Nightcap: Why you shouldn’t spoil things

I admit, I used to have a hard time with this concept.

I do think crying “spoiler” is overused in the modern age: there are limits on how long you can legitimately call out people for spoiling a game, movie or book. If something has been out for over a year, it’s fair to expect people who would care if they got a plot detail spoiled for them to have gone to see or read or played the thing already. But spoilers are still worth a brief discussion, because the fact is, some folks are very cavalier or even willfully, gleefully, deliberately spoiling things and that’s not acceptable. It’s not acceptable when it’s Star Wars and it’s not acceptable when it’s anything else, either.

But why? Why does it matter? Nowadays it’s almost impossible for a new student of film to come into Citizen Kane without an understanding of the movie’s entire plot, and that’s still a classic. No one seriously proposes that King Kong is ruined by knowing the ape’s ultimate fate. Why do we care so deeply about spoilers?

My first reason is simple respect for your fellows. Some people want to come to a work of art with as few preconceptions as possible and experience it, letting whatever happens be without an anticipatory understanding. This is a clear, concise reason and it requires minimal explanation. Do it because you should treat people with respect.

The second reason is that some art is designed around you not having that previous awareness. Certain games, like Knights of the Old Republic, have a story (and yes, the game’s been out for over a decade and I’m still not going to spoil it) that is less effective if you know about it beforehand. This happens in books, in movies, in plays. Dramatic tension shouldn’t be sacrificed on the altar of discussion unless someone wants the discussion.

The third reason is because some of us simply can’t go see a movie or buy a game or book as quickly as others. No two people’s lives are the same. You may have already seen Star Wars, whereas I won’t be until after Christmas. Now, I personally don’t really care that much, but if I did, it would be bad to have my excitement dulled just because someone who was more fortunate told me something I didn’t want to know. The grace period lets more people get a chance to experience it as they wish to.

The fourth and final reason I have is simple disinterest. Not everybody cares about Game of Thrones. Telling me which sixteen important characters died this week is a waste of time for us both, because I don’t watch the show. On the up side, you didn’t ruin the show. But you did waste our time.

So where are you about spoilers? Don’t post any here — this is a discussion of spoilers, not a place for them.