Many people, myself included, will go to great lengths to avoid spoilers for upcoming media that they anticipate. When a film that I want to see is released and I cannot see it on its opening weekend, I will often limit my use of the internet until I have seen the film, so that I do not accidentally encounter a spoiler. I have even avoided certain friends for a while because they saw a film before me, as I feared they might divulge important plot details. These are things I have done for a long time, and I have friends and family members who do the same. But is this behavior warranted? Recently I have reflected on my reasons for avoiding spoilers so diligently, and in doing so my thoughts on spoilers have changed. I still do not seek out spoilers, but I do not fear them as I once did.
First, let us examine the word spoiler. It is not a value-neutral term. It suggests that knowing certain information about a narrative prior to experiencing that narrative for oneself spoils that experience; just as one should not drink spoiled milk, one should not watch a spoiled film or TV show or read a spoiled book, this word suggests. And in using the word spoiler, we seem to accept this presupposition.
But is this presupposition true? Does knowing details of a plot beforehand spoil it? Certainly not always. For one thing, historical dramas and biopics, to the degree that their plots reflect real-world history, conform to real-world events. As such, anyone familiar with the events depicted in these films will already know what happens in them. Are these films, then, not worth seeing? Moreover, many people have favorite films that they will revisit many times throughout their lives. Someone who re-watches a film already knows its narrative; so if already knowing the details of a story inherently ruins the experience of that story, then re-watching films—or re-reading books, etc.—is an inherently pointless or negative experience. Even more problematic, then, is the existence and prevalence of marketing for a film or book. Film trailers, for instance, inform their viewers about a film to entice them to see it. In doing so, these trailers must provide some indication of what filmgoers should expect from the film. Are details revealed in trailers spoilers, then?
From these examples, it seems obvious to me that knowing details of a story before experiencing it does not necessarily ruin that experience. Still, as I mentioned earlier, I do not seek out spoilers. I still avoid them when possible, though I am not as diligent in this as I once was. If spoilers do not necessarily ruin a film, why do I still avoid them, all things being equal? Why should I not seek out every detail I can find about a story before experiencing it?
When one experiences a story for the first time, the story provides a sense of discovery and surprise. This sense can be pleasurable, and it is this pleasure that spoilers can potentially diminish. This pleasure is legitimate, but it is not the only pleasure that stories can provide. People’s willingness to revisit favorite stories is a testament to this. I recently re-watched Citizen Kane, one of my favorite films. Though I have seen that film many times, I find it engaging and beautiful each time I see it. In fact, my appreciation of Citizen Kane has grown each time I have revisited it, and I believe that is the mark of a great film or book, video game, etc. So while I value the sense of discovery attendant to experiencing a story for the first time, I am inclined to believe that a story that can provide only that pleasure is shallow and perhaps not worth experiencing even once.
Avoid spoilers if you wish. Seek them out if you prefer. But the next time someone reveals a detail about a story you anticipate, take solace knowing that, if the story is good, foreknowledge of its plot cannot truly spoil it.
