Heidi Cron is living in a prison of her own making. In the grip of a “Downton Abbey” obsession, she downloaded season three from the UK this fall. She got her fix of Lady Mary, Mr. Bates, and the Dowager Countess, but because the show hasn’t started its new season here, her delicious knowledge came at a price.
“My friends act like I have a communicable disease,” said Cron, an interior designer from Somerville who wishes the Jan. 6 season premiere would arrive already so she would have someone to discuss the show with. “It’s so goofy. It’s only TV.”
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"It’s so goofy. It’s only TV." says Ms. Cron, who went to the trouble of downloading hours and hours of televsion from the BBC before it's aired in the US. Goofy indeed. This problem is far from new, (after all, books and movies have the same problem....Spoiler alert: it's a sled!), rather the problem is a very human failing: need to have "special knowledge". To have information others do not possess, when properly shared, makes you a teacher, but when the listener does not want to hear it, 'secret knowledge' can make you a monster. "Oh just WAIT 'till you see it! Do you want me to tell you what happens?" No. I do not. Annoying individuals, one thin cut above the uncivilizecd brutes who shout out spoilers in a crowded theater. It's a shallow power, earned by circumstance not through intellectual effort, but they can feel it for a time, and that may be enough for them.
Hmmm . . . . I don't think I agree with some of your premise. You seem to emphasize a viewer's seeming need for "special knowledge", as some kind of advantage over others. While some people may do that, I think the ones in the article, like the "Downton Abbey" woman, really just cannot wait for the new season to arrive. This is not to lord it over others, necessarily, but just to KNOW the next plot twist for themselves. The issue in this article is the TV time-shifting one. When a TV show was only on once at the same time for everyone, then no one could accidentally spill the beans about a plot twist. But, now, no one can be sure when their acquaintances have seen a show, or IF they've seen it, and the urge to discuss the episode has to be stifled. Some of the "communal aspect" of TV watching has been lost.
I absousutley agree. She just couldnt wait until Jan for the show to premire in the states and she is the one complaining that she isnt able to disclose plot points. "Its so goofy, Its only TV" If its so goofy then wait like every one else, or shut up about it. How did she get a front page article about this??
This is a fascinating new "twist" in the social media "plot." As the world becomes more and more connected, more and more opportunities will arise for viewers around the world to share comments, ideas, hints...to have a genuine conversation about a particular program they are watching on television. I just finished an excellent book on this subject..."Social TV" by Mike Proulx and Stacey Shepatin...that gives a very thorough description of how television producers and advertisers are capitalizing on today's global "connectedness." And I'm incorporating more and more "social" into my public relations courses at Curry College.
It's a problem that technology helped create, and it's a problem that technology can help solve. Beth, I think you missed an opportunity to maybe end your piece by mentioning some solutions to social media spoilers that are starting to appear, such as the iPad app from Sideacastr that Scott Kirsner profiled on the front page of the Globe business section only 8 days earlier (http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2012/11/12/highlights-from-scott-kirsner-innovation-economy-blog/wzlq2AoLuMC6mNdAkycHZO/story.html). As you point out, there's no stopping of occassional accidental seepage of spoilers from one's online ecosystem, but as far time-shifting the live curated twitter stream to your own viewing timeframe, whenever that happens to be, that can now be accomplished, quite elegantly I might add. Spoiler alert: I am founder of Sidecastr ;-). Overall, thank you for covering this growing issue, it is helpful to those of us who are passionate about and have devoted our precious time to address.