ITV has sparked controversy by adding a trigger warning to the classic 1978 musical film 'Grease', citing scenes of 'teenage misbehaviour'. The warning, which appears on the ITVX streaming service, states the film contains 'mild language and teenage misbehaviour'. Critics have accused the broadcaster of being overly cautious and 'woke'.
The film, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, follows the romance between Danny and Sandy at a US high school. ITV executives flagged scenes including a broken contraceptive, ridicule of virginity, and a vulgar description of a car used to attract women, which they say trivialises consent. The character Rizzo is also 'slut-shamed' when she fears pregnancy.
Social media users reacted angrily, with one calling ITV a 'pathetic bunch of woke namby pambies'. Another joked: 'I guess it can be triggering to see good looking young people have fun.' The warning comes after the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) reclassified 'West Side Story' from PG to 12 due to themes of sexism and transphobia.
Grease is the latest film to receive such a warning, following similar moves for 'West Side Story' and the 'Wicked' sequel. The BBFC updates its guidelines every four to five years after public consultation.
