In 2005 London, on any given day and in any given car on The Tube, it was possible to look down the row of riders on the London Underground and see that every single rider was reading a Harry Potter book. Such was the Harry Potter mania in London that year. The books were so hugely popular there that they were published in both a children’s version and an adult version. The content was the same, but the adult version was sold in the adult science fiction section of the London bookstores. The adult version covers were designed differently. They were for the adult reader, perhaps a businessman or woman in a posh suit reading Potter on the way to work. The adult covers didn’t announce the book as boldly as the kids’ version. But, it only took a glance down the isle of The Tube car to see any variation on the reading theme: three children’s Potters, then two adult Potters, then four children’s Potters, and so on.
But not everyone was a Potter fan. This funny video shows the many different ways that spoilers tried to have some fun at the expense of Potter fans. Incredible to imagine now, when all the books have been published and films are binge-watched in order, this video is a great reminder that it wasn’t always so. On-the-spot clips of “Spoil Bois” wreaking havoc at popular Potter fan events tell what it was like when the spoilers had their way. While fans couldn’t wait for the next new Potter book to arrive, Spoil Bois did their best to ruin hopeful guesses at story arcs, characters, and you name it.
Just take a look at all the ways the spoilers invaded fandom- anything from blasting megaphones announcing the exact page where the worst would happen or shouting out the dreaded words “Snape Kills Dumbledoor”-whatever it took to completely ruin a book just purchased. Imagine the shock and horror when Harry Potter fan forums were invaded with spoilers posted and sent to every member in the fan group. Think about the withdrawal pains when the fan forums had to be shut down to purge the spoilers. Those were not great days for Potter fans, and this video includes amazing footage, and descriptions of it all. It’s a must-see- for spoilers and fans alike — to look back and take in the immensity of it all.
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