More on Spoilers
After my Harry Potter spoilers, I was talking with a good friend about it. My contention was that there is no such thing as a spoiler, the idea that was espoused by my blog entry. He pointed out something that I hadn't considered - people want to feel the effect of the master story teller as she weaves her spell with words to convey the sense of wonderment when that which a spoiler so crassly spoils, is revealed to full effect. I was captivated by this idea. People just wanted to be taken on a journey by the story teller. Spoilers would ruin that, since the shock/effect would be diminished with knowledge of what would happen at some point in the story. Wow, how did I miss that!
After pondering this for a few days, I decided that though it was a good idea, and was lulled by its logic, it didn't ift my blog. See, there is no such that as a spoiler! That's right, I am going to spit in the face of logic! Though, I will now explain why.
Let's say that there is a book coming out soon and I tell you that the main character dies in the end. Now what? You can choose to believe me or not. Before I said that the character dies, if you had spent any time at all waiting for this book, you probably thought that it the main character might die. So, what have my words changed for you?
Let's say that I show you a picture of the page that clearly states the main character dies. How does this change anything? I could easily have faked this. And this actual did happen with the Harry Potter novel - there were fake pages out there claiming to be "spoilers".
Unless you didn't think anything at all about the future and what might happen in the book, anything I say or show you, you probably already thought about. Does this mean that you have already spoiled the story for yourself by thinking? Do my words and/or pictures carry more weight than your thoughts?
Before I saw The Sixth Sense, I read a review that spoiled the movie. While watching it, I saw the movie differently than if I knew nothing about it going in. The movie kind of sucked. Why? Because it totally depended on the surprise factor. I know how many of the Shakespeare plays end, yet I will still watch them. Why? They should be "spoiled" for me, based on the logic of spoilers.
It is all about letting go. When I see a movie, I analyze it death. I always know who did it near the beginning of the movie, which means most dramatic movies suck for me. I think most people could know who did it, but they fool themselves - they purposely do not think about the possible "spoilers". The people who didn't want to know how the last Harry Potter book ended probably didn't think about how it might end. Any thought about it might have spoiled it for themselves. Letting go and not thinking about any aspect of the story is the only way to let the story teller move you to the place they are trying to get you to.
So, if you want to enjoy a good story, enjoy a play about which you already know the whole story, or to watch/read a Mystery, don't think. If you think, you will spoil a good journey.
The Edward
PS Actually, I'm sure I would have figured out the secret of The Sixth Sense and would have found the movie to be just as annoying. It doesn't matter to me if I figure it out or if someone told me before the movie begins - knowing what will happen just makes watching it play out very tedious for me.
4 comments:
I think what you've missed is that not everyone is like you. Dare I say most people aren't like you!
It doesn't matter to most people if the spoiler is accurate or wrong, for them they merely want to read a book or watch a movie and enjoy it in the sense the author intended. You ask what your words have changed? Well, those words have changed something, they gotten someone thinking by suggesting the mere possibility that the main character dies.
When you say "anything I say or show you, you probably already thought about" that is where you are completely wrong. I think most people haven't given any (not a single) thought about a book for a movie and this is usually on purpose. They want a blank slate when starting a movie or book. If the movie or book was so profound as to warrant further examination, people would watch/read it again this time with a critical eye.
I'll agree with you final statement about not thinking, but I think you are preaching to the choir here as I think most people already don't think about the movie they are going to watch or the book they are going to read.
If it was a book or movie I was interested in reading or seeing, I would not want anyone telling me about it. Not because of the thinking factor (coz I do think about what I read/see before I do but because it's in my interest zone, I pretty much know what's going on), but I don't want to share "MY treat" with someone else and deal with their perceptions opinions thoughts predictions spoilers before I've properly digested and processed it. I want to experience it in MY way, not theirs or yours. And frankly, I don't care to know what others think about books/movies. Most of the time, my interests do not match theirs and the overlap or common ground is not much. Really, to each his own, but don't touch my stuff until I'm ready to share!
The ending of a book or movie is like a wrapped birthday present- if you look at the size and shape of the present, you can reasonably deduce what might be in it (or at least rule out a lot of things that won't be in it). However, to me (and, I think, the majority of the population), it's much more fun to not do that, and wait to unwrap it.
You seem to be one of those rare people who doesn't like surprises- you much rather get to the end and be done with it. It seems that for you, a movie is more a race than a journey, and you are trying to beat the rest of the audience to the conclusion. Nothing wrong with this, I guess, but it takes a lot of fun out of things.
Also, another problem I have with spoilers is not the spoilers themselves, but the type of person who likes to reveal them. I think people like to reveal spoilers to show off some sense of superiority- "I know something you don't. Aren't I cool?" And it's kind of dickish to try to bolster that by ruining things for others.
Thanks! A lot of interesting ideas - some points I hadn't considered.
It is indeed different for me in some ways. As I said in a recent blog, Check Please, I think of things as a list of check boxes. Knowing the ending is a check. The journey isn't the reward, the check is. If I know ending of a story, I can guess if it is worth my time watching the build up to it. If the ending sucks, no need to waste time with the rest of the story.
I do not like being in a theatre and have someone spoil the movie. Mostly, because I have already figured it out by then and am sitting there quietly watching the movie. Then Mister IQ 101 realizes what's going on and has to tell someone, thinking he is the brightest one in the room, and tries to spoil it for the person next to him. Usually at this point in the movie, everyone knows what is going on, so the room fills with whispers of people who just got it and are trying to spoil it. Very annoying.
I still say that spoilers are in the mind of the hearer, but it was very interesting to read why each of you believe what you do about spoilers.
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