Michael Godwin observed:
As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1
Regardless of the topic in an online discussion, given enough time some bozo inevitably jumps the shark by making a comparison to Hitler and the Nazis. It is wrong on so many levels, but most fundamentally such comparisons serve to trivialize the unspeakable horrors of 70 years ago.
As the number of eyewitness survivors to the Holocaust diminishes, it is perhaps less shocking to some. Such hyperbole can never be considered acceptable.
GigaOm has an article reporting on comments delivered by Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos at yesterday’s Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2012 Media, Communications and Entertainment event at the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills, California. To set some context, Sarandos was responding defensively to a statement by the moderator about Netflix having “a fraction” of the level of content available to Canadian Netflix users. Sarandos Ā interrupted, repeatedly saying “not accurate” to something that is apparent to almost anyone else comparing the US and Canadian catalogs.
From the webcast [beginning around the 28:00 minute mark]:
Viewing hours are almost… are very similar [in Canada] to the US. The problem in Canada is not content, the problem in Canada, which is one of our strongest markets, is they have almost third world access to the internet. Not because it’s constrained for any reason except for money. They have very low datacaps with all the broadband providers in Canada and they charge an enormous amount if you go over your broadband cap. It made us be much more innovative about compression and delivery technology so we are less broadband consumptive in Canada.
It’s almost a human rights violation what they charge for internet access in Canada.
Whoa! There it is.Ā The Sarandos corollary: When among the well heeled, it is fair to joke about the travails of those far, far away.
For someone sitting at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, speaking just before the bar opened in the hotel’s Royal Suite for “drinks galore”, maybe it was supposed to be poking fun. I might have started with complaining about the hotel charging $33 for a couple eggs, toast, bacon and coffee. From the comfort of the Beverly Wilshire, perhaps it is too easy to avert your eyes away from the suffering of real victims of actual human rights violations.
Almost as disturbing was the uncritical way GigaOm reported the item. But, that is a different matter for another day.