as the topic of banned object shows have come up quite a bit in this blog recently, i'd like to share my two cents on what i think is a key distinction between what show is considered "problematic" or not.
(thus, it is time for taco who ate a microwave to use his college education)
to address the root of the confusion, i have come up with a hypothesis on why some people in a community like the OSC may have difficulties differentiating between a "problematic" object show and a "non-problematic" one that simply just contained more mature or adult themes. i believe it has something to do with the inheritly childish nature of most object shows; because of this, the OSC is primarily made up of tweens and adolescents, even children on the brink of becoming tweens.
we as a community tend to use the term "problematic" very generously. however, it is because of this that there may be a bit of confusion on which shows are prohobited from discussion in certain spaces such as this blog. but here is where i will define what "problematic" will mean in this context;
the increased usage of the term "problematic" to describe a media that features characters, plot or storylines an individual—likely an adolescent—disagrees with, or conveys a message perceived as harmful to a particular group of people, particularly people of colour, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with health disorders and conditions, etc.
as more members within and across online communities repeatedly encounter and use the term, what makes a media "problematic" will start shifting as some people will inevitably interpret it differently. in this specific case, i noticed it has become a bit more broad to include shows with more adult or mature themes, and as a literature major i feel the need to say this;
by the definition of "problematic" i described, what makes a media problematic is not what it contains; it's how it handles whatever it contains. and in the OSC's case, how sensitive it is when considering the age range of a show's target audience. this is why it is more necessary than ever for creators who plan on adding mature themes to their object shows to make sure they are not targetting their shows to the inappropriate age group.
content warning—a show like "object terror" that includes excessive violence or swearing that lacks a clear target audience and fails to write these elements in a mature way can be considered problematic. as opposed to that, a similar show that is explicitly established to be for an older audience is less likely to be viewed that way. but at the end of the day it is up to whoever runs a server, blog, group chat, or whatever it is to decide what kinds of shows are prohibited or not.
sorry for the long rant, taco who ate a microwave
I completely agree with this ^^
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tangentwithtanner
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