Surprises aren't meant to be ruined

“Spoilers are the best thing ever.” – said no one, EVER

I’ll admit it… I hate spoilers. I’m not a fan of having a surprise ruined so naturally I’m also not big on trailers that are too long.

I want to be intrigued, surprised and convinced to watch or read something. I don’t need ANYONE revealing key plot points that are essential to enjoying the experience.

The word spoiler says it all... it spoils. Putrefies, decays, rots and ruins. That’s what a spoiler does to your experience. It robs you of AHA moments and replaces them with lame, "oh yeah, like we saw in the trailer."

There is an unwritten rule that you simply don’t offer me any spoilers UNLESS I ask something directly.

“JD, you HAVE to watch THIS movie.”

If I’m suspicious, I ask if X or Y happens because there are certain things I’m not interested in seeing or reading about, I’ll admit. And there’s been plenty of movies I haven’t nor will ever watch because I’m just not good with certain types of suffering, especially the animal kind. I could give you a long list of movies I won’t watch, except that putting them on a list will tell you that something bad happens, THUS ruining it. So I’ll abstain from mentioning any movie that might make it on that list, in case you’re cool with it because you might enjoy it.

That said, a guy I met a while back actually ruined one of the most powerful Dr. Who moments I’ve ever watched. Even knowing what the Doctor would say, the line hit home... though I was robbed of having that line hit full force. He told me this 10 months before I watched the episode where it appeared... and I didn’t forget.

That’s the thing, if you share a small detail, many of us will remember... some people forget and although it sucks, I’m happy I’m not that lucky. Still, I will never rob anyone of their AHA moments. Because that’s the magic of a story. That moment where you’re slapped across the face and shown something you’ve never seen before. Certain movie endings, TV lines, music appearances and cameos ALL make it worthwhile, and that’s just me referring to TV and movies.

I’ve had people almost ruin part of a book and I’ve silenced them time and time again. It’s just that some people can’t help themselves. To me it is a selfish act because that magical moment when you read a line that hooks you and you’re swallowing and holding your breath for pages at a time... that is lost once you hit upon a spoiler.

So be kind to your fellow readers/watchers/friends... and keep the spoils under wraps, before you stink up the place.

Cheers