Netflix: Welcome to QueenAlpo's shitlist... again.

So on Friday, the dumbtards over at Netflix decide to blog, defending their lameass refusal to provide equal access to captions for their streaming videos.  (No apology, no acknowledgment of the customers they're denying, no nothing.)

I've blogged about my love/hate relationship with Netflix before -- on one hand, they've got all the indie movies and obscure foreign movies I want.  Their weakling competitor, Blockbuster, offers similar services, but I've no desire to switch.  (And no, THEY don't caption their OnDemand streaming vids, either.  Damn.  If they did... hello, mass exodus!)

On the other hand, not only does Netflix not even bother acknowledging that some people would like to, y'know, understand the freaking things they download, their former splinter production company, Red Envelope Entertainment, produced indies like Sherrybaby (with one of my crushes, Maggie Gyllenhaal -- sooo hot) doesn't caption even their movies -- even on DVD.

So, clearly, this isn't a company that cares that much.  Only in recent days, with a twittest (twitter/protest -- ha! I keeel me!) spearheaded by people like @MarleeMatlin, have the people at Netflix bothered to even acknowledge that maybe, possibly, giving a shit about their own services might be a teeny tiny bit important.

And yes, vulgarity completely necessary.  Netflix's weak response on their blog: Well, most people don't want captions on their movies, and it takes us forever to add a second stream, so we're working on something else.  Give us, what, a year?  Mmmkay?

My ass.

It took them this long to even acknowledge it.  I first started e-mailing them about the lack of subtitles/captions three -- count them, three -- years ago and never once got a response, nor did anyone else I know who e-mailed them.

I'm not the only one this pissed at the company that feeds my movie fetish.  Jamie Berke blogged today, noting the impatience of Netflix consumers online, both deaf and hearing.

If the deaf community is upset now, just wait until a year from now if Netflix doesn't keep its announced commitment. Meanwhile, the issue is actually broader than just Netflix! We need legislation to mandate captions on the Internet. To promote THAT objective as well as the Netflix objective and helping Hulu to expand their captioning, a companion Facebook group has been set up with a discussion board: Internet Captioning.

Check it out... not only is she more calm and rational than I, there's good info on there.

Meanwhile, you bet your ass I'm gonna be sitting here fuming about my money funneling into Netflix's pockets while they continue to screw me over, telling me it's a cool thing that I'm paying for: something I can't watch.

Comments

[Carrie]

Are you up for organizing a march to the Hill? No one is going to do anything out of the kindness of their hearts. Congress has to force it. ADA, anyone?