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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask if spoilers are still spoilers if the series / film was preceded by a book?

57 replies

newsecretidentity · 18/04/2014 07:50

Just that, really. A friend has taken umbrage because somebody posted a GOT spoiler on his facebook page. But having read the books years ago, I was a little surprised that anybody didn't realize that particular event was coming.

I can understand if you're watching a series that's new to everybody, that you wouldn't want to spoil it for people who haven't had a chance to watch it yet. And likewise, when the HP books came out, people were careful not to tell what happened for people who hadn't read that far yet.

So, is it still a spoiler if the information has already been out there for years, albeit in a different format?

OP posts:
uselessidiot · 18/04/2014 07:54

Yes it's still a spoiler because some people have neither read the book nor seen the programme.

uselessidiot · 18/04/2014 07:56

Sorry pressed send too soon. I meant to add that you'd have to actively go and read the book whereas a short post on a FB feed is harder to avoid.

coffeeinbed · 18/04/2014 07:57

No it's not.

tmae · 18/04/2014 08:00

In my opinion it is, I wouldn't reveal anything about a book/film/tv show unless I'd checked people didn't mind.

LittleBearPad · 18/04/2014 08:00

No it's not. If the story is known in full (ie there's a book / play / it's a true story) then there can't be spoilers.

Sunnydaysablazeinhope · 18/04/2014 08:01

Many didn't know it was a book.

Gotta hope the book was better. Dreadful programme.

coffeeinbed · 18/04/2014 08:09

I remember this type of thing with LOTR as well.

Original poster
newsecretidentity · 18/04/2014 08:10

I suppose that if there's a series / current show that I haven't had the chance to watch yet, I tend to avoid the internet until I've had a chance to see it.

Like if I'm watching the Apprentice and I miss an episode, then I'll deliberately stay off mumsnet / twitter / facebook until I've had a chance to catch up.

But it seems a bit unfair to ban everyone from mentioning a fictional event forever in case someone hasn't caught up yet.

OP posts:
Stokes · 18/04/2014 08:21

I watch GoT and have read the books. I wouldn't post something on FB that hasn't happened on the TV show. I probably also wouldn't post anything that has just happened on TV either, to give people a chance to catch up. I would post about things from previous series though.

whitepuddingsupper · 18/04/2014 09:21

I got told off for posting a Harry Potter "spoiler" on a forum a few years ago to do with the deathly hallows, the film wasn't out yet but the book had been out for about 2 years by this point so I would have thought anyone who was bothered about knowing what happened would have read it by then.

ShadowFall · 18/04/2014 09:26

Yes, still a spoiler.

Not everyone who watches the TV series will have read the books and vice versa.

So posting about things that have happened in the books but haven't happened on the TV show yet is a spoiler.

Pipbin · 18/04/2014 09:28

I can't see any reason that s

iamaLeafontheWind · 18/04/2014 09:32

I think spoilers are mean.

However, GoT is a special case because it's So twisty and those who have read the books are in a different position. I love hearing people talk about their favourite characters - no-one is safe from George R Martin!

Pipbin · 18/04/2014 09:32

Arrrgh.
I can't see a reason why someone would post part of a plot of a book, that has been out for ages but was a current, popular tv series, unless it was a deliberate spoiler.

Alisvolatpropiis · 18/04/2014 10:36

Absolutely not.

People crying about Game of Thrones spoilers are about as entitled to do as people would be cry about finding out Romeo and Juliet die (thanks for the analogy Stephen King).

TheIncredibleBookEatingManchot · 18/04/2014 10:43

It is a spoiler. It's not a book that you would assume everyone has read- many people have only heard of the books because of the TV series, and the story isn't ingrained into our culture the way Romeo and Juliet is.

clarabellabunting · 18/04/2014 10:48

On Monday night I posted on FB about something that had happened in the GOT episode that had just finished. Having read the books ages ago, I have been waiting a long time for this thing to happen so was excited to comment and hear my 'unsullied' friends' reactions. I still got a hard time from some people for posting a spoiler as some people hadn't watched it yet... Hmm

Alisvolatpropiis · 18/04/2014 10:57

I don't consider it a spoiler, the books this series (and the last) is based on have been in publication for 15 years.

Not really anyone of the readers of the books problem if people are too lazy to read the books.

coffeeinbed · 18/04/2014 11:02

I've heard that there were some people taken by surprise by the sinking of the Titanic in the film.

Grin

Would that be a spoiler too?

limitedperiodonly · 18/04/2014 11:03

Seems a bit mean if it can be avoided. There was a thread on here at time of the Leonardo Di Caprio version of The Great Gatsby that gave a major plot twist away in the title.

Someone complained and the OP and loads of others droned on about it being a Great And Important Work Of American Literature that the complainer should have already read.

Yes, it is, but it is also a work of entertainment and the OP had just spoiled it by being thoughtless.

How difficult would it have been to call it The Great Gatsby (Spoilers) and accept that none of us have read everything - or even seen the Robert Redford film for us non-intellectuals - and there's no reason why they should have?

WillieWEggledEgger · 18/04/2014 11:03

What about people who are only just reading the books (not watching the TV show) and haven't got to that particular point yet? It would be spoiling it for them

coffeeinbed · 18/04/2014 11:06

I think I did it without thinking on one of the Musketeers threads.
I honestly didn't realise someone might not know the story.

It was embarrassing and I won't do it again, but still, I don't really consider it a spoiler.

WillieWEggledEgger · 18/04/2014 11:06

Kermode and mayo talk about this on their film show quite often, particularly in terms of how far back do you go. E.g. Shakespeare spoilers as mentioned above

YouTheCat · 18/04/2014 11:09

I can't see how it spoils anything. You can still watch it and find out all the preceding events. There are plenty of other things that happen.

If accidentally finding out one thing that happens will spoil it and someone is so into it, then read the bloody books.

Pumpkinette · 18/04/2014 11:20

Mentioning something that hasn't happened in the tv series yet I would consider a spoiler. Many people would not have read / known about the books before the tv series came out.

Mentioning what has happened that evening wouldn't be a spoiler (people should avoid facebook if they haven't caught up yet).

If I started watching a tv show to find out it was based on a book I had not read, I would not then go out and read the book as I would be enjoying watching it and wouldn't want to read what happend before it was on the show.

Similarly if I had read a book (such as the HP series) I wouldn't talk about the spoilers on Facebook just as the movie came out as some people will be following to story through movies rather than books.

Some exceptions are movies based on true stories (like the Titanic - it sinking at the end would not be considered a spoiler) Or remakes of existing movies would also be exempt from spoilers. (With the exception of things like remakes of things like Japanese horror movies -such as The Grudge - as I know the majority of people don't share my love of this particular genre)

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