Netflix cancellations no surprise

I’ve had four things running through my head this week. None are extensive enough on their own, but each bear mentioning. So mention I shall:

• I’ve been watching the Connor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather world tour promoting their upcoming boxing match.

What “amazed” me was that no matter how off-the-handle these back-and-forth sessions between the two are, is that the cameramen always have just the right angle and the microphones catch everything unplanned.

I’ll also be “amazed” if something happens that’s so unpredictable and casts so much doubt on the fight outcome, we’ll have to have a second fight in 2018 and go through the whole process again.

When I say I’m “amazed,” I mean, “in no way amazed.” Save your money.

• It’s story time.

Story A is, “There was never any meeting.”

Story B is, “I had meetings, sure, but none were set up and nothing about the campaign came up during them.”

Story C is, “There was a meeting where the campaign came up, but the meeting was set up for a different reason.”

Story D is, “We set up a meeting specifically to discuss the campaign, but nothing came of it.”

Based on Stories A, B and C, what is our expectation that Story D is the complete truth? Or Story E? Or Story Whatever-Letter-We-Reach?

• If you’re still posting about #BradsWife, you need to #Findahobby.

The trolling sensation began four months ago. A well-meaning husband named Brad posted on Cracker Barrel’s corporate Facebook page to ask why his wife was let go from an Indiana location after 11 years of service.

A petition was signed by more than 20,000 demanding answers, and Cracker Barrel gave none.

Perhaps there was a reason that, if revealed, would be an obstacle to the ex-employee landing another job. Perhaps there was a less-than-stellar reason and the company wants to avoid a courtroom.

I know if I got let go by Clovis Media Inc. on Monday night, I wouldn’t appreciate the reason being posted on the newspaper Instagram Tuesday morning. And I wouldn’t appreciate a petition I never wrote, signed by people who don’t know me, with demands for information they have no particular reason to have.

If we don’t like the way it was handled, we can stop eating at the restaurant and tell the company why. Or we can raise money for Brad’s wife. Or we can fight policies that let employers fire people without giving a reason. I don’t see how harassing a restaurant’s social media department moves the needle.

• If consumers use streaming video sites as a way to replace cable and satellite television, they shouldn’t act bewildered when those sites decide to act like television networks.

I was disappointed, but not too surprised, when Netflix announced it was canceling “Bloodline” by cutting Season 3 to 10 episodes and stopping episode orders beyond.

Now every time Netflix sneezes online, dozens of people complain the provider is canceling “Sense8,” a show that apparently didn’t gain enough followers to justify a $9 million cost per episode.

My favorite negative comment I’ve seen: “Netflix can afford it.”

Netflix can afford things that don’t make it money here and there, but Netflix isn’t going to get into that habit because it’s a business. The more shows it makes, the more it’s going to end up canceling.

Kevin Wilson is managing editor for the Eastern New Mexico News. He can be contacted at (575) 763-3431, ext. 320, or by email at: [email protected]