+
Pop Culture

Netflix asked people to share DVDs they 'forgot' to return, and the result was pure nostalgia

Getting that red envelope in the mail was coolest thing ever.

netflix 25 years, netflix forgotten dvds, netflix

To think, this icon was nearly synonomous with a bleating goat sound.

Once upon a time in the late '90s, in the prestreaming days of yore, before binge-watching was even a word, a company called Netflix entered the scene, killing brick-and-mortar movie rental stores like Blockbuster with its promise of entertainment delivered to your doorstep in a crisp red envelope.

Whether it was a tried-and-true title or something on the more adventurous side that was selected from the online “queue”—my choice was usually some kind of French arthouse film because I desperately wanted to be cool—the combination of excitement and convenience (at least for that time) was simply unbeatable.

netflix anniversary, first netflix dvdMovie nights are the best nights.Giphy

Nowadays we have access to content of our choosing 24/7 (thanks in part to Netflix) and that inexplicable feeling of getting a new DVD in the mail is mostly a fond, though distant memory.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary (don’t you feel old now?) Netflix posted a bunch of company fun facts, and they did not disappoint.


For instance, you know that iconic, satisfying “tudum” sound that plays when you enter the platform? The one sort of reminiscent of “Law & Order?” That was almost the sound of a bleating goat instead. Yeah, bullet dodged there.

Also, the very first DVD ever rented was Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice.” Whoever that first customer was, they obviously had great taste.

Here are a few other gems curated by MovieWeb:

  • The most popular profile icon, used worldwide on 11 million profiles, is the “Boss Baby” icon.
  • Netflix originally had a placeholder name of Kibble—yep, like the dog food.
  • Following the launch of "The Queen’s Gambit," there was a 125% increase in chess board sales.
  • Netflix had its own awards show called "The Flixies."
  • The first Netflix Original was “Lilyhammer.”
  • There was once a campaign for “Netflix socks,” which detected when you fell asleep and paused the show or movie you were watching.
  • “Squid Game” is Netflix’s most popular title ever.

In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s created a Netflix & Chilll’d ice cream flavor, featuring peanut butter ice cream, sweet and salty pretzel swirls, fudge brownie bits and excuse me while I whisk away to the grocery store…

Netflix later posted a follow-up tweet asking folks to share any DVDS they “forgot” to return and still have. Since the company never charged late fees, people simply paid their monthly subscription and could return films whenever they wanted. Or, you know, not at all.

Though the company promised no one would get in trouble, some were lightheartedly suspicious.

But for the most part, people were brave. And their replies were a delightful cruise down memory lane.

Sharing their envelope for the movie “Crimson Tide,” one person wrote “I’ve been holding on to this for years!!! I really like this movie but I lost the DVD in the cabinet and never sent it back.” Relatable.

Another person, showing off their Coen Brothers flick “Burn After Reading,” joked that “finally after 14 years I can get this off my chest."

Others simply shared their nostalgia for a bygone era.

Technology continues to move forward at a lightning fast pace, advancing everything along with it. But one thing always remains the same—humans need comfort and entertainment. The ways we get it might evolve, but the need will always be there. And though Netflix is arguably not without its flaws, it has played a major role in fulfilling that need.

So go ahead, grab a blanket, turn off the lights and celebrate this milestone. What a time to be alive.

Photo by Igor Ferreira on Unsplash

Florida principal fired after showing statue of "David."

If you ask most teachers why they went into education, they'll share that it had nothing to do with the money and everything to do with their passion for teaching. Even with rapid changes in curriculum and policies, teachers who remain in the classroom are lovers of education and are doing their best to help kids learn.

Hope Carrasquilla, the former principal of Florida's Tallahassee Classical School, was one of those teachers who simply enjoyed teaching. As the principal, Carrasquilla was required to teach two classes. During her sixth grade lesson about Renaissance art, which is also a requirement of the school, Carrasquilla showed a picture of Michelangelo's "David" statue.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, three parents complained about their children being shown the picture. Two of those parents were mostly upset that there wasn't sufficient notice given before the photo of the sculpture was shown. The third parent reportedly complained that the statue of the Biblical figure was pornographic.

Keep ReadingShow less

"What Do You Know About The Female Body?" from Jimmy Kimmel

When Jimmy Kimmel takes to the street, you know you’re in for a good laugh at just how little we actually know about, well, seemingly anything. That goes for anatomy too. In this case, female anatomy.

In a segment called “What Do You Know About The Female Body?” men try—and hilariously fail—to answer even the most basic questions, like “does a female have one uterus, or two?” much to the amazement of some of their female partners.

Here are some of the very best bits of nonwisdom:

Keep ReadingShow less

A size 21 Nike shoe made for Tacko Fall.

A local reporter at Hometown Life shared a unique and heartfelt story on March 16 about a mother struggling to find shoes that fit her 14-year-old son. The story resonated with parents everywhere; now, her son is getting the help he desperately needs. It's a wonderful example of people helping a family that thought they had nowhere to turn.

When Eric Kilburn Jr. was born, his mother, Rebecca’s OBGYN, told her that he had the “biggest feet I’ve ever seen in my life. Do not go out and buy baby shoes because they’re not gonna fit,’” Rebecca told Today.com. Fourteen years later, it’s almost impossible to find shoes that fit the 6’10” freshman—he needs a size 23.

Keep ReadingShow less
via Pexels

A teacher lists his class rules.

The world would be a much better place if humans weren’t so … human. We all fall short of perfection. Common sense is, sadly, not too common. And there’s one guy out there who always manages to screw things up when things start getting good.

Call it Murphy’s law. Call it the great “reason we can’t have nice things.” Call it entropy. It feels like a whole lot of pain could be avoided if we all had just a little bit more sense.

But what if there was one rule that we all agreed to follow to make everyone’s life better? What would this magical rule be?

A Reddit user who goes by the name P4insplatter came to this realization and asked the AskReddit subforum, “What simple rule would fix the world if everyone actually followed it?” They received dozens of simple rules that if everyone got behind would make the world drastically better.

Keep ReadingShow less
@thehalfdeaddad/TikTok

Dad on TikTok shared how he addressed his son's bullying.

What do you do when you find out your kid bullied someone? For many parents, the first step is forcing an apology. While this response is of course warranted, is it really effective? Some might argue that there are more constructive ways of handling the situation that teach a kid not only what they did wrong, but how to make things right again.

Single dadPatrick Forseth recently shared how he made a truly teachable moment out of his son, Lincoln, getting into trouble for bullying. Rather than forcing an apology, Forseth made sure his son was actively part of a solution.


The thought process behind his decision, which he explained in a now-viral TikTok video, is both simple and somewhat racial compared to how many parents have been encouraged to handle similar situations.
Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

Heads up! That call from a panicky relative may be a scammer voice clone.

The FTC is warning people to look out for the latest scam trend.

via Pexels

A man makes a phone call from prison.

One of the oldest frauds in the book is the “your loved one is in trouble” scam. Scammers call posing as a grandchild or loved one in distress who claims they’ve been kidnapped or are in jail. The scammer may also impersonate a nurse, police officer, lawyer or other authority figure representing the loved one.

The scammer claims that the loved one needs money wired to the fraudster immediately to bring them to safety.

The scam is effective because the victim is under pressure to get them money quickly, so they don’t have time to consider the fact that it may be a scam. All the while, they imagine the torment the loved one is going through. The urgency of the scam makes it much more likely that the victim will hand over the money.

Keep ReadingShow less