Dialogue: Netflix

Rob: Hi Cindy, how are you? Cindy: Oh hi Rob! I’m doing well, thanks. Just finished that essay that’s due in tomorrow. It was a tough topic! Rob: Tell me about it. It took me ages. So, listen, I wanted to ask you about Netflix. You subscribe to it, don’t you? Cindy: I do, yes. Rob: I’m thinking about signing up, but I wanted to get your view on it. Is it worth the money? Cindy: I really think it is, although I don’t know that everyone would agree with me. I’m a huge fan of crime series, so there’s nothing I love more than binge-watching a whole series in a day in my pyjamas. Rob: I keep reading about some really interesting films coming up on there – there was that Martin Scorsese film recently?

PAGE 2 Cindy: Oh yes, The Irishman. I haven’t seen it yet, but Jane loved it and said it was some of his best work. So, it’s on my list. But absolutely everything is covered. There’s Horrors, Thrillers, Comedy, Cartoons, you name it. I’ve seen some really thought-provoking documentaries on there recently. There’s Saving Capitalism by Robert Reich which takes a really good look at the system we live in and its problems and then makes suggestions for how to fix it. I watched What The Health which looks at the links between the food industry and healthcare. I’ve had a lot of discussions with other students about that one.

PAGE 3 Rob: Is there much music stuff on there? Cindy: Loads! Film from concerts, documentaries about Bowie, Oasis, Bob Dylan... you like Hip Hop, don’t you? There is a great series called Hip Hop Evolution that goes into how it all started. It’s fascinating. What I really like about Netflix though is because there’s such a huge audience, there’s a lot of representation of different groups in society. There are loads of foreign films, there’s LGBTQ themes, Black and Asian directors. Something for everyone. Did you hear about Squid Game? Rob: Oh yeah, the Korean series?

PAGE 4 Cindy: Yes, it was brilliant and completely unlike anything you’d see over here. I also like it because it’s just there when you want to watch something. You don’t have to worry about tuning in to your favorite TV show at a particular time each week or having to wait until the next episode airs. I feel like I spend less time watching shows than when I had TV and I used to just watch whatever came on. Rob: You sound like you’re pretty pro-Netflix. Are there any downsides? Cindy: Well, not all of the films are that great. There’s so many of them that they can’t all be excellent. Quite a few times I’ve started watching something and just ended up switching it off because it was terrible. You can also spend so long just flicking through the different options. There’s so much choice that you need to know what you want to watch or it can feel overwhelming.

PAGE 5 Rob: I think you’ve sold it to me. Cindy: Come over sometime and have a look through mine before you make a decision if you want. If you bring some popcorn, I’ll let you choose what we watch – within reason. I’m not watching The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I hate Horror films. Rob: It is a deal. How’s tomorrow night looking for you? Cindy: I’m practicing with the orchestra tomorrow night, but Sunday night is good? Rob: I’ll do better than popcorn, I’ll bring dinner. Is coming over at about 5, OK? I can’t stay too late as I’ve got to be up early for a run on Monday. Cindy: Sounds good. Another advantage of having Netflix is people bring over dinner! (laughs)

DISCUSSION 1 1. How do you access the majority of the TV programmes and films that you watch? Why do you choose this method? 2. How has the way you watch television and films changed in the last ten to fifteen years? 3. What are your favourite programmes to watch? Why? 4. How much time do you normally spend watching television programmes and films each week? Why? 5. Do you subscribe to any streaming services? Which ones? Why? 6. Do you find you are able to manage your workload easily or do you sometimes find it overwhelming? What do you do if that happens?

DISCUSSION 2 7. What was the last thing you watched or read that you found really thought-provoking? 8. How do you feel about the representation of people from your country in films? Is it usually negative or positive? How? 9. Do you usually spend a lot of time flicking through the options for something to watch? Or do you always make a decision first? 10. Do you like to watch programs as soon as they air? Or do you prefer to see what the critics say about them first?