Count me as a counter-example to the folks discussed in this article. Or call me one of those overly-sensitive drama queens viz people spoiling me for a movie I plan to see.
Actually, what's interesting is how the discussion thread after the post goes.
Embedded Link
Spoilers are actually kind of nice
UCSD psych researchers Jonathan D. Leavitt and Nicholas J. S. Christenfeld have published a paper called Spoilers Don't Spoil Stories in Psychological Science, in which they systematically study the e…
Google+: View post on Google+
44 view(s)
Depends on the story. Some stories really rely on a twist or an uncertainty for their impact. But not all stories do. Someone told me that Deckerd was might be a replicant before I saw Blade Runner, and it deepened my appreciation of the story. We all knew Snape was never really going to betray Dumbledore. But I never would've wanted to be told that Bruce Willis was dead.
The problem is, whether it's important in that way or not is difficult to determine for another person. What they've figured out in advance or along the way, or what they would enjoy knowing, may not be as obvious to others.
I tend to be pretty darned linear when it comes to movies and books. I take the information I'm given, so I get easily caught up or fooled or gotchaed by the author/writer. My wife, on the other hand, is brilliant at figuring things out (we just went through this in a discussion of the final "Sherlock" episode). At any rate, I'd rather get to where the author is taking us by the course the author is setting, than stroll along with a nudge and a wink. I can do that on a rewatch of something (and often do).
I like the "figuring out" part, so when I know how it ends the journey isn't quite as fun. I can still enjoy it, but the suspense of some character's arc is lost. Sometimes, knowing that a character is going to have a specific major event (die), doesn't affect the story because the actual event isn't as important as the build to that event. American Beauty is a good example of that, IMO.
Great works of literature provide another example. Shakespeare modelled Romeo and Juliet on a number of well known prior stories. Even before the play was presented his audience all knew where this was headed. Did they enjoy it less? Do we enjoy it less now that everyone knows the ending? In the immortal words of Vonnegut… "poo tee weet."
Can you judge whether you'd enjoy it less if it hadn't been spoiled?
I think so. I feel that I enjoy lit and media based on the quality of the writing. Twists are neat but ultimately a gimmick. It's no coincidence that the greats of Western literature are often retellings of ancient story models… knowing the context and the outline in advance provides context and mutuality between writer and audience. It lets the writer focus on things that are more interesting than simply the plot. The best writers often have highly predictable plots because they understand that a plot is just a structure on which to hang the more interesting stuff. Most of the greatest writing follows Chekhov's rule… you see a gun in the first act and you know it will be used by the third. I think focusing on twists can be fun but often leads to empty writing that leans on surprise because it doesn't have much else to say.
I would plus one you all and correct these typos but I am playing with a strange device and simply can't seem to accomplish simple tasks.
lol +Kit Malone … these things happen. I found your comment to be particularly insightful. There is certain a lot of comfort in understanding archetypes and excellent story tellers are able to play on that. I just saw Moonrise Kingdom and Wes Anderson is masterful in how he retells a very common story, and tells you he is doing so the whole way through.
Maybe that's my problem — I grew up on a diet of Richard Matheson "twist" ending Twilight Zone episodes.
That said, just because Great Literature doesn't depend on twist surprises doesn't mean that I want to be warned of all the spoilers before I go to the local movie house to watch that "probably won't survive a hundred years but I'm forking over $12 to watch it now" summer action flick.
Totally. I think this discussion is more relevent for pop culture. There are certainly films that can be ruined by spoilage. But I do agree with the parent that sometimes we focus on it too much. Lots of films are full of detail and subtext that can increase your enjoyment if you know it in advance. I'm also lucky to mostly have friends who are tasteful enough to recognize when a detail shouldn't be spoiled. I trust them and like to discuss films with them because sometimes a good analysis will turn me on to a film that I might have skipped.