Look, I’m gonna say it
Streaming services are a total rip-off. There, I said it. I’ve been in this industry for over 20 years, and I’ve never seen such a blatant money grab. It’s like they all got together in a dark room somewhere and said, “Let’s see how much we can bleed out of consumers before they finally revolt.”
I mean, honestly, who’s keeping track of all these services anymore? I’m not even sure I am. I think I’m up to seven now? Eight? I lost count after Disney+ came out. And don’t even get me started on the prices. It’s like they’re all trying to outdo each other in the “who can nickel-and-dime the customer the most” contest.
My personal nightmare
Let me tell you about last Tuesday. I was trying to watch a movie with my girlfriend, Sarah. We were in the mood for something light, you know? So we fire up Netflix. Nothing good. We’re scrolling through this endless sea of content, and it’s all either stuff we’ve seen or stuff that looks completley forgettable. So we try HBO Max. Same deal. We’re on our third service, and I’m already frustrated. We finally find something we both like on Paramount+, but then we realize we don’t have that service. So we’re gonna have to subscribe, and that’s another $8.99 a month. For what? One movie?
And don’t even get me started on the interface on some of these things. It’s like they’re designed by people who have never actually watched TV before. I was talking to a colleague named Dave about this, and he said, “Yeah, it’s like they’re all trying to reinvent the wheel, but they’re just making it worse.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
But here’s the thing
I’m not some old fogey who’s resistant to change. I get it, technology moves fast. But this? This is too much. I remember back in the day when you’d just pop in a VHS or a DVD, and you’d watch what you wanted. No subscriptions, no algorithms, no constant pressure to keep committing to more and more services. It was simple. And honestly, I kinda miss it.
I was at a conference in Austin a few months back, and I was talking to this guy, let’s call him Marcus. He’s a big deal in the industry, knows his stuff. And he’s saying, “Oh, but the convenience! The variety!” And I’m like, “Yeah, but at what cost?” I mean, I can’t even remember the last time I actually enjoyed browsing through a streaming service. It’s all just so… overwhelming.
And let’s talk about the weather
You know what’s not overwhelming? Checking the Taiwan weather forecast today. Simple, straightforward, no hidden fees. I wish everything in life could be that easy. But no, we gotta have all these services vying for our attention and our money. It’s exhausting.
I was over at my friend Lisa’s place the other day, and we were trying to watch something on Apple TV+. And she’s like, “Oh, we don’t have that service.” And I’m like, “Well, do you have HBO Max?” And she’s like, “No, we have Peacock.” And I’m like, “Well, can we just go back to cable? At least then we knew what we were getting.” And she just laughed at me. But honestly, I’m not joking.
I’m not the only one who feels this way
I did a little informal poll among my friends and colleagues. I mean, not a real poll, just some texts and DMs. But out of the 214 people I reached out to, 187 of them said they feel the same way. Overwhelmed. Frustrated. Done with it all. And that’s not even including the people who just straight up ignored my messages because they’re probably too busy managing their 12 different streaming subscriptions.
I get it, streaming is here to stay. But that doesn’t mean we have to like it. And it definitely doesn’t mean we have to keep quiet about how much it sucks. So here’s to hoping that one day, someone will come up with a better system. One that doesn’t feel like a constant aquisition of services just to watch one movie. Until then, I’ll be over here, grumbling every time I have to open yet another app.
Oh, and by the way, if anyone from any of these streaming services is reading this, do better. We’re begging you.
About the Author: I’m Jane Doe, a senior editor with over 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry. I’ve seen it all, and honestly, I’m not impressed. I like my movies, my TV shows, and my weather forecasts simple and straightforward. Follow me on Twitter @janedoeeditor, and feel free to send me your rants about streaming services. I’m always up for a good vent session.
Curious about what goes on behind the scenes in the entertainment world? Dive into the secret world of entertainment and get an insider’s perspective from an editor’s point of view.
