What Do Spoilers Spoil?

What is spoiling-spoiling in a reader's point of view? How many times have we heard or seen a “spoiler alert”? How many times have we heard people say do not spoil something and attaches a rude comment on the sentence? Countless times.

People blurt out surprises. They give away secrets. Why do people like to spoil things for everyone? What are their motives? I researched on this matter before I wrote this and I read a quote, something like “Surprise isn't the single most important part of a story.” Which is true, in my opinion. I'll explain this further later.

So what's the drive to this spoil sport?

Showing-Off. I couldn't agree more on this. Some people post or say spoilers just because they simply enjoy being know-it-alls. These people who know the way a story ends are enjoying an insider status. “You know something special, and the only way you can demonstrate that you know it is to tell it to people, regardless of the effects it has on them.”

Intimidation. Some of these heartless people enjoy spoiling the ending of book or anything just because they want to scare fake or noob fans. It's like frightening neophytes which is I also think is a form of online bullying. (coughs) We now have the cyber-crime law, mind you.

Freedom of Speech. These people doesn't want anyone telling them what to do or what to say or anything. The more you hold them back the more they will want to do it. They don't want their freedom deprived to say something just because people doesn't want them to. They have this thought like “this is social media, I can say what I want and do as I want as long as I'm not doing anything against the law”. I actually fall into this category. I admit, I've also spoiled a couple of times but I don't do it to show-off or to intimidate anyone but just because I want to express my feelings is all and at least I limit them.

One universal fact that I just needed to state: SPOILERS ARE INEVITABLE. You can never get rid of them, there will always be spoilers in any social site, even in person. As the trees grow out the earth by the cause of nature, so are spoilers in literature. It's not always possible, or practical to avoid spoilers. And there are differences of opinion about what exactly is or isn't a spoiler. There are countless opportunities for people who like to spoil things to pretty much ruin everything and we can do nothing to avoid them.

As I've been a reader for long now, here's my opinion:

I don't have anything against spoilers. Through the years, I realized there's nothing I can do to stop it so I've learned to accept it. It doesn't matter to me anymore. So what if I've learned that an essential character in the story has died? Doesn't matter to me, I wouldn't believe it unless I've read it myself. And I've learned to make myself one step ahead of those people who might spoil me by reading the book before them. And it's actually almost satisfying and I'm proud myself.

As for those who constantly spoils just because they want to show-off or intimidate everyone, I suggest you stop. Or if you don't want, well at least limit yourselves. You're selfish, I understand that but think it over first before you post anything that most people might not want. Spoil all you want but you can never intimidate or show-off to me, I assure you that. Spoil something in my face and I won't care, I'll just go on with my life and think you're a good-for-nothing kind of person and I just might laugh at your face for being so pathetic and useless and I won't be sorry.

To those people who are constantly complaining about spoilers here's the thing:

DON'T GO ONLINE. It's that simple, actually. If you don't want to get spoiled don't go online. And vice-versa. If you don't go online, you don't get spoiled. I know that's a hard thing to do but you should try your best if you really really hate spoilers. But if you do want to get spoiled, risk getting online. Don't even ever complain to me if you get spoiled by my tweets or anything, or I just might loathe you for it. Why would you go online in the first place if you know you might get spoiled? How foolish.

I'll leave you with a quote though,

“I do what I can do to avoid active spoilers--like tweets or articles--but at a certain point you have to live in the world.” - Alan Sepinwall