Theft is Theft is Theft. No excuses.
Ever have one of those weird conversations?
Last week I am having dinner with my family and the waitress asked if we had a Scene points card (movie rewards). We talked briefly as she scanned my card and she said we could also use the points for food. She then went on to say “Why would you pay for a movie anyway” and explained how she has one of those Android boxes at home and just streams movies for free. She said she just watched Lego Batman (which is still in the theatres) and then went on to talk about how much she loved Fifty Shades Darker (again still in theatres).
It seem everywhere I look I see people getting these Android boxes (and other versions of the same thing). Now people might not like my opinion on this but I want to ask …
When did downright theft become normal?
I have asked people who have these boxes how they justify NOT paying for current movies, TV etc. There responses are all very similar:
- People complain about how much the cable companies are making or that they are being forced to pay for channels they don’t want
- People tell me that they are not downloading movies (which is illegal in Canada) but streaming them
- People tell me that movies are too expensive
- People tell me that everyone is doing it
- People tell me that they just don’t care
None of these comments change the fact that you are NOT paying for something that people have created.
I love Marvel superhero movies. If you are a Marvel fan you know that if you want until all the credits are completed there will be a small bonus scene. Each time I wait for the end of the credits I am amazed at the hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of people who created the movie I just watched. The job these people have is to do something to support the creation of the movie you just watched.
In a quick search online I found this list (click here for the entire article):
It is a weird expectation that I see many people have today.
They want to see amazing movies with great affects but not pay for it.
They want great music but will not pay for an album or subscribe to a streaming service (Apple Music, Spotify etc)
When we just stream a movie and no money goes back to the people who created the movie what we will start to see is less movies being made. It is the same with music. If everyone just downloads free music and no money goes to the musicians then we can expect to see more artists leaving music. As someone who loves seeing what people create (movies, music, video games etc) I am happy to pay for their services.
We all need to work and make money to support our families.
Why do people in the entertainment industry matter less to us?
Thank you, Brett. This is something that I’ve struggled with as well, and have bounced between rationalizing/justifying and strictly enforcing. I think it’s something that I need to take a hard look at again.
Why does this surprise you? We live a me first society.