Oops: Netflix Chooses New Name Associated With ‘Foul-Mouthed Pothead’
- Posted on September 20, 2011 at 9:45am by
Liz Klimas
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In July, Netflix announced a new pricing structure for its DVD and streaming services. The announcement, made abruptly, caused a stir, which has continued since. The company’s CEO, Reed Hastings, issued statement on the Netflix blog and released a video stating that he had “messed up” and there was a “lack of respect” to customers in the way that the company announced it was separating DVDs and streaming and increasing prices.
But there’s now a new announcement rocking the Netflix boat. The movie giant has decided to rename its DVD delivery service “Qwikster.” But alas, there’s some baggage associated with that name.
You see @Qwikster is already a hosted Twitter account, one with several distasteful posts. Fox News has more:
Netflix changed the name of its DVD mailing service to “Qwikster” over the weekend, only to find out after the fact that the correlating Twitter handle is already registered to a foul-mouthed pothead.
The individual using the account is listed as Jason Castillo, and the account sports a doctored icon of Elmo from Sesame Street smoking what appears to be marijuana. [This picture has since been replaced.]
And even more worryingly for the PR department at Netflix, the majority of the tweets (which have gone on for months) are laced with sexual innuendo and references to drug use. In one recent gem too foul to reprint here, Castillo ponders whether or not to “blaze.”
It’s probable that further tweets of hot girls, sports, and showing up late for school don’t fall in line with Qwikster’s brand campaign.
It‘s possible from Castillo’s recent posts (i.e., “so much to plan so much deal so much negotiation”) that he’s in negotiations with Netflix/Qwikster to transfer the account. Business Insider’s Alyson Shontell reports:
While Netflix secured the Qwikster domain, there is no record of a trademark filing for “Qwikster.” … Unfortunately for Netflix, unless you own a trademark, you can’t force a current tweeter to give up his or her handle. Twitter also doesn’t let users buy handles from others.
Since Jason Castillo, the person who currently owns the Qwikster handle, is an active tweeter and hasn’t impersonated the movie delivery company, Netflix may not be able to stop the high Elmo icon from tweeting raunchy status messages.
@Qwikster removed his photo of Elmo smoking this morning.
All Twitter account issues aside, marketers are questioning the judgement of creating a whole new name and brand for company’s DVD rental service. CNN reports:
Chris Taylor of Mashable (a CNN content partner), questioned whether the spin-off of Qwikster was “the worst product launch since New Coke.”
“As any marketer will tell you, there are some truly awful times to launch a new product — like August, when few potential customers are paying attention, or January, when they’re all shopped out from the holidays,” Taylor wrote. “And then there’s launching your new product in the 10th paragraph of an apology for some previous poor communication, as Netflix CEO Reed Hastings did late Sunday with Qwikster. …”
But not everyone thinks this name change is a bad move, according to CNN. Mark Suster, a venture capitalist, wrote on his blog that many short term thinkers find this a bad idea. He considers this “reactionary” sentiments and says that Hasting‘s explanation for the company’s decision was “simply brilliant.”
By the way, Hastings’s apology has since been met with more consumer angst over the splitting of services and pricing:
Watch their announcement video complete with apology here:
[H/T LiveScience]
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Comments (82)
betterthantv
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:37pmPersonally I think this apology is a mistake. I loved what they said a couple months ago about Netflix not being a “public service”. Screw all the crybabies. If they don’t like it cancel! It’s that simple. Although I don’t know where they intend to go to get the same service? Netflix is completely changing the dynamics of TV. Even if you don’t like movies you should send these guys $8 every month. The sooner we can do away with these big awful cable companies like Comcast the better!
Report Post »fatts
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 3:49pmJust a question on your logic. If the big bad evil awful cable companies are gone how are you going to have the internet pipe to connect to netflix?
Report Post »libsaredumb
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 5:09pmFATTS, just a question on your ignorance. Ever heard of DSL? Wireless Broadband? Satellite? 3G? 4G?
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 5:33pmBETTERTHAN…Netflix has credible competition today. Even Blockbuster offers a similar service. It’s time to check out the competition.
Report Post »Tom21773
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 5:47pmlibsaredumb, just a question on your ignorance. Ever try to downstream a movie with DSL, satellite or 3G? Ever try to get wireless broadband without a wire somewhere? Not everyone can get fiber optics or 4G.
Report Post »jcase16
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 5:49pmBlockbuster’s service sucks in comparison. Give me a streaming service where I pay a monthly fee and can watch all I want within reason. No one other than Hulu offers anything similar to this.
Report Post »Tridentine Catholic
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 7:23pmSatellite Internet is NOT an option for Netflix Streaming service. Hughes.net Internet is at a max 1.5 mbps (they may claim more, but only businesses get faster, and all people share the satellite in an area), and limits the average user to under 300 mb per day and if you exceed the limit you are “punished” with less than dial-up speed for 24 hours. There is an “open” window from 2am-7am EST, even in this window I had never been able to stream a movie from Netflix it just was not fast enough. For this reason those of us where HughesNet is our ONLY option we are also not able to use GBTV.
Report Post »Ghandi was a Republican
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 1:28amIf you think cable makes so much money– Buy shares. You will then find that you it’s rather expensive for A. content and B. delivery and C. maintenance and D. customer service and E. Municipal charges and pole rentals and F. taxes and G. Payroll and H. insurance etc..
Report Post »SIG40ONDAHIP
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:18pmI don‘t know why anybody would pay a dime to any of these movie company’s that support the liberals in Hollywood
Report Post »SgtBarrett
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 9:15amNo one ever thinks of that. We are Americans. We want our MTV, even if it’s bad for us and rots our brains. Stupid Americans.
Report Post »TNnana
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:15pmHA! I have 3 days left on my 2-week free trial with Netflix after purchasing a Roku. During this time – we watched, for the 1st time ever, ALL 52 episodes of “Mad Men” – outstanding! On Friday – we will be cancelling Netflix. We searched for a few movies we were interested in….some current and some from 2 or 3 years ago……nada! Very disappointed that they only have OLD movies to show (which is okay….but I would like to have newer choices too!). I’m looking at other options for our Roku – which is pretty neat. There is a market out there to replace Netflix……we are waiting…….
Report Post »welovetheUSA
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 1:57pmThis generation is so uneducated………..try having a name contest next time.
Report Post »V-MAN MACE
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 1:40pmStop demonizing marijuana.
It is the one of the best plants on earth created by Yahuwah for the use of men.
The War on Drugs is based on the notion that we are animals to be controlled and maintained by the Federal Oligarchy.
I am a man.
I am sovereign.
I am not an animal to be told what to consume and what not to consume.
Report Post »snhtown
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:07pmi agree
just think of some of the money that would be saved by our goverment if marijuana was decriminalized.
from the time the police officer detains someone suspected of possesing it. to searching them and their car.
taking them to jail, housing them if they cant make bail, or choose not to.
then they have to waist the courts time.
and then if they get sent to jail they have to spend even more providing room and board to them.
and of couse how much does the dea spend? local and state police trying to find the next big shippment…..
the whole marijuana thing is a big scam. most everyone has fallen for it. even the lawmakers know it is a scam.
but in the end, guess what?
it only gives more power and control to the goverment.
Report Post »Libertyluvnmomma
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:24pmmaking things illegal creates a black market. Black markets are host to very scary criminal types who do more harm than the actual products that are demonized.
Report Post »i’m sure our politicians know this which why they love the kickbacks for the “blind eye”.
420duder
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:50pmREEFER KILLS……. HATRED! IT CAUSES HYSTERIA………. IN THOSE OPPOSED TO IT! BAD REEFER, BAD. You people are craaaaaazzzyyyy.Cannabis is a plant. GOD ALMIGHTY CREATED IT FOR US TO USE. It was an ingredient in the holy annointing oil of the bible (This according to HEBREW UNIVERSITY waaay over there in JERUSALEM) Now you‘d think more people would know these things but they’re too busy bashing GOD’S CREATION!
Report Post »420duder
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 4:01pmRon Paul will respect you as a man and not an animal! BTW, I totally agree!
Report Post »Belle1959
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 1:21pmQwikster doesn’t even make any sense. Why didn’t they name it Flixter?
Report Post »HADEN0UGH
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 3:40pmOr Qwikflix
Report Post »TexasBlaze
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 4:04pmor Flixfux
Report Post »Clive
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 3:15pm^ i like that one.
Report Post »Junter
Posted on September 21, 2011 at 5:33pmQwikFix for all you movie junkies.
Report Post »GetsGreased
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 1:20pm12 years with Netflix and the 25% increase in my monthly bill was more than a sufficient invitation to cancel my subscription.Been using RedBox since at $1.50 a night for Blu Ray since. That will save me $20 a month.
I particularly liked the spam apology from the Netflix CEO yesterday. Like I care why he invited me to leave by ratcheting up my monthly cost? Maybe Netflix would restore some of its reputation by providing an email address for a response. But Netflix stopped caring about the needs of its customers once replaced by big dollar signs. Instead, you can wait on hold to talk to a paid apologist with no power to offer any mitigation, even to customers who put Netflix on the map.
Netflix, goodbye.
Report Post »betterthantv
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 2:40pmYou people crack me up. Do you think that Netflix is a public service and that you have a “right” to cheap movies? Nobody can compete with Netflix, NOBODY! Netflix need the money to grow. How can anybody not understand that?
Report Post »chuckn8481
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 3:22pmYou are complaining about an extra six dollars a month, let’s just put this in perspective, and why, because they were trying to gain premium content like STARZ, which they lost, becuase they weren’t paying enough for said content. Try finding all the TV series you find on netflix elsewhere. Networks are starting to make people wait days and weeks before posting new content online. Netflix while it doesn‘t have everything has many things you can’t get anywhere else. I’d pay twice what I pay now for just streaming content if they could improve on their content. Grow up people.
Report Post »snhtown
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 12:21pmA pothead dosnt ask anyone if he should blaze….he ask’s, who wants to blaze with them
Report Post »LibertyLover2
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 4:12pmI think its funny that this article is on THE BLAZE. THE BLAZE – c’mon if ever a pot reference it is the BLAZE!!! ROFLMAO!
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 12:20pmSomeone in marketing is gonna be looking for a new job.
BEFORE branding, you secure the rights…
not AFTER ! !
A 12 year old girl with a lemonade stand would know that !
Of course, America has turned, or is turning its back on capitalism, and naturally loses its skills as capitalists when we do !
Report Post ».
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This_Individual
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 12:18pmNetflix is going the way of the old corner video store.
Report Post »threedoor
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 12:23pmI agree, the first batch of customers dropping them was one thing but this is Hastings digging himself in deeper. I’m out after this announcement.
Report Post »paulusmaximus
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 1:27pmred box
Report Post »lembrandt
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 12:15pmHard to believe that any successful company could shoot itself in the foot so badly, but it appears they just did. In fact, it’s almost incomprehensible – like they were taken over by a socialist progressive who convinced the board of directors that they had gotten too big, too fast and were making too much money, so it was time to allow the competition a chance to regain market share…
Almost like they had a President who said they would be Brazil’s best customer or said we would help Libya become an economic powerhouse…just amazing.
Report Post »Rowgue
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 1:42pmNetflix was hemmoraging subscribers long before these ill advised decisions. They were a flash in the pan success that was never going to last if they didn’t improve their service, and they haven’t. Anybody that has actually tried the service realizes that it’s not nearly as convenient as they thought it would be, the actual selection of media is laughable at best, and half the stuff you want to stream is ‘DVD only’.
Those issues were understandable when it was a struggling startup. After they made their first hundred million they should have invested in fixing their serious problems. Instead they sat around counting their money and ignoring indications that people weren’t very pleased with the service they were offering.
Report Post »Brents Torts
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 12:08pmNetFlix rocks
Report Post »Jamesjim
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:58amNetflix, or what ever else it wants to call itself did one very important thing for many.
Report Post »It allowed many to avoid the unending and mind bending commercials, that lack talent and imagination.
Stupid, insulting and self defeating advertisements aimed at, and scaring the life out of persons who have an illness, have had an accident, or what ever else.
Tom K
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:57amNETFLIX was not broken but they just HAD to try to fix it. I was not a customer since I hate most of the newer movies and despise the Hollywood attempts to re-make old classics that almost always fall short of the original. Hollywood, get an original idea once in a while. Call me “ Old School ”.
Report Post »poster
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:55amAs a former Netflix customer (years ago), let me say they were a rip-off then and are a rip-off now.
Report Post »Rowgue
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 12:21pmAgree 100%
It sounds great in theory but it was all put together half a$$ed. Their selection of titles is pathetic. Once you’ve burned through the one or two old TV series that you wanted to watch the service is all but useless. You’ll find new movies at redbox loooooong before you ever see them on netflix, and redbox only charges a dollar. It also never made any sense whatsoever that half of the titles netflix carries are DVD only and you can’t stream them.
Report Post »grudgywoof
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:46amLook up Nortel Networks the best company I ever worked for (its gone). The last CEO we had decided that we could make a “Great Right Turn” and go all in on the internet networking craze. At the time I said it was the great left turn of a cliff and unfortunately I was right. I was a telecom test engineer and understood everything we did well but I found myself completely lost talking to our counterparts in Silicon Valley when we bought Bay Networks (Cisco’s biggest competitor). It took us a long time to consolidate the businesses and so many mistakes were made along the way it bankrupted the greatest telecom business in North America……..the moral of the story don’t get greedy and stick with what you know.
Report Post »PApeacemaker
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:42amI got rid of Netflix over a year ago when they raised my prices the 1st time. I used it everyday on my Xbox 360 & when they announced the price hikes that was it for me. I was already paying $10 a month for 1 dvd rental & streaming. Netflix is done for no matter if they change there name or not there an aging technology & they are over pricing there product & whoever is running that company is steering it into the ground. I wouldnt be surprised if Microsoft & Sony soon pull away from them. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Report Post »mik
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:37amFor me who only streams it got cheaper buy a buck. If you like older classic movies with style then you will enjoy netflix.As far as new movies…not so good.
here is a couple classics i watched recently and enjoyed..
1.Caesar and Cleopatra…Claude Rains , Vivien Leigh.. a much better version than Burtons. 1945
2. The Man In The White Suit..early Alec (obiewon) Guinness..A man invents a fabric that can’t get dirty.Threatens to put the cloth manufacturers out of business…1951
3.The Servant..Dirk Bogarde,, the Servant slowly takes over the masters life. loved it!..1963
4.Charlie Varrick..not so well known Walter Matthau crime caper… excellent stuff!..1973
5.Tree’s Lounge… Steve Buscemi. ..Stars as lead in movie as a down and out barfly searching for a life.
give these a shot.
2.
Report Post »Jenny Lind
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:27amOh, man, someone there needs to be fired-for being dumb, dumb, dumb. Shaking my head and saying WOW!
Report Post »Servant Of YHVH
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:56amActually that would have to be dumbest, dumbest and dumber than dumbest! It doesn‘t matter how good you are if you don’t have any customers. I was considering going with netflix but, DON’T THINK SO!!! Everyone that I know that has been using them have already dropped their membership. They also had another stupid statement on there as well, while it may be a LITTLE easier for them to separate the two, it doesn’t really make any sense to do that. If they are not able to have one “company” with two different departments then they are not competent enough to do this business. The only reason for their changes is to 1, make more money and 2, to make it easier for them not for their customers. From hearing about how good it used to be, I would have to say that they forgot that for a business to be successful, they have to focus on their customers. Not just on their profits and how to make it easier for them but harder for the customer. Goodbye netflix from an almost customer that will never be a customer.
Report Post »citizen0000
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:23amThis is a great example of Capitalism working. Consumers like your product, you soar and are successful, upset them with pricing, offensiveness or politics (see Levi’s) and you fail. No Govt oversight or regulation needed.
Report Post »Brizz
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:45amWell said!
Report Post »mrdon2012
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:11amGood bye netflix hello red box … example on how to screw up a good thing, way to go netflix!!!
Report Post »Brizz
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:02amNETFLIX has done many things to shoot themselves in the foot. The pricing increases and the readily available far left streaming content for starters. Glenn needs to shut his pie hole when he gets the urge to pump them up.
Report Post »Locked
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 10:58amNetflix is pretty much doomed at this point. Going all streaming is extremely risky and expensive, and the DVD-mail-order service is unprofitable. It’s too bad, they had some good years.
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 10:56amWhy are people so addicted to watching movies? Movies nowadays are awful. Who in the hell has the patience to sit thru 2 hours of crap? It’s crazy, I tell ya.
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:13amAmen to that…
Report Post »hauschild
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:25amI just don’t understand how a person could do this day after day – just sitting and watching movies. I mean, if the movies were entertaining and you haven’t already seen them, then I could understand once or twice a week tops, but day after freaking day???
Report Post »RavenGlenn
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 11:56amWell…if you are like me…I work from my computer. I have two monitors and due to my ADHD, I need to have something going on aside from just my work or I cannot focus. Thus, I stream netflix(or whatever) on the other monitor all day, every day.
Others sit and watch movies with their family and friends, watch things while they eat, etc.
But keep in mind that netflix isn’t just movies. It is also TV shows and there are certainly great things available. And for those that talk about how new movies suck anyways…you obviously have never used Netflix streaming as it really lacks any newer movies. Almost everything on there are classics or older movies. Tons of which you never heard of before.
That’s both a good thing and a bad as you are kind of let down if you want to watch anything recent.
Report Post »Steelhead
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 10:54amthis is news?
Report Post »4truth2all
Posted on September 20, 2011 at 10:23pmNo
Report Post »