Why do you read Spoilers?
 

Now for all the people that don't, this doesn't apply to you.

Ever since the internet took off, spoilers for tv shows have always been present.

For all the people that read spoilers (I'm not talking about the people that run into spoilers by accident i.e. somebody doesn't post a spoiler warning in the thread and posts a spoiler for all to see), why do you do it?

Isn't it more enjoyable to watch a show without knowing who's getting voted off/killed/which characters are returning/what the season cliffhanger will be/etc...?

If you seek out and read spoilers for tv shows, do you also seek out spoilers for movies too? If you don't, why not?

I'm not a complete spoiler-phobe but I do my best to avoid the big one's. I believe there's a boot list for this seasons TAR, but I have no interest in looking at it since it would ruin my enjoyment of the show.

I read spoilers because they enhance my enjoyment of the show. By reading spoilers and discussing what will be coming on forums such as this one, I leave the world of passive entertainment. I get to use my imagination to hash out how I think the show will get us from point A to point B. I also get insight into the creative process because spoilers are often accurate as of say the scripting stage but something changes in shooting. I don't watch TV or movies just for the twists -- I watch for good acting, good writing, an interesting story, and I suppose the occasional surprise. Watching out for spoilers and having the show still manage to surprise me makes the twists I don't catch even more gratifying.

Mostly I read them because its one of those things were I can't help but read them if I come across them, but I don't actively seek them out.

I'm happy someone started this topic, as I've never understood why people do it. In fact, I go out of my way not to read or see spoilers. I don't even watch previews for dramas/action shows anymore on TV, just to avoid knowing what will come up next week on the program.

I don't seek them out. I avoid the spoiler websites like the plague. The only time I read spoilers is if I stumble upon them in a thread. Even if I know it's a spoiler or potential spoiler sometimes the urge is just too strong...I'm a weak, weak, man.

I like to keep up with what's going on on TV, so I follow sites like TV Guide, Eonline, and the like. Some of their regular news stories can contain potential spoilers, like castings or departures, but in their spoiler sections, they usually give very little away, only tidbits that are usually vague and only serve to promote the shows.

Same reason I ALWAYS sneaked a peak at my christmas presents.....

I read spoilers because I have obsessive fandom. But I know when to draw the line, where spoilers stop becoming fun and actually spoil your experience. LOST is my favourite show -- I like to read who's episodes are coming up and vague details, but I never really get into the nitty gritty of spoiling the twists and turns, or details of any cliffhanger. Some episodes I commit to being cold turkey spoiler free for, usually finales.

I read spoilers for shows and movies I don't care about. For instance, I'm excited about Spider-man III so I've avoided the spoilers no matter how much I've wanted to look.

I'll often go back after seeing something and read the spoilers posted to compare my thoughts on the movies or tv show.

for new films I have not seen, I avoid spoilers at all cost, I don't even like to see trailers if they give away too much of the film (as most do now).

Ah but Tv shows by design are open ended for -one more ep- and I always feel the writers are "making it up as they go along" after a few seasons anyways. Unlike a film where there is a set clear start, middle, end.

Spoilers for tv shows also tend to be closer to "rumors" then they are fact and they do not lay out everything that will happen from a-z or how it will happen.

so for example a show like Lost. Who is in what ep or what the flash back will be next week? No big deal.. Back when Buffy was in prime time I use to see or hear that this or that guest star would show up or Spike was going to be on Angel etc..

That info did not change the enjoyment of the show at all.

That being said I do not actively hunt them down or anything like that but if some one posts in a thread for Smallville that this character shows up etc, no big deal.

This is an excellent point. Trailers for films now tend to give away more of the movie than any spoiler for a TV show. In the past couple of months, there have been multiple movies that literally had the last scenes of the movie in the trailer.

I read them to make sure its worth watching. If the spoiler reveals that an episode sucks, I won't waste my time.

Agreed.
I like to be completly surpised of whats going on next week. The odd time i accidentally see the preview. i.e. rite when the show ends they go strait to the preview clip for next weeks episode.
With movies i don't read spoilers at all but naturally too get the intrest they have to show a promo for the movie because no one is going to go to the theaters to see a movie that they no nothing about.
I always buy movies on DVD only to save costs so i usually have to avoid spoilers for a little longer than people that go to the theaters to see the movie.
The odd time I'll read a spoiler but it ends up being complete bullsh*t.

When I do happen to read them, this is the exact reason... If its a movie or TV show I love and really into, I will avoid them. If its a one Im on the fence about, I may check it out to see if its something I want to invest my time in or not. And if its one I dont care about, then I will just because I dont really care and there maybe something there to let me check it out later.

Hate spoilers. There aren't enough surprises in life as it is so why make little moments like a TV show less interesting? My wife always wants to see previews for the next week and I just sit there with my hands over my ears singing "la la la la la". When I read movie reviews I often only read the first and last paragraph just to get the gist of what they thought.

I enjoy watching the episode unfold, so I try to avoid all spoilers. But they're pretty damn hard to avoid.

It's rewarding too. Last week's episode of 24, for instance, wouldn't have been nearly as good if I'd known how it was going to play out.

Ever since I accidentally found out Dylan's wife (Rebecca Gayheart) was going to be killed at the end of the season on 90210, I've avoided spoilers like the plague.

It's like reading the last chapter in a book or ducking into a movie theater 10 minutes from the end. It makes absolutely no sense to me.

Hey! Spoiler that shit!

:p Just kiddin'. I could care less about that show.

I go out of my way to avoid spoilers for shows I care about (Heroes, Lost, the Sopranos). In fact, if I start threads for these shows here, I even try not to read the Yahoo! synopsis that I include and make sure that every single thing I include is spoiled (who the flashback will feature, who gets whacked, etc).

There are shows that I watch, but don't care about - Smallville, ER (slowly not caring about this show) - that i'll read spoilers for. I also find myself reading spoilers about other shows that I don't care and could care less about (Grey's, CSI, etc).

Entertainment, for me, is more about enjoying the work of writers, actors, directors I love than wondering what happens next. I tend to value shows based on things other than the storyline/plot. What I care about is how well they travel there, not where they're going.

I actually enjoy *any* movie or show more knowing the full story ahead of time.

Some interesting replies here.

Outside of not being able to control yourself, I guess I'll never understand why people seek out major spoilers.

For example if you told me all the twists before each season of 24, I wouldn't find it as enjoyable to watch.

Judging from some of the tv threads here, lots of people enjoy reading spoilers.

This blows my mind - there are so many examples I can think of where, had I known what was coming, my enjoyment of an episode of TV or a movie would have dropped considerably.

I agree it's odd. I supposed that's why I'm also very into Shakespeare, and starting to get into Opera. I'm more interested in the production than in the plot. The better I know the plot ahead of time, the more fine details I see in the production.

>>> Why do you read Spoilers? <<<

Well, why do you read movie reviews? I read *some* (not all) TV show spoilers to see if it is something I want to watch or not. For shows that I know I want to watch (4400, LOST, Desperate Housewives, etc) I don't read spoilers.