How Spoilers Actually Enhance the Viewing Experience
collage by HSR
Along with the rise and dominance of mega-franchises like Marvel and Star Wars, an increase in anti-spoiler paranoia has also emerged. In 2021, even knowing something as simple as a character’s name could be considered a spoiler that one is barred from sharing. In Houston, Texas, according to David K. Li, a Domino’s employee went so far as to punch their coworker in the chest after openly discussing the ending of Avengers: Endgame. This is, of course, an extreme on the spectrum of how people react to spoilers, but it is still a genuine response. This paranoia is, in all honesty, unwarranted, unnecessary, and over-the-top.
It is widely accepted that if one is to intentionally spoil something for someone they will be labelled impolite. This belief doesn’t stem from nowhere; the literal definition of spoil is to “diminish or destroy the value or quality of.” Despite this definition, psychology professor Nicholas Christenfeld actually found that if you spoil a story, the audience will enjoy it even more. Christenfeld also claimed that by knowing the ending in advance, it leaves more room for one to focus on the other aspects of storytelling such as the characters and style. Thomas Flight, a writer, also backs up these findings by noting how people continuously re-watch shows and movies they enjoy despite knowing the twists or ending in advance. With that in mind, is it still valid to claim that spoilers make a movie or television show worthless when stories like Romeo and Juliet and Little Women have been able to endure centuries of retellings and still be hailed as valuable and worthwhile.
During the release of Marvel’s Wandavision on Disney+, it was revealed that Agnes, portrayed by Kathryn Hahn, was actually Agatha Harkness the entire time. Many viewers claimed to have already seen this twist coming, but were still impressed by it. One user on Twitter, named Luke, said, “We kinda already knew that Agnes was Agatha but that twist was awesome.” If many people already anticipated this reveal before it even happened, then why was no one upset or claiming that the show had been ruined for them like they usually would? Arguably, this was a spoiler, but since it’s not what people would commonly define as a spoiler, fans weren’t upset. The secondary reason for this uncharacteristic reaction is because it doesn’t actually matter if you had the knowledge beforehand. It was and always will be about the reveal itself. No one is ever going to tell you the story as well as the writer will. Knowing that Agnes was actually Agatha Harkness is not going to make “Agatha All Along” any less memorable.
The anti-spoiler hysterics have reached unbearable heights. To be blunt, it’s time for people to grow up. Johnny Oleksinski puts it succinctly by saying, “Pleasant conversations have turned into a game of Jenga.” It’s unfair to expect your friends to bubble wrap all of your conversations to protect you. All it does is create tension and fear about accidentally saying the wrong thing. Guy Lodge also articulates this sentiment well by stating, “Spoilerphobia has escalated into a kind of narcissistic mania: a belief that your own viewing experience is sacrosanct and that everyone else's exists in opposition to it.” Film and television are meant to be shared and discussed, not censored. Other people’s viewing experience does not exist in opposition with your own. They exist in tandem. Liking the same movie or television show as someone else is supposed to bring us together, as a community, not tear us apart.
It is, of course, socially acceptable and polite to be mindful of other people and their viewing experience, but anti-spoiler paranoia has simply gotten out of control. This mindset is not only selfishly individualistic but also egotistical. We must be willing to talk about the shows and films we love because they bring us together on common ground. It is pointless to tear each other apart just because you overheard someone telling their friend that Kylo Ren died or Sansa Stark became Queen of the North. After all, spoilers aren’t actually the end of the world.
Sources
Christenfeld, Nicholas. “Do Spoilers Actually Ruin Stories?” Fig 1. by University of California. YouTube, 24 May 2016, https://youtu.be/HH86XMZ8vn8.
Flight, Thomas. “What Does Science Say About Spoilers?” YouTube, 14 January 2019, https://youtu.be/fIb4Cvw93p8.
Li, David K. “Avengers: Endgame Spoiler Leads Fast-Food Employee to Punch Co-Worker, Get Charged.” NBC News, 30 April 2019, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/avengers-endgame-spoiler-leads-fast-food-employee-punch-co-worker-n1000051.
Oleksinski, Johnny, and Sara Stewart. “Is it Time to Stop Throwing Tantrums Over Spoilers at the Water Cooler?” New York Post, 16 November 2017, https://nypost.com/2017/11/16/are-spoilers-really-the-worst-thing-ever-or-are-you-just-being-a-baby/.
@elliesvision (Luke | Wandastan ᱬ). “I’ve seen this vid like a hundred times…” Twitter, 19 February 2021, https://twitter.com/elliesvision/status/1362728941841248266.
@GuyLodge (Guy Lodge). “This is obviously just one very stupid person, but this is…” Twitter, 25 April 2019, https://twitter.com/GuyLodge/status/1121537051306921985?s=20.