Chapter one of "Convergence Culture" by Henry Jenkins begins by explaining how the phenomenon of "spoiling" reality or game shows affected the fan base of the popular show "Survivor."
When reading about how the people were trying to seek out the results of the show and how everyone was sharing what they had heard on some online forum, it seemed very familiar. We are in a culture now where everyone wants instant gratification. We are constantly seeking out the fastest result, even if sometimes it is inaccurate. The concept of spoiling a reality show came out of this need to know the answer, or an answer as soon as possible. We want to be in the know, and we don't want to wait to get there.
While continuing to read, I was reminded of when the latest season of "The Bachelor" started up on ABC last Fall/Winter. After watching the first few episodes, I immediately loved Ali from San Francisco. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise by looking up the results of the show, though. But, my curiosity was peaked when our very own Ansley Tiller updated her Facebook status about some "spoiler alert" about "The Bachelor." I gave in and looked at the website only to find that the winner was in fact my least favorite contestant: a 23-year-old from Florida.
I'm a fan of playing by the rules, though, and "spoiling" isn't something I'm really a fan of. I think it is really interesting how easily we can communicate the results of shows that we aren't even included it.
Social media is definitely the way that this "spoiling" culture has come to be.
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