Why ‘Ricky Stanicky’s Trigger Warning Is … Glorious

Conservatives have learned to loathe trigger warnings and for very good reasons.

They’ve been slapped on everything from old Disney cartoons to James Bond adventures. Are we suddenly so fragile that we can’t watch “Dumbo” or “Goldfinger” without suffering emotional distress?

Apparently so, according to Disney+ and the British Film Institute, respectively. 

Nolte: BFI Fascists Add Trigger Warnings to James Bond Filmshttps://t.co/qjrGzRMNs0

— Larry Elder (@larryelder) January 7, 2024

Amazon Prime’s upcoming comedy also arrives with a trigger warning, but this time it’s on the poster (see image at the end of the article).

WARNING: An R-Rated Comedy

The other difference? Anyone who values free speech will probably cheer its inclusion.

Director Peter Farrelly of “Dumb and Dumber” fame returns to big-screen comedy courtesy of “Ricky Stanicky.” The long-gestating film follows three buddies who routinely cite an old chum named Ricky Stanicky when they need to bail on their plans.

Their partners eventually suspect Ricky doesn’t exist, so the trio, including Zac Efron’s character, hires an actor to play Ricky (John Cena).

The actor in question, alas, gets too attached to the role.

It’s framed as the kind of raucous plot we saw all the time before the Age of Woke descended on Hollywood. The marketing materials lean into that spirit, courtesy of the poster’s “warning.”

That directive may have come from Farrelly himself.

The veteran director cut his teeth on outrageous comedies, often teaming with brother Bobby to bring them to the screen.

• “Hall Pass”
• “Kingpin”
• “Stuck on You”
• “Shallow Hal”

Peter Farrelly segued to dramatic stories in 2018, scoring a Best Picture Oscar for his race drama “Green Book.”

His heart still longs to make people laugh, and he knows our Cancel Culture age makes that mission harder. In 2022, Farrelly lamented the decline of comedy movies without evoking the “W” word.

I think R-rated comedies are going to come back with a vengeance. Very soon, people are going to be f***ing starving for R-rated comedies, and they are already ….That’s the opportunity now for somebody to break out with an R-rated comedy and the whole world is going to see it and they’re going to say, why can’t we have more of this? I miss them.

Now, he’s hoping to do something about it.

That will be music to Joe Rogan’s ears. The Spotify superstar repeatedly laments how woke has impacted the comedy scene, hearkening back to an era that gave audiences “Step Brothers,” “Old School” and more.

Last year’s “No Hard Feelings” with Jennifer Lawrence summoned some of that spirit, scoring a solid $50 million at the U.S. box office.

“Ricky Stanicky” debuts exclusively on Amazon Prime March 7.