To Netflix + Chill (Or Not)

Too Many Options, Too Much Mediocrity

Once upon a time, I thought deciding what to watch on tv was exciting. I’d sit down, flip through a few channels, maybe discuss with family or friends about what I thought constituted “good” tv, and then cast my vote with the remote.

Back then, the decision-making process was simple because there were only a few choices. You’d consult your local TV Guide. Not an algorithm. Not a recommendation engine. A printed periodical that told you what was on, when it was on, and that was basically it.

You made your choice. Or you didn’t. And if nothing looked good, you turned off the tv and did something else with your life. There was no endless scrolling, no sense that the perfect option was just one more swipe away. You either watched what was on, or you accepted that tonight just wasn’t a tv night.

And if you wanted to watch a movie? You had to physically leave your house and go to a theater…or a video store. Where you would walk the aisles. Judge covers. Read the blurbs. And choose from what was available.

There was friction, but it was the good kind. The kind that made the decision feel real.

Now? Now deciding what to watch can feel like a mini research project.

Last night, I spent an embarrassing amount of time scrolling through my various apps and platforms. Amazon Prime. HBO Max. Netflix. YouTube. The algorithmic buffet of infinite possibilities. Row after row of “Top 10 in the U.S.” and “Critically Acclaimed” and “Trending Now.” All of it screaming for my attention. None of it actually holding it.

This is the paradox, for me, of modern watching: too many options, too little desire.

I wasn’t looking for anything specific. I just wanted to find something that was decent, engaging, and entertaining. Something that wouldn’t make me feel like I was actively wasting my evening, but also wouldn’t require an emotional investment or a Wikipedia deep dive to enjoy.

After scrolling for far too long, I finally settled on the new “documentary” series about the hot mess that was America’s Next Top Model, hosted by the eternally messy Miss Tyra Banks.

And honestly? The three-episode “series” was…fine. Aside from some funny, shady comments by Miss J. Alexander and some hot daddy vibes from Mr. Nigel Barker, I didn’t really learn anything new.

Yes, reality tv is bad for you.
Yes, reality tv exploitative.
Yes, reality tv manipulates its contestants.
Yes, reality tv in the 2000s was deeply unhinged.

None of this is groundbreaking. None of this is revelatory. It’s basically a post-mortem of pop culture trauma I lived through in real time.

(At one point I was a big fan of ANTM and watched a ton of reality TV. While I’m pickier about what I watch these days, I still have a soft spot for what I consider “trash” tv. Love After Lockup—and all its variants—anyone?)

Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model is far from the best documentary series ever made. It’s not even close to the most compelling story. But last night, it was the most interesting option, for me, in a sea of aggressively mediocre content. Sad but true….

I rarely choose by what I’m excited to watch anymore. Instead, I end up choosing what I’m least annoyed by. By what requires the smallest commitment. By what won’t make me scroll again.

Decision fatigue has replaced my anticipation and interest. Instead of looking forward to what I might discover, I feel worn down by the responsibility of choosing at all. The overabundance of content hasn’t made entertainment better, just heavier.

Even watching TV with other people has changed. Instead of “What do you want to watch?” being a fun question, it’s become a low-grade existential crisis. You scroll together. You negotiate. You reject. You compromise. Eventually someone says, “Sure, that’s fine.” But you both know that means, “I just don’t care.”

With TV Guide, the menu was set. Decide or don’t.
With video stores, shelf space limited your options. Usually for the best.
With streaming, the options are seemingly endless. And usually exhausting.

“Netflix and chill” used to imply intention. Desire. A plan.
Now it just means you’re tired and the algorithm won.

While we’re drowning in content, I believe we’re starving for content that’s actually worth our time. Not just noise. Not just slop. Not just another “doc series” about a long-cancelled tv show.

Sometimes I miss boredom. At least boredom had clarity.

Now I’m just overstimulated, underwhelmed, and weirdly nostalgic for the days when there were only five things on tv and at least one of them was worth watching.

Think it’s time to get back to reading books again…

Keep calm and choose wisely!
Clint 🌈✌️

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FYC = FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

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BORN THIS WAY ON THIS DAY

• 02-18 = Audre Lorde (1934-1992) = American writer and civil rights activist 🌈

• 02-18 = Jillian Michaels (1974- ) = American trainer and tv personality 🌈

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MAN CRUSH(ES) OF THE DAY

MATT DILLON

“One of my greatest fears is not being able to change, to be caught in a never-ending cycle of sameness. Growth is so important.”
Matt Dillon

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I’ve had a crush on Matt Dillon ever since I first “met” him in My Bodyguard in 1980. I was seven or eight when I saw the film. Matt was fifteen or sixteen when he filmed it. His character was a “bad boy” with a pretty, pretty face. Swoon.

Fast forward to the early 2000s. I was in NYC on a business trip, walking through Central Park between meetings, and Matt Dillon literally walked right into me. Like, full-on, rom-com style collision. Neither of us were hurt, but we both stopped, apologized, and continued on our separate journeys.

I successfully resisted the urge to confess my undying love and lust. Yay!