People Debate Whether the Demise of Blockbuster Was a Good Thing

Ally Perry • Writer and Editor

Feb 9, 2023 1:30 PM EST

Millennial nostalgia is never stronger than when it comes to childhood media consumption. In this heady age of online gratification, Blockbuster has come to symbolize everything about the world we left behind when we all became internet addicts. The Friday night ritual of family movie rental may have died (or become something that happens on Amazon Prime), but the fond, rose-tinted memories remain.

The aesthetic has become something that people love to reminisce on. Case in point: the neighborhood next to mine used to have a Blockbuster-themed bar, decorated with walls of empty VHS boxes. It's become a habit to look back on the brand with fondness, downsides and all, but not everybody is so convinced by the narrative.

An argument was started on Twitter recently, when one user claimed that the chain 'f*cking sucked' because they took business from smaller stores. Unsurprisingly, not everyone was inclined to agree with this take. Whatever your take on it, there's no denying that it's one of those brands that defined the Nineties.