Question about Spoilers

[billd91]

Sooner or later, things that are considered spoilers when they first come to light will enter the realm of cultural literacy. Certainly, this has happened with every twist in the original Star Wars trilogy.

There comes a point when you can't really expect people to hide spoilers from you. You just have to find ways to neutralize them (by seeing the film/reading the book/whatever), live with the knowledge, or take responsibility to avoid the conversation yourself.

At this point, I don't think it would be a spoiler to say that Ginny Weasley was the one opening the Chamber of Secrets, Sirius Black is dead, or that the murdered man on the Orient Express was stabbed to death by, literally, everyone else on the train except Hercule Poirot. I won't, however, tell you what happens at the end of Half-Blood Prince (too soon). In another year, I'll be discussing it openly and not giving a rats hiney if anyone around me hasn't read it yet.

 

[amethal]

Sirius Black is dead

Is he? That's a shame, I liked Sirius.

I'm a few books behind on Harry Potter, and I wouldn't expect everybody to stop discussing the latest books for my benefit. After all, if I was that interested I'd have read them by now!

I'd love some Wheel of Time spoilers. As far as I can remember from the first seven or so books, the last thing that happened of any significance was the Seanchan (apologies for the spelling) turned up unexpectedly.

 

[vulcan_idic]

On this topic I remember a story a friend of mine told me when they went to go see Titanic when it first came out. They were coming out of the theatre talking about how great the special effects were when the ship hit the iceberg and sank... and people got upset with them for "ruining the ending". I'm sorry, but I can't see how talking about a plot point that is more or less common historical knowledge could ruin anything - I mean, what, you go to a movie called Titanic and expect that it won't sink? I've never seen the movie yet, and even with nothing else given, I fully expect to watch a large ship ram itself into a really big ice cube and sink. I don't that kind of information a spoiler. Not even on the first night of release.

 

[glass]

Unless it's a really huge spoiler, like who Keyser Soze really is, then I ask them if they've seen the movie, because that part makes the movie (subsequent viewings still don't ruin it, as you are now aware, and are looking for the hints/clues, etc.)

I'd say movies (and books etc) that hinge on a single twist like The Usual Suspects or From Dusk 'Till Dawn should always be protected against spoilers. After all, there is hardly any effort involved with spoiler and sblock tags.


glass.

 

[glass]

At this point, I don't think it would be a spoiler to say that

Spoiler

Ginny Weasley was the one opening the Chamber of Secrets, Sirius Black is dead, or that the murdered man on the Orient Express was stabbed to death by, literally, everyone else on the train except Hercule Poirot.

I won't, however, tell you what happens at the end of Half-Blood Prince (too soon). In another year, I'll be discussing it openly and not giving a rats hiney if anyone around me hasn't read it yet.

Whereas I do consider all of those things to be spilers. Those books are still in print, so presumably people are still buying and reading them for the first time. Why (potentially) ruin thing for those people when it's trivially easy not to.


glass.

 

[billd91]

Whereas I do consider all of those things to be spilers. Those books are still in print, so presumably people are still buying and reading them for the first time. Why (potentially) ruin thing for those people when it's trivially easy not to.


glass.

I don't think a book being in print is a very good yardstick for determining whether something's a spoiler. Hamlet and nearly everybody else dies a the end of the play, it's still in print in many editions, and yet I doubt anybody would consider it a spoiler.

The trouble is, it's not trivially easy to avoid spoilers when you aren't sure what people will consider a spoiler. It's pretty hard to launch into a discussion about certain things in literature and the media like "What did you think about Achilles's invulnerability being interpreted as being really quick on his feet rather than something magical in Troy?" if you're constantly editing yourself for spoilers, whether on a message board or in real conversation.

Spoilers have to be retired at some point for the public at large even if some people aren't up on their cultural literacy.

 

[Tonguez]

Unless it's a really huge spoiler, like who Keyser Soze really is, then I ask them if they've seen the movie, because that part makes the movie

now I'm confused - Keyser Soze is Lukes father?

and please someone tell me - what is the twist of The Others?

(which if it is that bad I'm never gonna bother seeing)

 

[Dagger75]

now I'm confuse - Keyser Soze is Lukes father?

and please someone tell me - what is the twist of The Others?

(which if it is that bad I'm never gonna bother seeing)

Spoilers although I don't know why, just being nice.

Spoiler

Nicole Kidman and her family are dead and are the ghosts haunting the house

There saved you $6 for a rental or 2 1/2 hours of your time.

 

[mhacdebhandia]

Spoilers for The Others: [sblock]More to the point, Kidman and her children spend the whole film believing that they are being haunted, but discover that the presence in the house they can only sometimes detect - the Others - is actually a living family (and the medium they've hired to get rid of the ghosts of Kidman and her children).

There's a minor fakeout - there are three weirdo servants in the house, and Kidman discovers that they're dead too, but they're not as genuinely malevolent as they're played.[/sblock]

 

[Numion]

A thread called "Spill the Beans" on RPG.NET was one of the more funny threads on that place Basically people were free to expose any spoiler stuff. Author of SLA Industries rpg took real offence that someone exposed the 'secret' of that setting. Funny stuff.