A reader reports that the hardcore title Joe Pro: Still Crunk is now listed as unavailable from Netflix: "Update on Your Queue. Joe Pro: Still Crunk has been removed from your Queue. We no longer have enough copies of the DVD to satisfy customer demand. Unfortunately, we are unable to purchase more of this movie and will no longer offer it for rental.
We realize this is disappointing and want to reassure you that we remove movies from our web site only in unusual circumstances.
We apologize for the inconvenience and hope you find many other movies to enjoy at Netflix."
Joe Pro: Still Crunk is listed on Blockbuster.com as "Coming Soon."
BBO uses the Coming Soon tag for titles they don't have in their inventory that are also recognized in their database. It doesn't mean it will actually be forthcoming at some point in my experience with them over the past three years.
Posted by: Laddy | November 16, 2006 at 06:10 PM
Both Netflix and Blockbuster announced that this title would not be available any time soon. Apparently, they read Hacking Netflix and decided to censor once again.
Posted by: type-cast | November 16, 2006 at 06:32 PM
It's not censorship. Censorship is when the government makes it illegal. Netflix isn't forbidding you to watch the movie. You are still free to obtain the movie from another source and watch it.
Posted by: Becky | November 17, 2006 at 11:38 AM
Although it will probably never be offered by a mainstream company, I bet online porn rentals with the Netflix business model would be hugely successful.
Posted by: hawk5391 | November 17, 2006 at 12:44 PM
Censorship is when sellers refuse to provide goods for which a demand exists. Government? That's just one source of censorship. Crappy moral codes by corporations like Netflix are even worse than government, because they can not be amended through democratic processes. I mean, why don't they put it to a vote? Who wants to allow porn rentals on Netflix? Who wants to forbid them? Pretty straightforward to see the real public attitude, instead of making a lot of silly assumptions.
Posted by: type-cast | November 17, 2006 at 07:57 PM
There is a Netflix model porn rental house. xrentdvd.com is Netflix for smut. I (of course) have never belonged, but I hear that the service and turn-around time is great and the selection is very good. The mailers are discrete. In fact I noticed that their envelopes appear to go thru the same post office in Santa Ana as the Netflix facility.
Is it censorship when ebay doesn't allow firearms sales? Walmart doesn't sell fur coats-is that censorship? If Netflix doesn't want to rent smut, it's their own business. They could make tons of money at it, but they choose not to. That's why there's a company like xrentdvd.com
Posted by: bruceff | November 18, 2006 at 04:16 PM
In truth, there are a number of adult DVD rental sites - sugarDVD, wantedlist, etc. - and it should come as no surprise.
Posted by: gir | November 18, 2006 at 11:08 PM
The exact thing happened earlier this year with the soft core "special edit" of the hard core gay porn title "The Hole" (a take-off on "The Ring", except you don't die when you watch the video, you become gay).
Posted by: kcholt68 | November 21, 2006 at 03:29 PM