Current Issue 
SPOILER ALERT: Darth Vader is Luke’s father, Neo is the one, Tyler Durden isn’t real. Have I pissed anyone off?
Ruining the plot of a captivating story is one of the most inexcusable crimes in today’s modern culture. Nothing compares to the sense of helplessness when your ignorance is ripped away by a few ill-spoken words, such as “The kid’s therapist is a ghost.”
The aforementioned spoilers are timeless, so commonly known that it’s no longer considered taboo to utter them in public. It is the newer books, movies and TV shows that are so easily being ruined on a daily basis.
Anyone who has been in the position to spoil a plot line knows the feeling of raw power that he or she possesses. With just a few words, anyone can ruin a cherished narrative for whoever is listening.
Is it the joy in other’s misery that drives people to spoil plots? Or is it the desire to prove that they saw it first? Maybe some people just feel cool when they can nonchalantly say “Oh, I’ve seen this. The main character dies in the end.”
Regardless of their reasoning, the power to not spoil a movie is a true test of personal strength. As Uncle Ben said in Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
This is a force I have often felt, and sadly, often abused. Upon realizing that someone hasn’t watched a movie or seen the latest episode of a TV show, the desire to spoil the plot is almost impulsive.
Popular TV show like LOST only act as a catalyst for this plot-ruining fever. With new episodes every week, even the most diehard fans risk becoming victims of spoilers.
The classic scenario: it’s the morning after the previous night’s new episode of a popular TV show. Fans gather in groups to discuss their theories and opinions on what transpired the night before. Yet those that missed the episode stay far away, not by force, but by their own will.
Paranoid and afraid, these students cower around the hallways, covering their ears and maneuvering away from conversations.
By staying clear of these discussions, most of the time these viewers can make it home safe to watch the latest episode on Hulu. But every now and then something slips out, and as the saying goes, “What is heard cannot be unheard.”
Recently, my friend who refused to work on our Spanish project was conveniently not caught up on LOST. I had a bargaining power and I chose to use it. “You better work or I’ll tell you what happens in LOST,” I said.
With his refusal the words flowed effortlessly from my mouth, “******* dies.” With those two words, my friend’s pleasant smirk turned into a shocked expression of disbelief. I felt no joy in ruining the plot, but was amazed at how traumatized he was by my remark.
Unfortunately, my friend did get his revenge. Passing by me in math class a few weeks later he knelt down and whispered in my ear the events of the previous night’s episode. First came the doubt, then the realization that what he said was true, and lastly the anger I felt towards him.
In the grand scheme of things, that spoiler was almost meaningless, but at the time it seemed like I had never felt so angry in my life.
So don’t ever be that guy at Barnes and Noble during the release of Harry Potter who shouts out “Snape kills Dumbledore” into a crowd of unsuspecting readers. While some can not resist the power to spoil, ruining a plot will never leave one satisfied. Retaining details about books and movies is a practice of self-control and simple decency to fellow viewers and readers.
