SPOILERS: Are They Out Of Control?
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Apr 29 2014, 8:04 AM
This is an incoherent rant that could go on for ages about my pet peeve and somewhere in there, there is a point, I am just too mad to make it clearly.
With the growth of social media, armchair journalists and overexcited viewers, it is becoming increasingly impossible to avoid having your entertainment ruined, as the beans get spilled across the Internet … unless you can lock yourself away in a safe room and completely avoid everything. Even watching shows and events live is no guarantee either as more and more people get access to early previews and are incapable or unwilling to keep secrets to themselves. Just because you preface something with a SPOILERS AHEAD, doesn’t make you any less of a selfish @$$.
I hate it. If I review something, I am happy to just say whether I enjoyed it or not, how good the performances are, but completely avoid everything to do with the plot. What is your take on this? On Facebook, my friends and I have an unwritten rule that outside of a “Holy Shit” or “WTF” we avoid actual conversations about shows for about 48 hours, but even then, when there are sites like Wall Street Journal (don't click the link if you don't want TV spoiled) that seem to post a recap of the show almost as soon as it finishes, you are doomed. I cannot believe the recent spoilers that are published instantly for ARROW, GAME OF THRONES, AGENTS OF SHIELD, SONS OF ANARCHY, SCANDAL to name a few … at those moments the DVR becomes a curse. 
Would THE SIXTH SENSE have been as big a success if Social Media was as prevalent back then?
Movie companies complain about spoilers and piracy, but then release movies 2 weeks ahead of the USA overseas … I guess they haven’t heard that the crime syndicates in Europe and the Far East make our homegrown ones look like petty, teenage shoplifters. Even HBO were guilty of a mea culpa this week by revealing something about GAME OF THRONES that hasn’t been widely explored in the story to date. 
I get the “Break the Story First” mentality, but this is entertainment (and sport). World peace is not under threat … wait until after the opening weekend, or a couple of days after before you recap. Viewers, curtail your enthusiasm or take it to private message, better still text your friends and I’m not going to get into the 140 character brigade. I accept that if you wait until something comes out on DVD or Netflix, then you are on your own, there has to be a statute of limitations on Spoiler Alerts. On the other side of the coin however, I have never seen an episode of BREAKING BAD. 
I have heard it is amazing, but due to Social Media, I never felt that I had to watch it, because NOBODY could keep their mouth shut, while it was on and after each episode and I have no desire left to invest myself into many seasons when I know the outcome. This wasn’t the case during THE SHIELD or THE SOPRANOS (except maybe THAT last episode).
I am sure this weekend, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 will be spoiled for everyone who doesn’t see it at Midnight on Thursday. “But … but … but … what about the trailers, they spoil it?” I hear you say. Do they? I find that if a trailer reveals a “spoiler” it’s usually just a distraction from the real “moment” … in fact, given all the hullaballoo this morning about the new GODZILLA trailer, you
would think that everyone now knows everything that is going to happen in it … you don’t, you are being TEASED and that is perfect. I am happy to be TEASED, pissed off when I read SPOILERS.
While there is no guide as to what constitutes a spoiler let’s examine a very basic plot point from CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER 
and I apologize if this is a spoiler to you the reader (if it is, please tell me how you avoided this, but are visiting a site called GeekWeek).
Bucky Barnes is The Winter Soldier. 
Yeah, so what, everyone knows that! Do they? Is everyone who went to see the two Captain America movies familiar with The Marvel Comic Universe? I think not. In fact, sitting in the theater and hearing the few gasps and subsequent whispered conversations, I realized that the divide between movies and comics is as wide as movies and books. I am no longer an avid reader … as a parent of a rambunctious 9 year old I don’t get the time, but the plus side of this, is that I can watch a movie or TV show based on a book/comic without going crazy about plot changes, I can enjoy the movie on its own merits.
Anyway, I could go on, but I hope you get the point ...
STOP SPOILING THINGS FOR PEOPLE. I think Social Media should come with a warning from the Surgeon General: THINK BEFORE YOU WATCH BEFORE YOU POST … it could save your life (if I get hold of you).
This is an incoherent rant that could go on for ages about my pet peeve and somewhere in there, there is a point, I am just too mad to make it clearly.
With the growth of social media, armchair journalists and overexcited viewers, it is becoming increasingly impossible to avoid having your entertainment ruined, as the beans get spilled across the Internet … unless you can lock yourself away in a safe room and completely avoid everything. Even watching shows and events live is no guarantee either as more and more people get access to early previews and are incapable or unwilling to keep secrets to themselves. Just because you preface something with a SPOILERS AHEAD, doesn’t make you any less of a selfish @$$.
I hate it. If I review something, I am happy to just say whether I enjoyed it or not, how good the performances are, but completely avoid everything to do with the plot. What is your take on this? On Facebook, my friends and I have an unwritten rule that outside of a “Holy Shit” or “WTF” we avoid actual conversations about shows for about 48 hours, but even then, when there are sites like Wall Street Journal (don't click the link if you don't want TV spoiled) that seem to post a recap of the show almost as soon as it finishes, you are doomed. I cannot believe the recent spoilers that are published instantly for ARROW, GAME OF THRONES, AGENTS OF SHIELD, SONS OF ANARCHY, SCANDAL to name a few … at those moments the DVR becomes a curse.
Would THE SIXTH SENSE have been as big a success if Social Media was as prevalent back then?
Movie companies complain about spoilers and piracy, but then release movies 2 weeks ahead of the USA overseas … I guess they haven’t heard that the crime syndicates in Europe and the Far East make our homegrown ones look like petty, teenage shoplifters. Even HBO were guilty of a mea culpa this week by revealing something about GAME OF THRONES that hasn’t been widely explored in the story to date.
I get the “Break the Story First” mentality, but this is entertainment (and sport). World peace is not under threat … wait until after the opening weekend, or a couple of days after before you recap. Viewers, curtail your enthusiasm or take it to private message, better still text your friends and I’m not going to get into the 140 character brigade. I accept that if you wait until something comes out on DVD or Netflix, then you are on your own, there has to be a statute of limitations on Spoiler Alerts. On the other side of the coin however, I have never seen an episode of BREAKING BAD.
I have heard it is amazing, but due to Social Media, I never felt that I had to watch it, because NOBODY could keep their mouth shut, while it was on and after each episode and I have no desire left to invest myself into many seasons when I know the outcome. This wasn’t the case during THE SHIELD or THE SOPRANOS (except maybe THAT last episode).
I am sure this weekend, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 will be spoiled for everyone who doesn’t see it at Midnight on Thursday. “But … but … but … what about the trailers, they spoil it?” I hear you say. Do they? I find that if a trailer reveals a “spoiler” it’s usually just a distraction from the real “moment” … in fact, given all the hullaballoo this morning about the new GODZILLA trailer, you
would think that everyone now knows everything that is going to happen in it … you don’t, you are being TEASED and that is perfect. I am happy to be TEASED, pissed off when I read SPOILERS.
While there is no guide as to what constitutes a spoiler let’s examine a very basic plot point from CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER
and I apologize if this is a spoiler to you the reader (if it is, please tell me how you avoided this, but are visiting a site called GeekWeek).
Bucky Barnes is The Winter Soldier.
Yeah, so what, everyone knows that! Do they? Is everyone who went to see the two Captain America movies familiar with The Marvel Comic Universe? I think not. In fact, sitting in the theater and hearing the few gasps and subsequent whispered conversations, I realized that the divide between movies and comics is as wide as movies and books. I am no longer an avid reader … as a parent of a rambunctious 9 year old I don’t get the time, but the plus side of this, is that I can watch a movie or TV show based on a book/comic without going crazy about plot changes, I can enjoy the movie on its own merits.
Anyway, I could go on, but I hope you get the point ...
STOP SPOILING THINGS FOR PEOPLE. I think Social Media should come with a warning from the Surgeon General: THINK BEFORE YOU WATCH BEFORE YOU POST … it could save your life (if I get hold of you).
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