# Thanks for the Spoiler, Comcast **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 14, 2008, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266 "2008-04-14T09:23:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/1 "2008-04-14T09:23:13Z")
Workin’ my ass off all weekend. Ready to veg out and go to bed. I’d recorded SVU on my DVR. Wanted to make sure I hadn’t seen it, checked the “info” button. Here’s the “info” from Comcast: > [@](#): > > A robbery at a sperm bank has Benson and Stabler racing to recover fertilized embryos before it is too late. The investigation into a long list of suspects eventually leads to a pair of publicity-seeking extremists. Hey - thanks for that! I guess I’ll just fast-forward to the 30 minute mark. This from the same people that refuse to tell me which Simpsons episode it is? “Matt Groenig’s subversive animated satire…blah blah blah” and now you choose to ruin things? Thanks suckholes. I think I’ll watch the Masters instead - that ought to get me to sleep. Goodnight! ---
**Author:** ![Charter\_Member1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Charter\_Member1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charter_Member1)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/2 "2008-04-14T09:36:25Z")
You find this everywhere. From a plot synopsis on imdb to movie trailers. It’s not surprising so the only thing you can do is to be careful when reading these things. I have noticed it is particularly bad with Law & Order sometimes though. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/3 "2008-04-14T12:28:17Z")
Time-Warner cable does this sort of thing, too. I don’t know how many times I’ve checked the program listing to see if something is an episode I missed and either found only an episode title (big help!) or a description so vague that it’s useless. ---
**Author:** ![JimB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f4b2a3/32.png) [@JimB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimB)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/4 "2008-04-14T12:42:40Z")
Yeah I’m so glad that TBS felt the need to ruin The Good Son for me by including a commercial with the cliff scene during the first break. Thanks a bunch fuckheads! God forbid I should watch movies on TV for anything other than a trip down memory lane. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/5 "2008-04-14T13:14:45Z")
[QUOTE=Morbo] Hey - thanks for that! I guess I’ll just fast-forward to the 30 minute mark. This from the same people that refuse to tell me which Simpsons episode it is? “Matt Groenig’s subversive animated satire…blah blah blah” and now you choose to ruin things? [/QUOTE] Great. You just ruined the Simpsons for me. Ever heard of a spoilerbox? ---
**Author:** ![SomeUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@SomeUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeUserName)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/6 "2008-04-14T13:38:16Z")
I hate that shit too. After reading the synopsis why even bother watching the show. I mean it tells you the whole layout almost right down to what happens at the end. Some of the shows on DVD have a synopsis for each episodes. As soon as I select the episode it takes you to the synopsis and then you can click to play. I have to avoid looking at it because as soon as I do my mind instantly starts reading it and I can screw up the episode for myself. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/7 "2008-04-14T13:43:53Z")
As bad as Comcast is for doing that shit, I also hate it when they describe movies like this: > [@](#): > > 1999 Susan Sarandon, Carrot Top, Humphrey Bogart. Timmy (Susan Sarandon) gets the surprise of his life when he finds out a surprising surprise. Susan Sarandon, Carrot Top, Humphrey Bogart. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/8 "2008-04-14T13:57:12Z")
Okay. Now I really want to see a movie with a cross-dressing Susan Sarandon, Carrot Top, and the re-animated corpse of Humphrey Bogart. Surprise me! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/9 "2008-04-14T14:08:33Z")
I hate the TV shows on DVD where, to watch an episode, you have to go through a screen that has a plot synopsis, with significant spoilers (e.g. House, Law & Order). I’ve learned to avert my eyes and avoid reading them, but still… :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/10 "2008-04-14T14:10:35Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] Okay. Now I really want to see a movie with a cross-dressing Susan Sarandon, Carrot Top, and the re-animated corpse of Humphrey Bogart. Surprise me! [/QUOTE] It’s called _The African Drag Queen_. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/11 "2008-04-14T15:35:00Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] As bad as Comcast is for doing that shit, I also hate it when they describe movies like this: [/QUOTE] Have you ever seen the HBO guides that they put in hotel rooms? The summary for each movie is two or three words. “Superman: flying crime-fighter drama.” “Beavis and Butthead Do America: animated teens’ hijinks.” ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/12 "2008-04-14T19:44:54Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] As bad as Comcast is for doing that shit, I also hate it when they describe movies like this: [/QUOTE] Heh. **How It’s Made** is the worst: > [@](#): > > Repeat, “Escalator Handrails, Highlighters, Guitar Strings, Wigs”, (2006), Escalator handrails; highlighters; guitar strings; wigs. (Documentary) ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/13 "2008-04-14T20:42:06Z")
[Hecubus](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1452645478693183963&q=Hecubus&total=29&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0&hl=en) must have found a job at comcast after the Kid’s in the Hall gig went away. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/14 "2008-04-14T20:47:11Z")
They do the same thing with re-broadcasted boxing matches. “Championship match between Gomez and Juarez. Juarez retained his title by knocking out Gomez in six rounds.” Thanks, assholes, why do you think I’ve been avoiding the sports page? What’s worse is that this information fits in the initial info screen, so you can’t avoid it by not clicking the ‘info’ button. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/15 "2008-04-14T21:22:30Z")
Damnit, you guys! I was thinking about getting a DVR, and now I know all my shows are going to suck because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/16 "2008-04-14T23:15:04Z")
Just so y’all direct your anger to the correct people, the company that supplies this data is [Tribune Media Services](http://tms.tribune.com/products/k-epgs.html). However, the exact descriptions aren’t their responsibility, either. They get their program descriptions from the networks themselves, except when they don’t – that’s when they use the generic program description like “Individuals receive fashion advice”. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/17 "2008-04-14T23:16:23Z")
I’m not sure if this is an urban legend, or actually happened, but **The Wizard of Oz** was once described in TV Guide as: > [@](#): > > A young woman journeys to a new land, killing the first person she meets. She teams up with 3 friends to kill again ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/18 "2008-04-14T23:17:54Z")
I vote urban legend. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/19 "2008-04-15T21:54:50Z")
There was a thread a few years ago where people came up with their own “hilariously misinterpreted” summaries of films. I can’t seem to find it, but I still remember one of mine. **Die Hard** - A man in the midst of marital strife kills dozens in an office building. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2008, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266/20 "2008-04-15T22:03:14Z")
Ah, [Here it is](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=170124). I had the search window wrong. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-for-the-spoiler-comcast/445266.md?page=2)