A Spoiler Too Far?

[WhiteTiger]

With the return of TWD and stuff coming to light about possible GoT S7 plot leaks, it's got me wondering...how far are you willing to go to avoid spoilers?

Personally, I'm pretty laid back about them. I don't go out of my way to seek out spoilers, but if I happen across them in my usual traipsing around the internet, I don't get bent out of shape about it, either.

I know a couple people who love to spoil stuff for other people (my brother is one such person...) and now I've heard of folks who don't watch the "next week on [insert show here]" bits to avoid spoilers.

Where do you fall on the spectrum? What measures do you take to ensure that the suspense/story isn't ruined for you? How far are you willing to go to avoid spoilers?

[ken0042]

Let me start by saying that if you want to discuss something specific in this thread that may be a spoiler to those who are not caught up, please use spoiler tags. At least if the subject matter is less than a year old. I'm not expecting anybody to use spoiler tags for Empire Strikes Back or anything.

Great conversation idea though.

[Nyah]

I avoid them as much as possible. I work with a woman who got a HUGE GoT spoiler a few years ago from a cooking website comment section. The person just posted 'this is how **** will die in GoT!' in the comments under a recipe she was interested in. It ended up being true in the next season. That one was kind of funny, but it also highlights that no matter how hard you try to avoid spoilers, sometimes you're just going to come across them and not be able to prevent your brain from processing what it sees. Bastards.

[Locke]

Darth Vader is Luke's Father? Wow! I never saw that coming!

Despite the fact that 'Vader' is literally German for 'father.'

True Story.

[Fuzz]

TV shows? Meh. Not to concerned, but I don't hunt them out, and do avoid places where I'll see them. I'll avoid spoilers for Amazing Race and Survivor if at all possible.

Sports? Especially F1, I try really hard to avoid. The race is usually on early morning and I often don't get to it until the evening or the next day. Lots happens during a race, but the big thing is usually the winner. It pisses me off when I try to avoid spoilers, and the CBC front page tells me who won the Canadian Gran Prix. News spoilers in the headline GMG. Put that in the article so I have to click to see it, and make the headline "Exciting Canadian Grand Prix a success" or something. Anyone who actually cares either already knows, or hasn't seen it yet. No one else cares who won it.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by Nyah

I avoid them as much as possible. I work with a woman who got a HUGE GoT spoiler a few years ago from a cooking website comment section. The person just posted 'this is how **** will die in GoT!' in the comments under a recipe she was interested in. It ended up being true in the next season. That one was kind of funny, but it also highlights that no matter how hard you try to avoid spoilers, sometimes you're just going to come across them and not be able to prevent your brain from processing what it sees. Bastards.

I guess that's a flip side of the conversation, too. I try not to be a spoiler person. I had read GoT long before the TV show made it, and so for a while co-workers who were tv only would ask me "Why did this happen?" "Who's so and so?" "Blank's gonna get it, aren't they?" and I'd always make sure that they wanted to know the answer. I'd often also preface it with "Well, this is how it happened in the books, the tv show may do something different..."

I do try not to be a jerk about it, wantonly spoiling stuff for other people. I have accidentally before, though, and I likely will again. But I do try to be careful about other folks experiences.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Sports? Especially F1, I try really hard to avoid.

For me it's the Olympics when the time zone isn't sync'd. Nothing worse than waking up and having the radio DJ tell you the outcome of the game that was played at 3:00 am our time. And I'm not talking about 660 or 960 either.

I had Walking Dead spoiled for me in a Facebook post. Basically said "we all know that **** gets it in the comic book." No- we didn't all know that. Now I do.

[Fuzz]

Ya, CBC is bad for that in the Olympics too. That sucks.

I self-spoiled Walking Dead when I half read the thread title here glazing over the ***spoilers*** part at 6am before coffee and assumed it was the regular thread. First thing I saw was who got it... LOL. Oh well.

[Russic]

I'm known amongst my friends as being sensitive to them, but it's a bit complicated. There's many intricacies and factors that go into me shrugging it off or hating you forever. I live by a few rules that I saw in a youtube video several years back that focuses on how much time should pass before you're "allowed" to openly discuss something:

Singular episode - 1 week
Season Finale - 1 month
Series Finale - 1 year
Movie - 1 week after home release

Of course these are subjective and more personal than anything, but I use it to guide if I should be annoyed with somebody. If somebody mentions a big plot point in Daredevil Season 2, that's on me because I've had ample opportunity to watch it and that's the risk you run when you don't keep up.

As for social media I think if you're in my position, you have a personal obligation to do what you can to protect yourself. My twitter client has mutes out the wazoo because I don't like being the guy who polices what people say. To a degree if you get spoiled on The Walking Dead it's a little bit your fault for not taking the proper precautions.

Contrary to the beliefs of my friends, I don't actually get mad at accidental spoilers. The ones that drive me insane are when people are clearly out to just be pricks about it. To actively attempt to ruin somebody's enjoyment of something is messed up.

[Since1984]

Originally Posted by Locke

Darth Vader is Luke's Father? Wow! I never saw that coming!

Despite the fact that 'Vader' is literally German for 'father.'

True Story.

Thank Anna Kendrick from Pitch Perfect. But in all truth, Vater is German for father not Vader.

[MoneyGuy]

I find that one of the few benefits of getting old is that I can see a spoiler and it's only a spoiler for a few days and then I've forgotten it.

Damn, I can't find my keys!

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Russic

I'm known amongst my friends as being sensitive to them, but it's a bit complicated. There's many intricacies and factors that go into me shrugging it off or hating you forever. I live by a few rules that I saw in a youtube video several years back that focuses on how much time should pass before you're "allowed" to openly discuss something:

Singular episode - 1 week
Season Finale - 1 month
Series Finale - 1 year
Movie - 1 week after home release

Of course these are subjective and more personal than anything, but I use it to guide if I should be annoyed with somebody. If somebody mentions a big plot point in Daredevil Season 2, that's on me because I've had ample opportunity to watch it and that's the risk you run when you don't keep up.

As for social media I think if you're in my position, you have a personal obligation to do what you can to protect yourself. My twitter client has mutes out the wazoo because I don't like being the guy who polices what people say. To a degree if you get spoiled on The Walking Dead it's a little bit your fault for not taking the proper precautions.

Contrary to the beliefs of my friends, I don't actually get mad at accidental spoilers. The ones that drive me insane are when people are clearly out to just be pricks about it. To actively attempt to ruin somebody's enjoyment of something is messed up.

I would say it's 1 month for everything.

If you haven't seen it by then, you don't care enough about it to be outraged by a spoiler.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Since1984

Thank Anna Kendrick from Pitch Perfect. But in all truth, Vater is German for father not Vader.

Well...it would have been a little too convenient if it was literally identical, but okay, point conceded.

[Flash Walken]

Locke loves pitch perfect

[speede5]

I don't like having shows spoiled but it happens, not much you can do about it in this electronic era.

Sports ones drive me nuts though, the events are too long and it is impossible for me to get into a race or game when I know the outcome. Races are the worst for me as I usually tape them, and somewhere around halfway I forget it's not live and go on facebook and bam! too many friends that love racing too.

What are ya gonna do though.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Locke loves pitch perfect

Why would anyone do drugs if they could just mow a lawn?

Thats a perfect pitch.

[Flash Walken]

I love when some one comes into a game thread to tell us all about the other games we aren't watching.

You're a true hero.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

I love when some one comes into a game thread to tell us all about the other games we aren't watching.

You're a true hero.

Actually, I do tend to enjoy that. Its not a game I'm going to watch, so if someone comes in to point out something notable like an awesome hit, a great goal or something along those lines then whats the problem?

The NHL hosts like 2500 games a year, I dont even watch a small fraction of that.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Locke

Darth Vader is Luke's Father? Wow! I never saw that coming!

Despite the fact that 'Vader' is literally German for 'father.'

True Story.

Originally Posted by Since1984

Thank Anna Kendrick from Pitch Perfect. But in all truth, Vater is German for father not Vader.

Vader is Dutch for Father.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

I would say it's 1 month for everything.

If you haven't seen it by then, you don't care enough about it to be outraged by a spoiler.

I hate going to theatre's and have my own basement setup so movie spoilers are a tough one. So I typically watch reviews when the movie is in theatres, ans tend to forget the spoilers. 8 months later when the movie comes out I'll remember the name if it is good or not, but not enough plot tot be an issue! As Moneyguy said, there are advantages to getting old!

Exception to this was the new Star Wars. Saw that opening night as I figured there was no way that was going to go unnoticed, and I had free tickets to a special screening with no kids. Not sure if i'll just wait for Rouge one though.