Thursday, July 09, 2009

Netflix Pins Me Down

I was just taking a moment to put some DVDs in my Netflix queue, which is a process I find generally annoying because navigating the site is—for me—so, so, so anti-intuitive. As I bumbled along, I noticed they'd added yet another unhelpful navigation feature. This one suggested films based on my previous choices, and then broke the films down into hilariously-named categories. Ready? I am, according to Netflix, someone who enjoys...


..."Visually-Striking Gritty Independent Movies." To which I ask: Is there a category called "Badly Lit Independent Movies?"

..."Critically-Acclaimed Cerebral Comedies." To which I say: "Cerebral?" Let's not kid ourselves.

..."Inspiring Dramas." To which I proffer: That's weird. I usually like the un-inspiring ones.

..."Emotional Movies Featuring a Strong Female Lead." To which I wonder: Do you really mean, "Good To Watch While in the Throes of PMS?"

..."Dark Movies Based on Contemporary Literature." To which I admit: Guilty.

Here's hoping iTunes doesn't start doing the same thing because my results, I'm sure, would be far, far more embarrassing. Like, "Incredibly Corny Ballads by the Most Incredibly Corny Singers Ever. Ever."

2 comments:

Benito said...

It's a science, Ver!

http://tinyurl.com/6fqzz4 (I hope the url doesn't get rejected -- if not, do a search for "If You Liked This, You’re Sure to Love That" on the NY Times website.

Did you go buying Air Supply mp3s from the iTunes Store again?

ver said...

That is crazy. "Singular value decomposition?" I wish all those brilliant mathematicians were hard at work on something...I don't know...MORE IMPORTANT?!

It's funny that I don't mind the Amazon or Genius recommendations. It really is just the fact that Netflix is naming the categories. Don't label me, Netflix!

For the record, I only like Air Supply if Arnel Pineda is doing the singing...