Phun-size Philosophy # 40 – Spoilers

When something gets spoiled it becomes corrupted and is altered from its original condition. The actions that external factors give away hint at or may even completely reveal the unexpected and usually without you requesting it. Spoilers usually deal with endings or surprises and areas from which you are excited to be revealed but only after delving into the story elements. Usually when there is a potential for a spoiler, it means you have been given a back story and in a plot there is usually a suspenseful point. If you have no background in the story there is less attachment and the ending has less significance but it will usually ruin it for you in the future if you ever wish to read or see the story in the future. Good stories always have some huge point where the action and suspense rises significantly attracts the attention of others. Most people enjoy being surprised or inspired by enchanting tales that can engross their attention through certain tropes. If it’s a horror movie, you’ve got the stereotypical blonde cheerleader and if it’s the comedy you’ve got the bearded guy (who happens to be named Allan) who likes people to join his lone wolf pack and sing about tigers. With spoilers it usually relates to predictability. If you know how a story is going to end without it actually being spoiled to you, you know that it is predictable. It doesn’t necessarily ruin the ending and enjoyment level but it does have the potential to ruin it. That is exactly what spoilers will do for a majority if not all of the time. Spoilers will most likely ruin the endings and that great feeling internally you get when presented with an amazing storyline. You get a sense of satisfaction from finding out what happens at the very end of a good movie. This sense of satisfaction only comes if you actually were concerned with how things were going to turn out. If you don’t care that (SPOILER ALERT) Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father than you don’t care that I just told that to you. The philosophical significance of spoilers is that they completely change the perspective from which an individual will look through. The unfortunate thing it that it is most likely for the worst now that you know what will happen but it also lets you prepare yourself for what’s to come. I have to say though that in movies (and books because spoilers can apply to them too) you usually look forward to seeing where a story takes you because you become involved in and emotionally attached to the characters and their roles in life. There are those that regardless of how many times they watch The Notebook, they will still cry at the very end when you find out the old people were the young loving couple… oops probably spoiled that. : P

-Allan Nicholas