Do You Care About Spoilers?

33 responses to “Do You Care About Spoilers?”

1. 

   justachap

   December 13, 2017 at 11:27 am

   I care about being spoiled when I know for certain I am going to see the thing. If I’m not or don’t have much interest in it, I don’t care much.

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2. 

   negativezero

   December 13, 2017 at 11:28 am

   Yes.

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3. 

   virus__

   December 13, 2017 at 11:29 am

   Uh, it depends I guess.

   I don’t get around to watching shows, movies or playing games upon release due to my work schedule, so i’m always going to encounter spoilers somehow. But most of the time I forget what they were anyway. That or I don’t really care.

   Like I still haven’t finished the last 2 seasons of Mad Men or caught up with Suits, yet i’m pretty sure both of those have been spoiled for me countless times, and i’ve just forgotten what I read/heard.

   Though there are some shows I don’t want spoiled, like The Grand Tour, i’m watching that as soon as it is available damn it!

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4. 

   transientmind

   December 13, 2017 at 11:29 am

   Spoilers don’t make me anywhere near as frustrated as do the people who endlessly complain about them. Especially the rabid zealots who complain that something is a spoiler when it’s on the fucking poster/box art.

   If you give a shit, then hurry the fuck up and get on to the thing you apparently give a shit about, early, so you can’t be spoiled. Until then, just a thought… maybe stay away from the GLOBAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK USED SPECIFICALLY TO TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING.

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   1. 

      transientmind

      December 13, 2017 at 11:38 am

      That said, just because the global communication network is there, doesn’t mean it is exempt from the basic ettiquette we expect everywhere else, like not cutting in line, farting in an elevator, etc. Announcing that there’s going to be spoilers, keeping them out of headlines etc is basically just common decency along the same lines as not talking about someone’s drinking problem around people they know.

      It’s rude to spoil, sure, but nowhere near warrants the lynch mobs you see starting to form around every popular movie/tv series/game that might contain twists people don’t want spoiled.

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      1. 

         grunt

         December 13, 2017 at 11:49 am

         I think its hypocritical for someone to be clicking a link to a story then complaining about the content. In the leadup to something as big as a Star Wars movie, or immediately after, what do they think is going to be in those stories?

         Basic etiquette is a thing we should all aspire to, but does that extend to protecting people from their own actions and stupidity? We’re already in a world where you have to warn people that the packet of peanuts they just bought may contain peanuts for that reason.

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   2. 

      grunt

      December 13, 2017 at 11:43 am

      Yeah, same here. Had a friend once who whinged about spoilers six months after something aired, because THEY hadn’t seen it yet. He was so impractical about it, it drove the rest of us insane.

      In this day and age, that global communication network kind of guarantees that information is going to be out there that supplies details. That puts the onus back onto the individual to be wary on what they read.

      So basically, if they don’t want spoilers on Star Wars, be prepared for them if you click a headline that basically says “Star Wars story here!”…

      Personally, I don’t care either way. If I see info about a movie, it wont change whether I enjoy it or not.

      Vader being Luke’s dad was the big spoiler in Empire Strikes Back. Does knowing that make the movie worse when you rewatch it year after year after year? Of course not.

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      1. 

         os42

         December 13, 2017 at 1:34 pm

         That puts the onus back onto the individual to be wary on what they read.

         While I totally agree, it also puts the onus on everyone to be careful of what they say in places where spoilers are not either already present or explicitly asked for. You have no control over someone replying to an innocuous comment with a spoiler for something you’re interested in, beyond avoiding places where spoilers already exist. So really, the only protection you have online, beyond your own diligence, is for people to be aware that just because something’s “on the internet”, that doesn’t mean everyone knows (or wants to know) about it.

         And for people to not be dicks about it.

         Reply
         1. 

            grunt

            December 13, 2017 at 3:29 pm

            There are different levels of spoilers. Telling someone that the opening battle scene is amazing is a spoiler, but its on a far different level to saying Vader is Lukes father.

            I get why the second one is being a (seriously bad) dick, but the first one? People seem to think that even that is deserving of abuse. Or that the poster shows X, and that the world should burn as a result.

            Its unrealistic to expect nobody to talk about it, or geek sites to not discuss it, and for anyone serious about avoiding spoilers, its idiotic to think there aren’t going to be spoilers in stories in the next week or two.

            That’s where I think the onus is on the individual to be wary. Post release, its going to be impossible not to see a story, or hear someone talk about it. And unrealistic to expect it not to.

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   3. 

      virus__

      December 13, 2017 at 11:44 am

      Holy shit yes, this so much this! I have one friend, who has all these TV & entertainment pages liked on Facebook & endlessly complains when she see’s The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones or some other show she is obsessed with spoiled. I’m like “It’s your fault for liking those pages..” but always cries it’s unfair they post spoilers straight after the show has aired, yeah, right after it’s aired on the West Coast in America, because the page is American run.. It’s not an Australian page. Also i’ve told her countless times to go & learn how to obtain said shows, but refuses to learn, so i’m all “Eh, don’t complain to me then..”

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   4. 

      braaains

      December 13, 2017 at 12:15 pm

      Agree.

      I remember I once had somebody have a go at me about spoilers when discussing the movie Moon. Despite the fact that the supposed “spoiler” happens in the first 15 minutes of the movie, is basically the set up for the entire movie, and was included in the damn trailer for the movie.

      Reply
5. 

   pixel_ghost

   December 13, 2017 at 11:30 am

   Major twists make me want to re-watch/read something so I can see if there are any tells before it happens.
   Like in the Usual Suspects, there is no way to tell who the Kaiser is.
   But when you watch Lord of the Rings they drop so many hints about the nature of Sam/Frodo sarcasm
   Spoilers don’t bother me.

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6. 

   bass400

   December 13, 2017 at 11:41 am

   Absolutely loathe spoilers, especially when done maliciously, but more because I fell they disrespect the creators of a work (film, book, game, whatever).
   But there is a degree of personal responsibility on the part of the spoilee – don’t read articles, watch previews etc (although movie theatre previews are particularly problematic, taking a bag for my head and earplugs could look weird).

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7. 

   psylar

   December 13, 2017 at 11:43 am

   Absolutely I care. I really struggle to maintain any motivation to watch a movie if key moments have been spoiled.

   I am generally ignoring the internet right now, just in case I see any Star Wars spoilers. I was very hesitant to even click on this post!

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   1. 

      grunt

      December 13, 2017 at 11:53 am

      See, that’s the right attitude. You don’t want spoilers, so do what you can to avoid them. And are also wary about reading stories that are likely to be spoiler filled. You seem to realise that this is going to happen, and part of the responsibility for avoiding it rests with you, so act accordingly.

      That’s a very sensible attitude.

      Reply
8. 

   zambayoshi

   December 13, 2017 at 11:46 am

   I care about spoilers so much I read neither this article nor the comments thereon.

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9. 

   outbreak

   December 13, 2017 at 11:47 am

   Yes I care

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10. 

    blakeavon

    December 13, 2017 at 11:50 am

    Yes. Because it is a simple matters of respect for others. Lets face that is the only reason people let them slip because (in the case of a website) they want the clicks or (in the case of an individual) they delight in upsetting others.

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11. 

    longwittyusername

    December 13, 2017 at 11:54 am

    I don’t care about them I only get annoyed when it’s done on purpose to evoke a reaction.
    At that point, I don’t care that I know the spoiled material – I’m just annoyed that I’m talking to a dick.

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12. 

    tehnoodnub

    December 13, 2017 at 12:01 pm

    I despise spoilers and those who disseminate them, or fail to understand and respect my wishes about spoilers.

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13. 

    crotchdot

    December 13, 2017 at 12:04 pm

    Absolutely, you can enjoy a good movie multiple times but you only get one chance to be truly surprised by it.

    I avoid articles as much as possible but often key plot points will be spoiled in headlines or photos for articles on the front page of websites in a desire for clicks. I find the Unspoiler plug-in for Chrome helps a lot.

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14. 

    brasop

    December 13, 2017 at 12:18 pm

    Don’t care about spoilers at all, and I can’t remember a time where I heard something about a movie or game I was looking forward to, and it actually bothering me. For me, ‘how’ something happens is much more important or has a bigger impact than just ‘what’ happens.

    Plus I’m living 2 years behind everyone else in terms of the latest entertainment, so this stance is more of a necessity anyway.

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15. 

    welbot

    December 13, 2017 at 12:24 pm

    With new movies, I don’t tend to care much, as I generally won’t see the movie for a long time after it’s come out, but I do try to avoid them where I can. Not something I’ll lose my mind over if I happen to catch something though.

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16. 

    akeashar

    December 13, 2017 at 12:27 pm

    Absolutely care about spoilers. It typically kills my interest in watching the material at all, so rather than playing a game, watching a show or movie when it comes out, I might do so a few years down the line. As fresh as possible (although I will go looking for spoiler free reviews)

    In regards to Star Wars, I try to see them first session opening night to avoid the possibility of spoilers, which paid off since there were people saying one particular spoiler in the general chat of The Old Republic the next day, when most people wouldn’t have been able to see it (and it wasn’t out across the world)

    If its something I have zero interest in, then I’ll merrily spoil myself, but thats always self inflicted. About the only exception is the Walking Dead comic, since I only read the collection that comes out every few years, so by spoiling ahead the horrible things that happen to characters that I like have less of an impact (and even then a certain spoiler about who met Lucille almost made me not collect any more)

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17. 

    atchi

    December 13, 2017 at 12:33 pm

    I feel like “spoiler” has changed its meaning, from “spoiling a key surprise/twist in a story”, like Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense, to now meaning just “revealing any information at all about a film/book/TV show/whatever”.
    I once got told off for “spoiling” a movie (a sequel) by just saying that I thought it was good, but not as good as the first one. Sigh.

    I don’t go out of my way to ruin people’s enjoyment of things, but it bugs me when people shut down a conversation just because they don’t want to hear what happened in a movie that came out three years ago that they haven’t got around to seeing yet.

    Maybe it’s just because I don’t care much about spoilers myself. I might get slightly annoyed if I find out some secret plot twist in advance, but I’m usually far more interested in just watching the story and seeing how it’s performed and portrayed.
    Every time I see Hamlet I know exactly what is going to happen, but I still really enjoy it!

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18. 

    letrico

    December 13, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    Yes. Especially core plot of the story. Happened to me when I was playing AC3 and a colleague of mine watched the leaked ending and told me Desmond died.

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19. 

    os42

    December 13, 2017 at 1:01 pm

    I consider spoilers for major plot twists (or even major plot points) to be analogous to Penn and Teller’s “Fool Us”. The audience knows basically nothing, and have a completely different view of the tricks to the hosts, who know what techniques to look for, ways that attention can be directed, and are analysing the technical performance to observe how the illusion is achieved.

    There’s certainly value in both viewing experiences – which is why I’ll always watch a movie with a good twist multiple times, and why I hold Identity (2003) in such high regard – but the hosts never have that chance to re-experience that “magic” that comes with ignorance. It’s also why they will never explain to the audience how the illusion works, and will just confirm quietly with the performer.

    Likewise, you only get one chance to experience a good twist. My one chance for The Sixth Sense was “a friend blurted it out during lunch break in high school one day” – when I finally saw the movie a few years later, I could appreciate the techniques used to misdirect, but never had the chance to buy into the deception. It was an okay film, but completely overrated in my mind, so I realise that my opinion must be coloured by never getting the chance to see it the way it was intended.

    I’ve found the best defense against spoilers is indifference – don’t let yourself be pulled into the hype or the marketing, don’t get pulled into conversations about something you’re silently keen to see/play, experience the thing when it releases, and then come to your own conclusions.

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20. 

    morgendorfer

    December 13, 2017 at 1:02 pm

    No, don’t care much. I don’t normally see stuff until it’s been out a while so it’s hard to avoid spoilers, even if you don’t go looking for them. I’ve usually forgotten by the time I see it anyway. If it’s something I really don’t want spoiler-ed then I’ll make sure to watch/play asap.

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21. 

    Jagji The PC Gamer

    December 13, 2017 at 2:23 pm

    I don’t like them. If I am going to see something, I want to experience it as unspoiled as possible. To the point where I am no longer watching trailers for movies I know I will be seeing (Marvel movies mostly, and SW). I only have one exception to this rule, and that is if I am in a cinema, watching the previews.

    My biggest problem with trailers right now, is they give FAR FAR to much away. They should be selling you the movie, not giving you a tl;dw edition of it, witch most movie trailers seem to do. The best trailer I have EVER seen is the one for SW: The Force Awakens. None of the trailers for that actually told you what would happen. In fact, they misdirected you to an extent, but not enough to make you hate the movie cos of it.

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22. 

    thyco

    December 13, 2017 at 5:09 pm

    not one bit, its about the journey, not the end.

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23. 

    pookie101

    December 13, 2017 at 6:56 pm

    I know the next Star war’s things has penguin things called Porg’s but that is the extent of my knowledge about it.

    As for spoilers in general. I try to avoid them. I still remember watching Battlestar Galactica, and the episode to find out who was the last Cylon was a few hours away here and i was talking to an American friend who I told I was looking forward to finding out but please don’t tell me to which they promptly said “Oh it’s x” I hate people like that

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24. 

    john_stalvern

    December 13, 2017 at 9:06 pm

    Hate ’em. Ruins my day and my hype for the subject.

    Most recent examples: I was interested in the film Happy Death Day, which was like a groundhog day murder mystery. Saw the ad on facebook, thought I’d go check he hype in the comments. First comment was “the person who does X is the murderer” and suddenly there was no point in watching the film. What’s the point in asking the question you know the answer?

    Yes, that guy could have just been trolling with a fake answer, but then I’m gambling with satisfaction.

    The second trailer for Terminator: Genisys gives away a major plot twist that happens about halfway through. Having seen the movie recently, but being well aware of twist, I found it didn’t *ruin* that film, but it detract from the experience.

    On the subject of TVTropes I think there’s one entry called Trailer Spoils Everything. I hate trailers.

    I hate spoilers.

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25. 

    locksterr

    December 13, 2017 at 9:25 pm

    Yes.

    What a pointless article.

    Reply