Comments on: What’s a ’spoiler’? And why are some people so easily spoiled? http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/ Eric D. Snider's blog. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:35:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Crystal http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-105918 Crystal Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:57:50 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-105918 There's a girl in my drama class who didn't know the ending of "Romeo and Juliet" and got really upset when we talked about it before we'd finished the play in class. That's bad enough, but today we started "The Diary of Anne Frank" and a couple of us have aready read the source material. The professor asked us not to read ahead in the play, I joked that I already knew the ending, and Stupid Girl said, "don't tell!" I wonder if she was suprised at the end of "Titanic" or "Passion of the Christ" too. Oh, and Sixth Sense was spoiled for me by Eric himself, though it's my fault for being a year late renting the movie. I saw the Garrens sketch "The Seventh Sense" before I watched the movie, and the surprise twist at the end was no longer twisty for me. There’s a girl in my drama class who didn’t know the ending of “Romeo and Juliet” and got really upset when we talked about it before we’d finished the play in class. That’s bad enough, but today we started “The Diary of Anne Frank” and a couple of us have aready read the source material. The professor asked us not to read ahead in the play, I joked that I already knew the ending, and Stupid Girl said, “don’t tell!” I wonder if she was suprised at the end of “Titanic” or “Passion of the Christ” too.

Oh, and Sixth Sense was spoiled for me by Eric himself, though it’s my fault for being a year late renting the movie. I saw the Garrens sketch “The Seventh Sense” before I watched the movie, and the surprise twist at the end was no longer twisty for me.

]]> By: Matt http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-105034 Matt Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:37:09 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-105034 The sixth Sense came out while I was on my mission and some mexican TOTALLY SPOILED IT. As in, when I watched the movie, it was as distasteful as an old rotten orange. Screw you, that dude who spoiled the sixth Sense. The sixth Sense came out while I was on my mission and some mexican TOTALLY SPOILED IT. As in, when I watched the movie, it was as distasteful as an old rotten orange.

Screw you, that dude who spoiled the sixth Sense.

]]> By: Leah Jane http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104691 Leah Jane Thu, 21 Feb 2008 05:49:11 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104691 I was wondering about this for the longest time, I'm glad someone put it more eloquently than I ever could. It's pretty easy to just say "The ending to Evil Monster Two: Electric Boogaloo made me sad and upset!" and have people treat that as a spoiler. What happened to the line between revealing something about the plot, and expression of a vague opinion? I was wondering about this for the longest time, I’m glad someone put it more eloquently than I ever could. It’s pretty easy to just say “The ending to Evil Monster Two: Electric Boogaloo made me sad and upset!” and have people treat that as a spoiler. What happened to the line between revealing something about the plot, and expression of a vague opinion?

]]> By: Kourtney http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104607 Kourtney Wed, 20 Feb 2008 23:36:12 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104607 ****SPOILER ALERT**** The tongue on that Cloverfield doll is super gross. ****SPOILER ALERT**** ****SPOILER ALERT****

The tongue on that Cloverfield doll is super gross.

****SPOILER ALERT****

]]> By: Geoff with a G http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104576 Geoff with a G Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:06:48 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104576 Has anyone else here ever noticed that if you read enough reviews of one movie by several different critics--reviews that do not regularly reveal spoilers--you can decipher what the spoiler may actually be by putting all their varied clues together? I've managed to do this on a regular basis with some films I'd rather not have spoiled for me. However, on others I don't care to ever see, I find it amusing to come up with the furtive plot points without ever having to lose those two hours of my life. Granted, I probably could have kept those hours to myself and not had good movies ruined for me had I not bothered to read all those reviews in the first place. Has anyone else here ever noticed that if you read enough reviews of one movie by several different critics–reviews that do not regularly reveal spoilers–you can decipher what the spoiler may actually be by putting all their varied clues together?

I’ve managed to do this on a regular basis with some films I’d rather not have spoiled for me. However, on others I don’t care to ever see, I find it amusing to come up with the furtive plot points without ever having to lose those two hours of my life.

Granted, I probably could have kept those hours to myself and not had good movies ruined for me had I not bothered to read all those reviews in the first place.

]]> By: ClobberGirl http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104350 ClobberGirl Wed, 20 Feb 2008 09:03:18 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104350 People who complain about stupid, non-spoiler "spoilers" are just as annoying as the people who do the spoiling. Also annoying, people who get upset if you spoil a movie they claimed they had no interest in seeing or had sworn to never see. You've sworn to never watch rated R movies, then you get mad when I talk about who dies in the Matrix: Revolutions? Yeah, whatever. People who complain about stupid, non-spoiler “spoilers” are just as annoying as the people who do the spoiling. Also annoying, people who get upset if you spoil a movie they claimed they had no interest in seeing or had sworn to never see. You’ve sworn to never watch rated R movies, then you get mad when I talk about who dies in the Matrix: Revolutions? Yeah, whatever.

]]> By: Clumpy http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104247 Clumpy Wed, 20 Feb 2008 02:08:39 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104247 I'm with you on this. However, I will say tentatively that knowing how the Cloverfield monster looked would have impacted my enjoyment of the film. Those first few moments where you can see destruction but only vague flashes of something moving were doubly exciting for me now knowing what the heck was going on. But that's only my personal spin. I prefer to know as little as possible about a movie before I watch it, while a critic HAS to give things away as a part of duty. While even knowing the exposition impacts the film to me, it's necessary for a critic to give certain details away. Anyway blah blah blah. I’m with you on this. However, I will say tentatively that knowing how the Cloverfield monster looked would have impacted my enjoyment of the film. Those first few moments where you can see destruction but only vague flashes of something moving were doubly exciting for me now knowing what the heck was going on.

But that’s only my personal spin. I prefer to know as little as possible about a movie before I watch it, while a critic HAS to give things away as a part of duty. While even knowing the exposition impacts the film to me, it’s necessary for a critic to give certain details away. Anyway blah blah blah.

]]> By: card http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104230 card Wed, 20 Feb 2008 01:22:17 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104230 I'm with the people who said that knowing that there's a twist changes their experience with the film. I also spend the majority of my time figuring out the twist and am generally successful at it. I am also more likely to enjoy a good movie if I know very little about it. I don't usually read the reviews if I've been looking forward to it. I will check out the Rotten Tomatoes rating, but that's about it. If the movie seems like it could be junk, I might read some reviews, just to see if I need to prevent myself from being inflicted by the junk. Hmmm... I just realized that I would be the kind of person that would feel spoiled about seeing a toy monster if I had any interest in seeing the movie. I guess I'm not interested in Cloverfield. I’m with the people who said that knowing that there’s a twist changes their experience with the film. I also spend the majority of my time figuring out the twist and am generally successful at it.

I am also more likely to enjoy a good movie if I know very little about it. I don’t usually read the reviews if I’ve been looking forward to it. I will check out the Rotten Tomatoes rating, but that’s about it. If the movie seems like it could be junk, I might read some reviews, just to see if I need to prevent myself from being inflicted by the junk.

Hmmm… I just realized that I would be the kind of person that would feel spoiled about seeing a toy monster if I had any interest in seeing the movie. I guess I’m not interested in Cloverfield.

]]> By: corned_beef http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104197 corned_beef Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:43:14 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104197 I have to admit that I am irrational about learning ANYthing about a movie ahead of time, except what grade you or another respected reviewer gave it. I go so far as to not even read your review in full prior to seeing it... not because I think you would be so irresponsble as to reveal some crucial surprise, but just because I hate to find out even what the monster looks like. I have to admit that I am irrational about learning ANYthing about a movie ahead of time, except what grade you or another respected reviewer gave it. I go so far as to not even read your review in full prior to seeing it… not because I think you would be so irresponsble as to reveal some crucial surprise, but just because I hate to find out even what the monster looks like.

]]> By: Karen http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104163 Karen Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:56:10 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/02/19/whats-a-spoiler-and-why-are-some-people-so-easily-spoiled/#comment-104163 I used to like to dole out fake spoilers. Back in the day when people used to line up hours early for a big release, I'd go to an early show, then exit the theater with my friends talking loudly about how I couldn't believe that guy got decapitated or the ending would've been so much better if he hadn't thrown up on his date or something random that was completely inappropriate to the movie I was supposedly describing. It was fun to watch people in my peripheral vision lean to each other to discuss these bizarre developments. I could just see them tensing up waiting for that misplaced event. I used to like to dole out fake spoilers. Back in the day when people used to line up hours early for a big release, I’d go to an early show, then exit the theater with my friends talking loudly about how I couldn’t believe that guy got decapitated or the ending would’ve been so much better if he hadn’t thrown up on his date or something random that was completely inappropriate to the movie I was supposedly describing. It was fun to watch people in my peripheral vision lean to each other to discuss these bizarre developments. I could just see them tensing up waiting for that misplaced event.

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