True story: I avoided reading ANYTHING about the Sixth Sense for years because I wanted to be surprised (don't ask me why I waited years; clearly I procrastinate). Fast forward years of srupulous avoidance and the punchline of a JOKE ruined all of my hard not-reading-no-looking. SIGH.
Eh, spoilers don't lessen the experience any for me, I don't think. And anyway, in the end we all die, so it's a pretty trivial thing to have beef with! #spoilers
What an incredibly one-country-centric view the "pro-spoiler" team is taking! TV is global now. It takes all of a few letters to say what episode/season you're talking about, so that people who are behind can stop reading. It takes all of a sentence to say, "Spoilers up to Episode X, Season/Series Y". That's it. That's all. Simple. Easy. Just mention what episode/season/series you're talking about, and everyone can choose to engage it or not. #spoilers
On my way to see Baz Luhrmann's Rome + Juliet in 1994 -
Me: I wonder if they're going to modernise the death scene?
Friend: Yeah, do you think it'll be gangstery? Doesn't she stab herself?
Friend 2: WHAT? THEY DIE?
I also know someone who was told off for "ruining" the surprise Japanese attack in Pearl Harbour. #spoilers
I will never forget the moment my sister ruined "The Sixth Sense" for me. She saw it the day it opened. The next night, we were arguing about something totally unrelated--probably clothes.
Me: Whatever! (slams door)
Her: I hate you! (slams door)
(Ten mintues of silence, and a knock on my bed room door)
Me: (opening the door, expecting an apology) Yes?
Her: BRUCE WILLIS IS DEAD IN THE SIXTH SENSE!!!
This is a true story. I still have never seen this movie...I figure, what's the point? #spoilers
@femminista: It's an equally enjoyable film when you realize that Willis is a ghost moving through the story. I specifically remember a scene where he's "late" to an anniversary dinner with his wife--they have dinner at the same restaurant every year. He thinks that she's upset and not speaking to him because she's angry at him for forgetting the time, and the first-time viewer thinks so too. On a subsequent (or informed) viewing, though, you know she's upset because she's having her anniversary dinner as a widow, alone. It really is two movies in one--so only your first viewing was "spoiled."
(I loved your story, by the way... I hope you can laugh at it now!) #spoilers
A few months ago, I was telling a coworker about Rome, because I thought she'd really like it. I gave her a very very general overview (Roman soldiers do stuff in ancient Rome. Also, nekkidness and gore). She wanted to know exactly which period of Roman history, and I mentioned that the first season started with the triumph over Gaul and ended with Julius Caesar's assassination. Another co-worker overheard me and started complaining that I'd spoiled it.
General rule: if it happened more than 2000 years ago and is in every Western history book on the planet, it's not a spoiler. #spoilers
I think spoilers suck, my brother ruined Final Fantasy VII for me back in the day and I have yet to fully forgive him. *sigh* Also it kind of gave me the mentality of never spoiling anything for anyone.
China Mieville (the uber hot sci-fi author) has a similar stance, basically don't say anything until you give a spoiler warning. Saying a movie has "a great plot twist" spoils it, even if it doesn't say what the twist is, you go in expecting it.
Just because something is public, doesn't mean everyone can experience it at the same time, i.e. with a book or a movie or whatever. Spoiler warnings make everyone happy, and I don't think it's an unreasonable request AT ALL.
I live in Europe so don't see Mad Men or any other American show until the day after it airs. Unfortunately I do sometimes run across spoilers before I get to see the episode (happened for the MM season finale). It's very annoying, but there you have it. #spoilers
I haven't gotten to watch most of this season of Mad Men yet. I'm really good at avoiding even the titles to Jezebel Mad Men posts, but I got a major spoiler that I wasn't expecting yesterday in the Dirt Bag - it was a quote from a January Jones interview. The Dirt Bag stuff is hard to avoid, and won't obviously contain spoilers. I just don't think it would have been that hard to say "Possible Mad Men Spoiler" before posting the quote. Obviously you guys are posting tons of material fairly quickly, and it wouldn't occur to you with all the Mad Men love on this site that someone wouldn't know the major plot lines, but it's easier to avoid some stuff than other stuff. #spoilers
In answer to you inderect question: Yes, Jezebel, it pisses us off when you don't put spoilers behind the cut. Yes, many of your readers don't watch Mad Men or Project Runway the day, week, or month it comes out. We are busy people and we watch things online on the weekend. #spoilers
Perhaps I'm an old-fashioned, literary type, but I do believe that story is more about the journey than the destination. For me, spoilers don't really have an effect - if I know the end to a movie, it won't change my mind about whether I find it worth watching or not. It's the execution that's everything. #spoilers
I dunno, I'm getting kind of tired of having no one to discuss "Lost" with because everyone's waiting until the season is over to watch it on DVD. Most people I know are, anyway. Thank FSM for Television Without Pity. #spoilers
Once upon a time, there was a gentleman behind me in line to purchase tickets to see The Sixth Sense, who felt the need to exclaim: "So he'was dead all along?!"
I wonder if he is aware how close to death he himself came that day. #spoilers
@Wit is periodically disensouled: that movie sort of spoiled itself for me though. At some point, I murmured out loud, "so everything that's the color red is something a ghost's interacting with?"
And after that, the purple/yellow complimentary color dichotomy ruined Unbreakable by 20 minutes in.
(I similarly wrecked a lot of Twilight Zone episodes for my sister by guessing plot points out loud.) #spoilers
@betty.black: It might have for me too - I usually see through twists as well. But in this case I felt robbed of the opportunity to see if it could've fooled me or not. Isn't that part of the fun?
@Wit is periodically disensouled: it's absolutely the fun!! And yours definitely shouldn't have been spoiled. Dude was an ass for pulling that in a situation where dozens of people were waiting to find out for themselves. #spoilers
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Me: I wonder if they're going to modernise the death scene?
Friend: Yeah, do you think it'll be gangstery? Doesn't she stab herself?
Friend 2: WHAT? THEY DIE?
I also know someone who was told off for "ruining" the surprise Japanese attack in Pearl Harbour. #spoilers
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@jenrobe: In this, as in many things, Penny Arcade says it best. There should be a statute of limitations on spoilers. #spoilers
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Me: Whatever! (slams door)
Her: I hate you! (slams door)
(Ten mintues of silence, and a knock on my bed room door)
Me: (opening the door, expecting an apology) Yes?
Her: BRUCE WILLIS IS DEAD IN THE SIXTH SENSE!!!
This is a true story. I still have never seen this movie...I figure, what's the point? #spoilers
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(I loved your story, by the way... I hope you can laugh at it now!) #spoilers
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And you know, I've been meaning to finally check it out because I can totally see your point.
That's it. Next time I'm watching a movie alone, I'm watching this! #spoilers
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General rule: if it happened more than 2000 years ago and is in every Western history book on the planet, it's not a spoiler. #spoilers
11/11/09
China Mieville (the uber hot sci-fi author) has a similar stance, basically don't say anything until you give a spoiler warning. Saying a movie has "a great plot twist" spoils it, even if it doesn't say what the twist is, you go in expecting it.
Just because something is public, doesn't mean everyone can experience it at the same time, i.e. with a book or a movie or whatever. Spoiler warnings make everyone happy, and I don't think it's an unreasonable request AT ALL.
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Sorry, spoiler alert.
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Despite the title, they don't kick the bucket before the end of the play, so I'm expecting their narrative to be resumed at some point.
In "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, For Real This Time," which I will write and direct. #spoilers
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I expect front-row tickets to your oeuvre. #spoilers
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I wonder if he is aware how close to death he himself came that day. #spoilers
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"So Darth Vader is Luke's FATHER?!" #spoilers
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And after that, the purple/yellow complimentary color dichotomy ruined Unbreakable by 20 minutes in.
(I similarly wrecked a lot of Twilight Zone episodes for my sister by guessing plot points out loud.) #spoilers
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@detector.inspector: Pretty much :) #spoilers
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