Netflix Responds to Users Demanding 'Home Alone' Be Added to Service

Netflix offered a characteristically snarky response to users demanding it add Home Alone to its [...]

By Michael Hein

Netflix offered a characteristically snarky response to users demanding it add Home Alone to its catalog on social media.

Netflix has earned a reputation for being conversational, interactive and often times sarcastic on social media. The streaming giant responds to fans, perhaps justifying the assumption by some that users' tweets and online petitions have an influence on its offerings.

However, there was no amount of repeated searching or online outcry that could bring Home Alone to Netflix's catalogue. The company finally answered the overwhelming calls for the holiday classic by changing its Twitter bio.

"Since 5,456,245 of you asked, I'd like to formally apologize that we do not have Home Alone," it reads.

This is a perfect example of Netflix's online snark. The company often has quips for its fans, taking on a more personable voice rather than a standard, corporately polite one.

Several people pointed out Netflix's new bio on Twitter, sharing the subtle laugh with their friends. Some assumed that the number referenced how many times Home Alone was entered as search term, while others figured it came from some petition or other Twitter thread.

In fairness, Netflix subscribers do have a tendency to be demanding. Viewers often fire up at the mention of their favorite re-watchable show leaving the platform. It is not uncommon for Netflix to receive mass threats of cancellation on Twitter as soon as their next slate is announced.

Another popular place for fans to voice their opinion is online petitions on sites like Change.org. The site routinely features calls for Netflix to add or remove programs based on demand or some perceived social responsibility. To this day, fans of The Ranch sign new petitions asking for Danny Masterson to be reinstated on the show, after he was fired for allegations of sexual assault.

On the other hand, the stakes can get even lower. Over the weekend, Netflix added an expiration date to Friends. Before long, petitions circulated begging the streaming service to keep the sitcom for no moral or ideological reason — simply because subscribers love it.

The strangest thing is that at times, Netflix appears to take these demands into consideration. In the case of Friends, the company reportedly paid $100 million to renew its license on the show after less than three days of backlash.

How Netflix makes licensing decisions of this kind will likely always be a mystery. In the meantime, fans can continue to throw petitions in the company's face, whether they work or not.

Home Alone is streaming on Starz, and is available to purchase digitally on YouTube, Amazon Prime, iTunes and several other platforms.

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