The age of “Netflix and Chill” recently got a lot less cool, following the streaming service’s decision to change its policies on password sharing. The decision has notably had fans booing Netflix since the news was leaked back in February. As the crackdown went live, other streaming platforms have been roasting Netflix for it. The latest is even Blockbuster getting in a sick burn.
Netflix more or less put Blockbuster out of business with its rise to success through the early ‘00s to today. So, of course it has every right to take shots at the streaming service, and did so with this Twitter post:
A friendly reminder that when you used to rent videos from us. We didn’t care who you shared it with… As long as you returned it on time. @netflixMay 25, 2023
There you have it! It’s a fair point that in the age of physical video rentals, one could go to the store, rent a movie, and share it with friends and family as long as they returned it on time. The tweet went absolutely viral, amassing over 21 million views. Blockbuster Video may not exactly be retaking the entertainment industry, but the company coming back from the dead to roast Netflix is just too on brand.
One Blockbuster store remains in Bend, Oregon today, and the official Blockbuster website is currently empty with only the words “Be Kind While We Rewind,” perhaps signalling the brand working on something? The internet absolutely loved what Blockbuster had to say. Here are some of the responses:
- @redforjanet: Clocked Netflix’s tea from THE GRAVE! 😭😭😭 No shade was thrown, they threw the whole tree! 🤣
- @VivaLaAmes11: We didn’t know how good we had it 😂🙌🏻❤️
- @vitaminchex: if blockbuster came up with a password sharing streaming service i would join bc i love > spite > a comeback story
It sounds like there’s a lot of support on Blockbuster’s side with the whole Netflix fiasco turning users' gears. Perhaps it’s time for a comeback story for the company? Blockbuster weighing in follows Amazon’s own Netflix roasting comments, which also reminded its subscribers that sharing passwords is A-OK with its platform.
Back in April, Netflix shared that while it had added 1.75 million subscribers during the first fourth of 2023, its profits were declining this past quarter. There’s seemingly always something new on Netflix, but the company is seeking to make some changes in hopes of improving its profit margins.
Ironically, one of the streaming service’s original series last year was a comedy called Blockbuster, about a group of employees working at the video rental store. After reviews for Blockbuster were less than glowing (and presumably low streaming numbers), the series was cancelled following one season.
Unfortunately, no matter how many sick burns Blockbuster fires away, Netflix is still leading the industry, but the company’s comments do kind of make us wish we could walk into a video store more readily.
