It all started about a week before the premiere of the newest season of The Bachelor. I walked into the kitchen of the restaurant at which I work (El Arroyo - come visit me), and the manager on duty and another server were talking excitedly: I can't believe you are waiting on the bachelor! Brad Womack is so hot! (and every possible combination/variation). My response: Who? Who's Brad Whatshisname? I had never watched The Bachelor and, therefore, had no idea about the controversy surrounding this year's stud, for he is a repeat charmer.
After that point, I vowed to watch the show to see what all the hype was about. But with the end of break and the start of a new semester, my personal promise fell by the wayside. It wasn't until one of my friends leaned over and said, "I know who wins The Bachelor" to a group of my friends that my interest was once again peaked. At first, I didn't care that she was going to ruin the entire season of a show I do not watch. But, when some girls were disgusted to learn who gets the final rose, I began watching the show, critically analyzing Brad's and the girls' personalities, trying to discern the reason for the displeasure of my friends.
This anecdote parallels Henry Jenkins' explanation of Spoiling Survivor perfectly. First, people are upset by having their favorite show essentially ruined. But, making the best of a sour situation, they invest their time and interest on learning how the events and elimination/rose ceremonies unfold, rather than merely focusing on the results. People are so emotionally invested in these shows with characters they feel they know, though have never actually met, that they can't emotionally afford to just drop the show, they must change the experience for themselves and alter how they view the show in order to continue to get out of the series the equivalent of the time and energy that they invest in the show.
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