It depends on the context, Jesse. If they thought the spoilers were part of the story, then you're right. That makes it a different story. If the spoilers were not integrated so that it was like, "I'm going to be a dick and tell you the end of the story. Okay, now read the story," the reactions may have been different.

The volunteers read three versions of four of those stories. One with a spoiler given in a paragraph that was independent to the story, another with the spoiler worked into the story's opening graph and a spoiler-free version of the narrative. They rated how much they enjoyed each version of the stories on a scale of 1 to 10.

OK, so I guess they liked the separate spoiler best on average, and the other two versions about the same.

But still, you know, on average.

So I did some research this morning: apparently last year President Obama passed a directive to federal agencies to change their hiring practices. And the memo basically said that if the pool of highly qualified candidates had a veteran in it, the veteran had to be hired. Period.

And now I'm getting yelled at by the contracting officer because I don't have telepathy.

Can I go back home and go back to bed?

OK, so I guess they liked the separate spoiler best on average,

That's so weird to me. I'm not spoiler-phobic the way I used to be, but still. I can't see how "here's a story where at the end they stone a lady to death, now go read" improves The Lottery. It's a different reading experience, to be sure, but the magic of not being spoiled means you get both experiences - the growing unease and shock at the end, and then the experience of reading it while knowing where it's all headed and seeing things differently. It doesn't disappear into the ether so you can't read it again.

Suela, that truly sucks.

"here's a story where at the end they stone a lady to death, now go read" improves The Lottery.

I can only speak for myself, but I find that if I don't know the ending, I get really stressed out, and find myself galumphing over great parts of the story just to find out if something really bad happens. Once I know the answer, I am more relaxed and can enjoy reading. But I also enjoy reading the same books, including mystery novels, over and over and over. There are some Agatha Christie books that I have probably read over 20 times.

The Worst-Worded Question In Trivial Pursuit

That ain't right.

Even with those two, the difference between their torso lengths is much less dramatic.

Still, there's going to be back pain.

Woot! The newly opened restaurant in the complex has breakfast potatoes. The helping is too small for breakfast, but it's definitely a start. Nomming that, and then leftover brownie cupcake.

I like spoilers sometimes and do not want them other times. If it is a creative work that I think I will enjoy, I am much less likely to want spoilers in terms of plot. I feel like casting spoilers are barely spoilers.

I also am very suspicious about that spoiler study. There are a couple shows where I don't care (sitcoms, mostly) but any show I am even the slightest bit invested in, I just do not want to know. And books? Forget it. It takes hours and hours and hours to read a book, and so I just absolutely no not want to know what is going to happen.

This is proving problematic right now, in fact, as I want to both watch Game of Thrones and start reading A Song of Ice and Fire, but whichever I do first will spoil the other. Quite a conundrum.