What do you think about spoilers for television shows and movies?

When Big Brother is on in the summer I watch the After Dark on Showtime and figure a lot of stuff out. Also I will look at websites to find out stuff. Other than that I don’t want to know what’s going to happen on Dexter or Heroes, I want to be surprised.

If I am going to view/read/ new media/book materials I prefer 100% ZERO contact with any form of spoiler materials. This applies to materials that form a series, or are part of a body of work of a favorite or ‘not-brand-new-to-me’ participating individual, be it writer, director , etc.

When I see some header info or review snippet about some media or book or author ,etc., who I have never heard of and it/they sound interesting to me then I will read it / research it…. and if I can afford it from a $/time standpoint then I will get involved with it/them… and turn the switch off and goto the 1st paragraph above .

Are our attention spans so short that tv viewers can’t sit through an entire feature anymore?

I don’t understand the fun in spoiling a plot or result for others or ourselves.

I HATE SPOILERS! They do just that, making the experience of either watching or reading, less enjoyable, more rotten. I do not seek them out.

I hate when I find out spoilers about LOST. It makes me crazy.

Spoilers make me upset. It’s a surefire way to be a jerk.

I’m of the opinion that spoilers usually only ruin cheap entertainment.

If someone gave you the entire plot to Light in August, The Godfather or Watchmen, it doesn’t ruin the story because what happens isn’t quite as important or is just as important as how you got there. If a writer is skillful and a movie is made with care and attention to detail, you will love it despite knowing exactly what is going to happen.

This is something I learned while studying Shakespeare, because many professors talk about the conclusion of the play before the class has read that far. Knowing the resolution of the story doesn’t affect your enjoyment of it whatsoever.

Spoilers don’t really make a difference in most cases. As @drdoombot says, the trip is often more important than the finale. However, I must admit that with certain films where the denouement depends on a last minute plot twist, as in The Sixth Sense, a spoiler is a nasty trick.

@Darwin Yea, because if I told everyone that WARNING SPOILER ALERT!!! Bruce Willis is a ghost then that would definitely ruin the whole movie.

@erichw1504 snot~

@erichw1504 – Now that was nasty. Internet etiquette requires you to warn folks that a spoiler is coming up so they can choose to avoid it.

@Darwin @erichw1504 Example, using Titanic:
Spoiler!
The boat sinks.

@Darwin Better?

Example using 2012:
Spoiler!
The world ends

@erichw1504 – Technically, yes.

Another example, using Star Wars:
Spoiler!
Darth Vader is Luke’s father.

@Darwin @erichw1504 Yeah, but would The Sixth Sense really be ruined by knowing that twist? Couldn’t you enjoy the craft that Shyamalan put into making Bruce Willis seem corporeal to the audience? What tricks he used to deceive you? What hints he gave along the way to his true nature?

I’m not sure, but I seem to remember having an inkling about the plot twist ending and still enjoying the movie.

I was genuinely surprised by the ending, so in my case, it would have been spoiled for certain.

It makes little difference to me. I often watch or read the same things over and over, even though I know how they are going to end. I can practically recite Princess Bride word for word, and I even have printed out the script for it.

Sometimes I need spoilers. When it comes to TV shows and books, sometimes I’ll find myself getting too emotionally invested in the characters. If I’m not prepared for what’s going to happen to them, I end up not appreciating it because I’m too worried about what might happen or too upset about what did happen. If I know what’s coming, I can get myself ready for it and, as @drdoombot said, enjoy the craft.

Note that I also hate my birthday and Christmas because I don’t like surprises. And loud/sudden noises can trigger panic attacks. I’m kind of neurotic, I guess.

i don’t look up spoilers unless i’m not planning on watching the episode/movie.
i don’t care that they exist one way or another, i just don’t want to read them usually.

I absolutely hate spoilers. I do not actively seek them out. I avoid them.
But, there will that talk show host that goes to the spoiler site and shares the big surprise finale of LOST with all of America. Doing so just to boost their own ratings.

I wish I could stop myself, because I enjoy shows a lot more when I don’t know what will happen. (I love guessing. :]) But every once in awhile I’ll google something, then go into research on it and find out more than I should have let myself…

For example, for Grey’s Anatomy, I just finished watching all 6 seasons online. Around Season 2 I googled “Meredith Grey” in order to find out who the actress was. That’s when I found out the wonderful world of how Wikipedia has television shows set up. :] On the right, there’s a box of different bio things, like family, romances, last appearance, etc. It also gives a small synopsis of every season. I got hooked and read everything, which I never should have done…oh well. :[ I kept dreading certain things, and was disappointed when my expectations for certain events were too high. Still love the show, though. :)

I agree with @drdoombot
As Chevy Chase once said, “Getting there is half the fun!”
But in some cases, knowing the ending destroys the viewing experience.
Yet, I have seen Inception 4 times, and each time was better than the last.