Skipping a Minefield of Spoilers

Long ago I thought I can map spoilers out, see them in advance, have my eyes jump over or flick the scroll bar faster to avoid the ‘dangerous’ facebook posts.

Unfortunately, technology changes how we consume information, what we consume, and when; and oh yes it changes how we PRODUCE. The production is key, and coupled with that popular movie or TV show, I can no longer predict with confidence where or when spoilers are coming from. 

In the old days spoilers came from long winded movie reviews, like the ones I often write – those can be avoided easily. Skipping over facebook posts presumes the lead sentence is ambiguous, spoilers nowadays can be one word.

And then there was that spoiler that I didn’t expect. I was happily skipping over facebook posts successfully until the very day I scheduled to watch The Force Awakens. The spoiler was a meme.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words well this one just had a few and it gave the world away. Pictures have a way of drawing the eye in like monster pulling people into a pit. My previously happily jumping eyes did not have a chance. 

There is little, if ever, a safe place online. Block a facebook friend and many more fans will take their place. I looked for my favorite vloggers on YouTube today and there it is episode 6 - uploaded days before actual screen time - among the recommendations. It's a clip of the Night King’s action for that episode. The title left little to the imagination.

Also this season, there is this odd phenomena for the Game of Thrones at least; it's the first time or first time I've been aware of after-action reports, analysis, and projections; not for sports or politics but for a TV show. If other shows have them then most likely Game of Thrones gets written about more than most.

Granted that many of these articles that end up on a Google Newsfeed or Flipboard have ambiguos titles, I'm always of the mind that collect enough of that along with different thumbnails then a clear enough picture can be made, so I stay away.

I know the addiction to social media is real, it's where everyone is. But if you're fanatically following a show, believe in the power of surprise in watching everything for the first time, then the best is to get off the grid. 

Go analog. Reading is better for the mind than passively watching TV. Go out with friends and don’t let a movie or TV show go between you.

And keep repeating:

It’s just a TV show. It’s just a Movie. It’s just a TV show. It’s just a Movie. It’s just a TV show. It’s just a Movie. It’s just a TV show. It’s just a Movie.

I've made peace with my spoiler messaging friend. He was not posting, he was messaging a Dr. Strange spoiler if I recall. He is unblocked. 

And he messages me with spoilers again.

GIF pics from giphy.com and makeagif.com