As of tomorrow (August 23), Netflix is rolling out a ‘Your Zodiac Watchlist’ feature that will suggest new content to subscribers based on their star signs. Just like your profile suggests scrollable lists for different genres, you’ll be able to see suggestions for the entire zodiac calendar, which will be updated throughout the year. Frankly, it’s my worst nightmare, and somehow Netflix has already made me feel bad for when my parents decided to conceive me.
For context, I’m not in any way interested in star signs – I just want to enjoy the best streaming service on the market for what it is. When my friends or random people I’ve met in a bar ask me what my moon or rising sign is, I probably look at them a bit like I’ve had a stroke (who knew you had more than one sign?). Surely such an esteemed streamer such as Netflix can figure out I’ll enjoy Stranger Things season 5 and Wednesday season 2 without looking at stars in the sky. What happened to the algorithms?
Still, I’m probably being a spoilsport. Netflix has been brilliant at quickly developing user experiences relating to cultural moments, such as their ‘Can I pull you in for a chat?’ section that riffs off rival reality TV show Love Island. We’ve got no idea how well the new zodiac feature is going to perform for Netflix, but people love a gimmick. However, when I saw what was recommended for my star sign, my spoilsport status was quickly proved right
Netflix introduces zodiac hub with astrological recommendations and I hate it already
At the most basic level, I’m an Aquarius. That’s typically categorized as someone who is innovative, intellectual, and humanitarian with a strong desire for freedom and independence. Solid, right? All things anybody would love to think of themselves as being. However, in Netflix’s eyes, I’m an “oddball, quirky, outsider,” with my recommendations heavily skewed towards sci-fi and alien content.
I’ll not lie, being called an oddball outsider out of nowhere hurts the ego a bit, but there’s still not much to complain about… or so I thought. The very first movie the streamer suggests as something I’ll like is Rebel Moon. You mean, the same Rebel Moon that Zack Snyder split into two movies, released longer director cuts of afterwards, received reviews that absolutely everybody on earth hated both and has since been buried in the underworld of Netflix’s back catalog? Why is it digging it back out just for me? What does that say about who I am? Why can’t I see anything I actually want to watch?
Once again, I know this is all supposed to be a bit of fun, but given a big chunk of my wages has gone to Netflix and its rivals for the last decade, I’d like to feel like the intellectual, innovative woman I’m supposed to be. I’d like to feel like I’m a valued customer, not just a sitting target for inevitable price hikes and shows that will later be cancelled before you can see ‘hey, I was watching that’. Obviously, it’s all a bit tropey. Scorpios are assumed as “passionate, charismatic, seductive and mysterious,” while Geminis are seen as “social, playful and funny.” No backhanded insults there, I note.
As with any feature that’s still in its early days, there’s bound to be some teething issues, but I do wonder how effective the recommendations are actually going to be. It all depends on our perceptions of astrology, and a quick Google will prove how varied definitions of different star signs can be (clearly, as we’ve seen in my case). If other people don’t feel seen in their stream, it’s going to be curtains for the zodiac hub. But if it does, that’s even worse news for anybody else who has friends addicted to what the stars have to say.
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