Blogocentric Formulations

Blockbuster Officially Closes Its Doors

Not sure if you saw it in the news this week, but after a couple years of limping along, Blockbuster Video is finally going out of business and closing its remaining 300 retail locations and distribution centers. And, predictably, the announcement incurred a flurry of internet activity. Most were jokes about not realizing Blockbuster had any stores left or about finally not having to worry about paying those ridiculous late fees.

But there was also an uglier element to some of the comments, many of which actually celebrated the closing of the business. Some cited the fact that Blockbuster had a history of running Mom & Pop video stores out of business in its heyday, or how they hurt independent film with their refusal to stock unrated films, insistence on cutting content from some of the movies they stocked, etc.

And while I have no love for Blockbuster for precisely those reasons, there's something unseemly to me about rooting for the failure of a business, even one that didn't always embody the best business practices. I mean, this announcement basically means the company's 3,000 remaining employees are headed to the unemployment line. Employees who, at least the vast majority of which, had absolutely nothing to do with the corporate decisions that people are railing against.

In this day and age... in this economy... is it really appropriate to root for and cheer for the failure of a business? That's not to say that we all have to weep and wail over the news, but I think people need to keep a bigger picture in mind before they head out to dance on the grave of something.

So yes, Blockbuster is dead. In a lot of respects, one might even look at the situation as putting the chain out of its misery. But even though I have no love for many of Blockbuster's more aggressive company policies, I do mourn the loss of 3,000 jobs and a company that - for better or worse - was an integral part of my childhood and film education.