We explain what a spoiler is and why it’s necessary to warn about its presence. Also, how to avoid spoilers. Please read other MTV articles for more information. If you share it, it will be of little help to us.
What is a spoiler?
The term spoiler is a loanword from English into Spanish, referring to any text or commentary that unnecessarily reveals important elements of the plot of a television series, film, or book.
Its derived verb, “spoiler,” consists of telling the ending or the central events of a story to someone unfamiliar with them, thus ruining the surprise of discovering them for themselves.
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The term comes from the English verb “to spoil,” meaning “to ruin” or “to damage,” meaning that someone else is being denied the opportunity to discover the plot on their own. Its origin dates back to the early years of the internet and the film communities that emerged online, among which spoilers are often considered in bad taste.
The rules of conduct on the internet and social media establish that, when a text containing a spoiler is published, readers who have not yet seen the film or read the book must be warned that continuing to read could lead to information they are unaware of. Thus, the “spoiler alert” tag was born, allowing readers to stop reading in time if they wish.
Since the word “spoiler” is an Anglicism, the Royal Spanish Academy does not recommend its use and instead suggests using “destripe,” from “detripar” (“to anticipate the outcome of a story to those unfamiliar with it”). The use of “espoiler” (and the corresponding verb, “espoilear”) is also acceptable, and seems to be gaining popularity among the various Hispanic online communities.
How to avoid spoilers?
The rise of series and films released on streaming platforms has increased the practice of spoilers. The most effective way to avoid spoilers is to stay off the internet and stay away from social media. Since this isn’t always possible, other methods can be used:
Try not to visit websites where comments or reviews of books, films, or series are posted.
On social media and WhatsApp, stay away from people or groups that tend to post or distribute spoilers. Today, there are applications that allow you to send spoilers simultaneously to all your contacts.
Use one of the available tools to avoid, or at least reduce, exposure to spoilers:
- On Twitter, you can mute certain words. To do this, go to Settings & Privacy > Privacy & Safety > Mute & Block > Muted Words > Add. This way, you can hide any hashtags that contain words related to the book, movie, or series whose spoiler you want to avoid.
- On Instagram, you can specify the words you don’t want to see in comments. Go to Settings > Privacy & Safety > Comments > Edit Comment Settings > Controls, and then add the keywords. Any comments that include any of these words will not be displayed.
- On Facebook, the Social Fixer extension allows you, among other things, to manage the content displayed, such as news feeds. To avoid seeing spoilers, add the keywords you want to filter. You can also mute people or groups that are likely to post spoilers using the News Preferences option in Settings.
- There are several browser extensions that also serve to mute potential spoilers. Spoiler Protection 2.0 or Spoiler Slayer can be used in Chrome and Firefox. Spoiler Block is available in Safari. These extensions filter or hide certain keywords. They only work on desktop browsers.
- On YouTube, you can use the Video Blocker extension to mute videos and the Shut Up extension to block comments. Both are available on Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
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Other meanings of spoiler
In addition to its meaning linked to the dissemination of information, the term spoiler has other meanings in English.
Aeronautics
In the field of aeronautics, a spoiler (“disruptor” or “deflector” in Spanish) is a device used on airplanes to reduce lift. It consists of a plate attached to the upper surface of each of the aircraft’s two wings. When moving upward, the plate reduces lift and increases drag. Spoilers are used during flight when descending altitude without excessively changing speed and during landings to brake more effectively.
Automotive aerodynamics
Within the field of automotive aerodynamics, a spoiler is a device, placed on the rear of a car, that reduces the air turbulence that arises around the vehicle when it is in motion.
Politics
In American English, a spoiler is a candidate who has no real chance of winning but influences the outcome of the election by taking votes away from one of the main candidates. Just as there are spoilers, there are also spoiler parties, created to weaken one of the main parties.
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References
All the information we offer is supported by authoritative and up-to-date bibliographic sources, ensuring reliable content in line with our editorial principles.
- Spoiler, on Wikipedia.
- Spoiler (media), on Wikipedia (English).
- Spoiler (aeronautics), on Wikipedia.
- Alerón (automobile), on Wikipedia.
- Spoiler, on Word Observatory – Royal Spanish Academy.
- How to Avoid Spoilers Without Cutting Yourself Off From Civilization, on Highsnobiety.
- Spoiler, on Political Dictionary.
- what a spoiler, Definition, meaning – concepto.de
