather innocuous compared to the far-left woke culture that now dominates colleges and many other institutions these days.

But for at least one school, the term "trigger warning" is on the outs.

What are the details?

Brandeis University has issued an "oppressive language list" designed to guide those on campus toward the voluntary use of appropriate speech. It breaks down words and terms that invoke violence, cultural appropriation, and general offensiveness.

And "trigger warning" made the list as as "violent language." Why?

The chart says "the word 'trigger' has connections to guns for many people; we can give the same heads-up using language less connected to violence."

Are there alternatives? Oh, you betcha. Instead, the chart says, you can substitute "drop-in" or "content note" to warn others that what they're about to read or see or hear could be traumatic for them.

But that ain't all

The chart says that the oft-used term "killing it" connotes violence: "If someone is doing well, we don't need to equate that to murder!" Alternative terms listed are "great job" and "awesome."

Also on the outs are "take a shot at" and "take a stab at" as "these expressions needlessly use imagery of hurting someone or something." To be less violent, it's suggested that one use phrases such as "give it a go" or simply one word: "try."

In addition, "go off the reservation" is verboten due to its "harmful history rooted in the violent removal of indigenous people from their land and the potential consequences for someone that left the reservation." Instead, people ought to say, "disagree with the group" or "defect from the group."

Oh, and "rule of thumb" is a no-no because it "allegedly comes from an old British law allowing men to beat their wives with sticks no wider than their thumb." To stay on the safe side, use "general rule" instead.

Under the banner of identity-based language are the phrases "long time no see" and "no can do," which the chart says "stereotypes making fun of non-native English speakers, particularly applied to indigenous people and Asians." Instead one should say, "I haven't seen you in so long!" and "sorry, I can't," respectively.

Here's a sampling of other oppressive words and phrases — along with preferred words and phrases — for your edification:

  • Oppressive: Crazy, Insane, Wild; Preferred: That's bananas
  • Oppressive: Lame; Preferred: Uncool, disappointing
  • Oppressive: Tribe; Preferred: Friends, group, pals
  • Oppressive: Homeless person; Preferred: Person experiencing housing insecurity
  • Oppressive: Prostitute; Preferred: Person who engages in sex work
  • Oppressive: Disabled person; Preferred: Person with a disability
  • Oppressive: Wheelchair-bound; Preferred: Person who uses a wheelchair

(H/T: The Post Millennial)