1.3K Messages
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23.1K Points
The reemergence of subjectivity in keywords
Perhaps it is due to the time in which we are living, politically and sociologically, but there has been a reemergence of subjectivity in keywords that needs to be addressed, including a rewriting of Keyword Guidelines.
Keywords should reflect what is actually seen or spoken in a title -- of what is seen in image and text on screen or spoken in dialogue and/or narration.. They should not represent what a submitter "thinks" or "feels" about what is on screen. There should be little, if any, personal judgment or evaluation involved. The keyword submitter should be a reporter, NOT an editorial writer.
SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of fearing and closed captions, as went as regular on-screen English subtitles, offer the best guide for keywords. Yes, there can be mistakes, sometimes misspellings, but they are the most objective guide for keywords. If available, I choose to include English subtitles on every DVD that I watch.
There are hundreds of examples of subjective keywords that have more to do with the submitter than they do with the title, including all those sexist and racist keywords, keywords reporting slurs, etc.
But... let me give you just one example: "no-abnormal-father-daughter-relationship." First, very few keywords should begin with the word "no." (There are some exceptions like "no-opening-credits."). If it is a "no," it should not be there in the first place! Is Ben-Hur to have a keyword like "no-spaceships," or Gone with the Wind to have a keyword like "no-cell-phones"? If something is not there, it is a "given" that it is not there.
Second, "abnormal" and many other evaluative adjectives are personal viewpoints, although one might argue that a professional in mental health may have an objective definition of what "abnormal" means. Still, if it is not spoken or seen in text, such personal opinions have no place in a keyword.
Now, resist the temptation to delete, delete, delete and merge, merge, merge. It should be: correct, correct, correct. A bad keyword like "no-abnormal-father-daughter-relationship" should just be simply changed to "father-daughter-relationship."
Just because someone "thinks" or "feels" something does not make that thing a fact. Sadly, this seems like yet another plague of our times. Please, we need more neutral objectivity.
If only ALL titles had SDH subtitles or closed captions. That would make for much more accuracy in keywords.
If only...
gromit82
Champion
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7.3K Messages
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274.7K Points
3 years ago
Bradley: I agree with you that subjective keywords should be avoided.
However, I would not want to say that a bad keyword like "no-abnormal-father-daughter-relationship" should automatically be changed to "father-daughter-relationship". What if the film doesn't depict any father-daughter relationship at all?
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bradley_kent
1.3K Messages
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23.1K Points
3 years ago
Yes. That's why one needs to audit, research, fact-check before making almost all such changes, mergers or deletions.
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keyword_expert
2.7K Messages
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47K Points
3 years ago
Mr. Kent, the same contributor responsible for all the "no-abnormal-relationship" keywords is the same contributor responsible for the "more-than-one" keywords, as well as all the "distressed-damsel" derivations keywords, like "horny-henchman-calls-on-distressed-damsel."
I could be mistaken, but I believe he has been adding these idiosyncratic keywords for years.
He does not participate on this message board. At least not that I'm aware. Should someone email him about these issues with his keywords? I believe that would be the best way to take care of this issue, as opposed to other contributors cleaning up the keywords after the fact.
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Michelle
Employee
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17.2K Messages
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310K Points
3 years ago
Hi bradley_kent -
Thanks for posting your Keyword feedback and comments on our current guidelines, as others have mentioned on this thread, Keywords should be objective. Unfortunately, many invalid keywords have slipped through and we are working on better ways to both prevent and correct these when identified.
In the meantime, I have forwarded your feedback to the appropriate team for further visibility on future improvements to this data type and guidelines.
Cheers!
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keyword_expert
2.7K Messages
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47K Points
3 years ago
These keywords always makes me laugh, every time I see them. I just can't bring myself to delete them -- at least not for now.
normal-cowboy-horse-relationship (4 titles)
no-abnormal-cowboy-horse-relationship (1 title)
(edited)
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