Spoiler Etiquette Question

[moviemuffin]

I must be an idiot, but I figured I'd ask for Schmoe Input before forming any hard and fast rules with regard to spoilers.

When I cruise through the threads I see a lot of people freaking out about what they call "spoilers." Yet looking at the information they are placing in this category I have to wonder if maybe there are a few widely differing definitions.

When I hear "spoiler" I think "something that will spoil the movie." This, to me, would include anything that reveals an important plot point not made obvious by the trailers, advertisements, promotional material. If, say, I had never seen To Kill A Mockinbird and somebody said "I thought it was so cool the way Boo Radley came to their rescue." Similarly, though, I wouldn't consider it a spoiler for somebody to tell me there is a rape trial.

Is there a generally accepted line in the sand on this one? I have a suspicion my idea of a spoiler may be more liberal than most Schmoes' and I don't want to piss people off.

[James Logan]

Play it safe: if you're gonna reveal anything about a movie's plot or story, post a SPOILER WARNING ahead -- even if it's something ridiculously important like, say, the colour of Jennifer Lopez's panties in OUT OF SIGHT. Just warn it. People who'll have seen the movie will read on, people who don't care about spoilers will read on, and people who don't want to read spoilers won't be able to complain at all. That way there's not a chance you're gonna spoil the movie, to any extent, for anyone.

That's what I'd do.

[Damned Martian]

I basically agree with James Logan.

I just want to add something that isn't usually followed by anyone:

If you are going to put a spoiler wrning, make sure you also say which movie/s is/are the spoiler for. Some people make this:

*SPOILERS!*



To Kill a Mockingbird - blah blah blah



*END SPOILERS*


I'd say: NO! The right thing to do is this:

*SPOILERS FOR TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD*




blah blah blah




*END SPOILERS*

Same if they're several movies. I'm tired of seeing the former kind of spoilers, and having to overlook the spoiler itself to see if i can read it. It's dangerous and could make the warning useless.

[jackson13]

I agree with damned martian agreeing with James Logan (Blazing Saddles reference :D).


If it is any type of factoid from the movie, post a spoiler warning. Even if its insanely obvious, like Slimer getting caught in the ballroom in Ghostbusters, in consideration for those (if such person exists) that havent seen Ghostbusters, I would put SPOILER - Slimer gets caught in the ballroom - END SPOILER.


I just hate it when people do spoilers like this"

SPOILER




























END SPOILER



It just takes up way to much room and makes the page longer than necessary.

[Jon Lyrik]

It's better to use these kind of spoilers:

***SPOILERS TO PIECE OF SHIT FILM!!!***





















Bob dies.



































***END OF SPOILERS***

rather than:

*Spoilers*Bob Dies*Spoilers*

Because someone who's skimming through the thread can easily miss the latter, and accidently read it. Happened to me a few times.

I don't really like color coded spoilers, as backgrounds vary to each post.

[Damned Martian]

Originally posted by Jon Lyrik
I don't really like color coded spoilers, as backgrounds vary to each post. I like that. You can put a spoiler in white and noone sees it.
BUT
I can't in the other color because, frankly, what color is it? What's its name? Shittybrown? Darkbeige?
If I knew the name, I could use it. You always can edit your message to change the color if you have mistaked it.

I'd love that this site would have an option like other boards: to put a black box that you have to highlight to read. This would be the easiest way to keep spoiler-free the boars.

[BorderEevilIII]

If I am revealing something MAJOR or touch upon something in the movie I 99% of time use SPOILERS or SPOILER REFERENCES :D

[edonline]

Whenever I post spoilers (see the Survivor: Pearl Islands thread in the TV section), I usually post them like this:


SPOILERS


BELOW


I assume that there is enough space between the top of the post/spoiler warning and the actually text that people won't be able to accidentally read something that they don't want to. In some instances, I've also used the vB color code to hide spoilers, although it's more difficult to do when the background isn't white.

[TheDeadWalk]

I understand, but some of the spoiler warnings can be just downright ridiculous. I feel that if I'm relaying anything from the back of the box, to something that could be found in a Joblo.com/Ebert/etc. review, then there isn't a need for me to do some ridiculous circus warning.

I recall a popular recent Academy Award winning film thread being closed because of a hobo of a spoiler that was anything but. The film's story is about the last year of a man's life, so of course, citing that he is dead isn't really that big of a surprise, seeing it tagged along in movie reviews, and the fact that you find it out in the first five seconds of the film. The film wants us to watch it knowing from the get-go that the man is dead, so we can watch the last actions he takes before his untimely end. I would think that citing that the lead character is dead wouldn't of been a big deal, but the schmoe had his thread closed down for not posting a proper **** SPOILER **** warning, complete with Schmoes citing "Thanks for ruining the movie! Now I know he dies!"

If you're THAT uptight about the spoilers, then you shouldn't be messing around in the movie's threads. There's a limit that should be understood somewhere in the line. I don't think you should have to post a spoiler warning before stating simple plot/storyline points that are found from reviews, trailers, or even the back of the Movie box.

******* SPOILERS FOR BATMAN! ******



Bruce Wayne's parents died a long time ago, when Bruce was a child.



****** End spoilers for BATMAN! ******


By the way... I wonder if we're allowed to post a thread about Death of a salesman? Sounds like a connundrum to me! :cool:

[moviemuffin]

Thanks for the input. I guess I will just err on the side of caution.

Not long ago I was in a movie theater bathroom getting ready to go inside to see RADIO for the first time. It was a sneak preview. As is often the case in such situations the management of the theater did a screening the night before after the theater closed for the people who worked there. (He's an exceptionally cool person.)

I hear two girls who work there talking and they say something kind of pivotal. I called out "there are people in here who haven't seen it yet."

To me, that's a spoiler. Like James Logan said, there shouldn't NEED to be a freaking warning on pantie shade, but there are people who will whine.

Thanks again. ;)

[ERIN_LoJ]

Honestly if I havent seen the movie I DONT GO INTO THE THREAD.

Reason? Because not enough people use spoilers. And also they may say something that isn't really a spoiler of the film, but is something I wouldn't have wanted to know anyway.

I am picky, picky, picky on my movies :cool:

[TheDeadWalk]

A lot of times if I really have no intrest in seeing "New Movie X", I'll check some threads on it, or even go to www.moviepooper.com to read the twist ending, and see if that inspires me to see it.

When my girlfriend rented "The hours", I went to that site and pulled up the ending to the film, and let it sit on the computer screen behind her, ala that old Greek Myth story ( I can't think of his name... Ocyphelies? The guy who went to Hades to get his dead wife but couldn't look behind him to see her on his way out, etc...)

It was fun for me making her watch the movie, knowing if she had turned around the film would be completely spoiled for her.