AgrippinaX
10-23-21, 03:02 PM
As someone who’s never seen a single soap opera (that I know of, anyway), I probably have little chance of getting it, but what’s the deal with soap opera spoilers? I see them everywhere in the media.
On a pure marketing level, I understand that the intention is to “hook” the viewer, but why is this so common with shows like Emmerdale & Corrie - so-called “soaps” (I’m aware the definition itself may be called into question, but for the purposes of this, extremely long-running series centring around family relationships etc.)?
My guess is a mix of a) they’re seen as less “elite” than “proper” drama shows and hence there’s a sense that finding out there’s a “shocking death” in tonight’s episode or that there’s a “dark secret to do with Amanda’s pregnancy” won’t affect your interest if you do choose to keep watching and b) there’s a sense that you’ll want to see how exactly the shocking death occurs and who dies and what the secret around Amanda’s pregnancy is, and that will hook you more.
Still, I don’t really get why this happens with soaps and not other forms of content. Digital Spy actually has a section called “soap spoilers”.
Is it all to do with the presumed “low-grade” quality of soaps that allows them to be spoilt? This comes after I’ve read a Sunday Times (I think) article that argued publications are becoming more sensitive to and understanding of spoilers, and that no review has as yet spoilt No Time to Die without explicitly warning it was about to do so. It made an argument via empathy/respect/care not to ruin others’ enjoyment.
I’m reading around it now but wondering if anyone has any views. If there’s a consensus that this belongs in the general spoilers thread, happy for it to be moved there. I just feel like soap opera spoilers are a different kettle of fish altogether, hence the thread.
On a pure marketing level, I understand that the intention is to “hook” the viewer, but why is this so common with shows like Emmerdale & Corrie - so-called “soaps” (I’m aware the definition itself may be called into question, but for the purposes of this, extremely long-running series centring around family relationships etc.)?
My guess is a mix of a) they’re seen as less “elite” than “proper” drama shows and hence there’s a sense that finding out there’s a “shocking death” in tonight’s episode or that there’s a “dark secret to do with Amanda’s pregnancy” won’t affect your interest if you do choose to keep watching and b) there’s a sense that you’ll want to see how exactly the shocking death occurs and who dies and what the secret around Amanda’s pregnancy is, and that will hook you more.
Still, I don’t really get why this happens with soaps and not other forms of content. Digital Spy actually has a section called “soap spoilers”.
Is it all to do with the presumed “low-grade” quality of soaps that allows them to be spoilt? This comes after I’ve read a Sunday Times (I think) article that argued publications are becoming more sensitive to and understanding of spoilers, and that no review has as yet spoilt No Time to Die without explicitly warning it was about to do so. It made an argument via empathy/respect/care not to ruin others’ enjoyment.
I’m reading around it now but wondering if anyone has any views. If there’s a consensus that this belongs in the general spoilers thread, happy for it to be moved there. I just feel like soap opera spoilers are a different kettle of fish altogether, hence the thread.