This week’s question was prompted by this ‘ere article over at Televisionary. In a sense, as well as being an interesting topic, it’s also one I’m interested in for this ‘ere blog, since I have a fairly reasonable policy, I think, but I’d like to know what you think of both the policy and your own views.
When does something stop being a spoiler?
My policy (spelt out longer in the comments at Televisionary) is that until a ‘safe time’ has elapsed, I’m not going to stick anything on the front page that could spoil, or mention it in the comments. I’m certainly not going to Tweet anything about it. My definition of ‘a safe time’ is a bit nebulous though. I’m still cloaking stuff about the Engrenages finale, which aired over a week in the UK and a year and a half ago in France. I’d probably feel safe to do it once a programme has aired in both the US and the UK.
I don’t know if there’s a correct answer, but I know I personally get hacked off when the results of the previous night’s The Apprentice get published in the papers the next day on the front page. I think at least 24 hours is generally a reasonable time to give before assuming everyone knows, just in case someone’s had the temerity to go out of an evening. I certainly think Tweeting without hashtags to at least give people the chance of filtering out things they don’t like should be illegal, and I’ve unfollowed a couple of people at least for spoiling certain programmes through live Tweeting or Tweeting directly after a programme has finished.
But what are your instincts? When does something stop being a spoiler? When is the onus on the reader/listener to go hide under a rock rather than the speaker/writer to be sensitive? Should blogs have different policies regarding spoilers than regular people who just want to talk about things they liked on television after they’ve seen them? In fact, should anyone have to have any sensitivity on the subject?
As always, leave a comment with your answer or a link to your answer on your own blog.
