(no subject)

Last year - May 25th to be exact - I wrote a very long, very ranty post about spoilers and my opinions of being spoiled. (You should read it, mattimooz told me at COTG last year that she got a good laugh out of it)

Nothing changes, people, but the dates on the calendar.

(no subject)

Further to my last post, I'm in two minds whether to post this. But, to borrow a quote from a message board, I'm quite pissed about this. And not just pissed, but Italian ice dancer pissed, and therefore you must all suffer my ranting while I get this off my chest.

Spoilers. Spoilers and cut tags. Spoilers within cut tags. Spoilers without cut tags.

*sigh*

What constitutes a spoiler? Information about a show you've not yet seen/has not yet aired. Yes? Can we agree on that for a definition???

Alrighty then.

*disclaimer* This is my ranting opinion, directed at no-one in particular and everyone in general, because this has been bugging me for a while. Apologies if it offends. *end disclaimer*

You know what's worse than a spoiler? Worse than opening up a copy of SFX and seeing a picture of a character riddled with bullets on the contents page? (Has happened) Worse than seeing a detailed review of the season finale of 24 when I open my friends list? (Has never happened) Worse than a friend letting something slip, completely by accident, in conversation? (Has happened on numerous occasions)

It's this.

It's opening up an email and reading "Have you seen the finale of NCIS??? I can't believe they did that... I always thought Kate and Tony would make such a great couple!" when the one spoiler that has reached my/everyone's ears is that someone is going to be killed off, but not knowing who it is because *NO-ONE* from CBS/Bellisarius is talking.

It's someone talking about a show going "Excellent... I'm so glad spoiler cut tag with the name underneath it got what they deserved!!!" Because whoopee, they cut tagged the name of the character. But if I'm watching the show, if I know someone's got a comeuppance coming, if I know which character they hate, I'm going to know, or at least guess, what's going to happen.

It's someone writing down, "Oh my god, can you believe who they voted off TAR? I thought for sure they'd win!!!!" Because anyone who watches the show knows who the favourite is, and therefore, can deduce who got sent home. Even alluding to controversy is, frankly, too much information, because controversy means that someone was booted who likely shouldn't have been, and it can be very easy, especially in the latter half of a season, to work out who it is.


Frankly, there is no such thing as half a spoiler. It's like being half-pregnant. If you half tell me something about a show, I'm going to try to work out what could happen. I'm going to drive myself crazy and I'm going to beg you to spoil me. Or I'm going to find out for myself, because I am weak willed and that is the way I work. That's the way I'm made. Is it made any better by the fact that I spoiled myself/told someone to spoil me? No. Because if the breadcrumbs hadn't been put in front of me, I would not have been tempted. When I'm off chocolate for Lent, I avoid it altogether. When I'm spoiler-free for a show, I avoid spoilers like the bloody plague, but it's damn hard when half spoilers are put into my path.

My point? If you're going to cut tag something, fucking cut tag it. Don't yay or nay, bleh or meh until you're underneath the tag. Because sometimes, even that little yay? Will spoil a spoiler free person.

Here endeth my rant.

(no subject)

Last order of business before heading for Not Fade Away. Anyone want to guess what episode RTE have got up to???

Title: Round Three
Fandom: West Wing
Characters: Leo, Josh
Rating: PG
Spoilers: End of season five/start of season six
Word Count: 1303
Notes: For the Leo McGarry ficathon. Written for inocciduous who wanted Josh, no fluff, no slash, no AU’s. Hopefully, this ticks the right boxes.
Summary: Leo talks to Josh on his first day back from Germany.

( Round Three )