A History of Spoilers and their Relevance to Today

[MGibster]

Since he was being dubbed, they could have just given him any line they liked.

"Pineapple is delicious on pizza."

"Nooo! That's not true! That's impossible!"

There's the Dark Side and then there's just #A%## evil. There are lines even Vader won't cross.

 

[Zardnaar]

Wrong thread my bad.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

There's the Dark Side and then there's just #A%## evil. There are lines even Vader won't cross.

I was just looking back at this thread realized …

@CleverNickName - it all comes back to people messin’ with pizza.

 

[trappedslider]

Then there's trailers like this

 

[MGibster]

I have a few friends who are spoilerphobic to the point where they get mad if you talk about something you saw in the trailer. I find that level of concern over spoilers to be annoying.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

There's the Dark Side and then there's just #A%## evil. There are lines even Vader won't cross.

There were preparing a redemption story arc. He couldn't be that horrible for the audience to be sympathetic.

 

[Parmandur]

Finally, I did come across research that suggests that while people believe that spoilers are bad, enjoyment is actually increased when you know what is coming (because of cognitive dissonance, or something like that). The reason I didn't include that in the OP is twofold-
1. I think it's disingenuous to tell people who avoid spoilers, "Ha, you don't know what you really like." Not just disingenuous- kind of obnoxious.
2. It didn't seem like the research had a very large sample size or had been replicated. I am leery of these types of social science nuggets that haven't been replicated yet.

That said, it would be interesting if true.

I think you are right that rubbing this research into people's faces falls under the "obnoxious jerk" rubric, but their findings match my own personal experience: I enjoy stories more if I've researched them ahead of time, which I discovered as an English major in undergraduate work. If a story is ruined because you know the plot...then the story is weak.

 

[MGibster]

I think you are right that rubbing this research into people's faces falls under the "obnoxious jerk" rubric, but their findings match my own personal experience: I enjoy stories more if I've researched them ahead of time, which I discovered as an English major in undergraduate work. If a story is ruined because you know the plot...then the story is weak.

I'm not a diehard anti-spoiler person, but I do like to be surprised. It's just part of the experience of hearing a story for the first time. One of the reasons I like Tarantino movies is that I never know what's going to happen. When watching Death Proof, I honestly didn't know what was going to happen to Zoe Bell during the car hood scene and knowing the outcome would have made that initial viewing less enjoyable. Watching Spock die in Wrath of Khan was a big surprise for six year old me and the impact might have been less had I been prepared for it.

But overall I think you're right. Even knowing what's going to happen in those movies I still enjoy them. They're still good.

 

[Parmandur]

I'm not a diehard anti-spoiler person, but I do like to be surprised. It's just part of the experience of hearing a story for the first time. One of the reasons I like Tarantino movies is that I never know what's going to happen. When watching Death Proof, I honestly didn't know what was going to happen to Zoe Bell during the car hood scene and knowing the outcome would have made that initial viewing less enjoyable. Watching Spock die in Wrath of Khan was a big surprise for six year old me and the impact might have been less had I been prepared for it.

But overall I think you're right. Even knowing what's going to happen in those movies I still enjoy them. They're still good.

Yeah, there's definitely something to be said for experiencing something for the first time, but the really good stuff holds up when you know every detail: the Princess Bride offered that experience of surprise the first time, but it's even better the 20th time.

I tend to keep spoilers to myself, and just seek them out on my own and not share them. Don't want to dictate anyone else's experience.

 

[CleverNickName]

There's the Dark Side and then there's just #A%## evil. There are lines even Vader won't cross.

@CleverNickName - it all comes back to people messin’ with pizza.

Of course Vader hates pineapple on pizza. A Sith is the enemy of all that is good.