Sunday, May 23, 2010

How Social Networking is Ruining Plotlines and, btw, Who did Shoot JR? I Forget.

I'm not a Lost watcher. In fact, the only television/cable show that I follow regularly nowadays is True Blood. I've never watched an episode of Nip/Tuck, Gossip Girl, Nurse Jackie, Grey's Anatomy or even Dexter which I hear is truly fabulous. And once George Clooney left ER, I mean, what's the point, right? I pretty much checked out of dedicated show watching after The Sopranos and Sex and the City almost simultaneously ended, nearly killing me. I gave it another go with Deadwood and had a stroke when it came to a screeching halt after season three. I mean, kudos to them for ending at their peak and not jumping the shark, but I was in love with it and had to put David Milch straight to the "dead to me" column. I'm still mad with him YOU BASTARD! I was also watching The Office for a few seasons but, in my opinion (spoiler alert if you've never seen it), the magic ended once Pam and Jim finally became a couple. I mean, the anticipation should have been extended a season or two longer. After that it was just a series of super awkward Michael Scott moments.

Way back in the day when we were watching programs like Dallas, Falcon Crest, and Knott's Landing, hell, even Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place THE ORIGINALS PEOPLE! You watched it live unless you taped it on your VCR for your convenient viewing pleasure. There wasn't such a thing as Tivo or DVR and there certainly wasn't the giant big mouths the likes of Twitter or Facebook. God help you if you miss a program during its original air time or if you're on the west coast and have a momentary lapse in judgment and go online. You will know the details and the end before you've had a chance to witness one frame of running time or one line of dialogue. Sure, back in the old days, you might have unintenionally overheard the details over some water cooler talk, but usually if you encountered a friend or co-worker and they say to you "did you watch Melrose Place last night?" you could be all "DON'T SAY A WORD I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET!!!" and you could still look forward to a good story.

But the Tweeters and Facebookers today...what the hell, guys? Why this need to let everyone know that you're in the know and prove it by LIVE TWEETING/STATUS UPDATING the plotline? There's no reason for me to ever rent the series of Lost. It would be like buying a book after someone has already spilled the delicious ending for me. Why. Bother. Even Yahoo News couldn't wait to tell me who won The Celebrity Apprentice.

Dear Internet: SHUT UP!

6 comments:

Jenn said...

I hate that! Even worse is when someone tunes in for a finale for a show they haven't watched all season and THEN posts the results. I had at least one finale ruined for me that way because I didn't even know to be careful! I am very cautiously moving about the internet today after last night's LOST finale that I have not had the chance to watch yet.

Amanda said...

This doesn't bother me. But I'm also the type to read the last few pages of a book before I finish it. I'm not a fan of suspense.

San Diego Momma said...

Totally! It pisses me off. I knew all about American Idol before it aired, Glee, and Celebrity Apprentice. Damn East Coasters.

P.S. I think it was Mary Ellen.

Shania said...

This is the first time I've been online since the finale. I just watched it so I'm safe. I've also been walking around with my fingers in my ears going "lalala can't hear you" just to be sure.

Diane J. said...

So, I'm not good at remembering my evening soaps, but I thought it was a dream, hmmm, maybe it was, but oh heck, I don't know.

I agree with the whole internet, loose-lips, slick fingers, approach at ruining endings for us.

JoeinVegas said...

From what I read about Lost (no, don't watch it) nobody knows how it ended anyway.