Does Netflix have a pseudoscience problem?

The modern demonisation of the ‘intellectual elite’ has so far resulted in a resurgence of measles in developed nations and significantly hindered our ability to address the climate crisis. The spread is misinformation has pitted experts against the perceived interests of the working class, and at the current rate truth in media will become an abstract concept. As a content outlet with some implicit authority (Netflix content has to be greenlit, unlike, say, YouTube content), many would argue that Netflix has a responsibility to boycott content that suggests there’s an alternative to peer reviewed science.

‘An hour ago I went in and cancelled my subscription’, proudly announces redditor MdotR on a thread about the series. ‘They ask you why before going. I selected ‘Other’ and wrote “Goop. I can’t support the spread of disinformation”’. MdotR is one of the multitudes that have let their dissatisfaction be known through denying Netflix their financial contribution. Unfortunately for these unsung heroes, however, and unfortunately for all of us, this show is not without precedent. A quick dive into the ‘documentary’ section shows that Netflix has been touting pseudoscience for years.

Take What The Health as one example. The documentary from the creators of Cowspiracy was a hit when it debuted on Netflix back in 2017. Ostensibly a critique of the meat and dairy industries, the documentary is a masterclass in cherry-picked scientific studies, distorted data and dressing up polemic as science. At one point the film tries to imply that eating one egg a day is equivalently unhealthy to smoking five cigarettes. Whilst there have been some studies that suggest eggs are slightly carcinogenic, this is rather pushing the rhetoric.

The Magic Pill – a 2017 Netflix documentary on the supposed benefits of ketogenic diets – is equally flawed. Talking heads in the documentary claim that switching to a diet high in fat but low in carbohydrates is a cure for everything from asthma and autism to cancer. Although there is evidence that a ketogenic diet reduces seizures in children, there isn’t sufficient evidence in human studies to support the claims made in the documentary.

This is just scratching the surface of Netflix’s bullshit archives.The Goop Lab isn’t a catalyst but a symptom of a pseudoscience problem the streaming platform already had.

Audiences feel as if their chosen form of higher entertainment is simply turning into a more expensive form of network TV – what’s next, a Netflix reality TV show? Netflix televangelists?! But consider this: who is on the other side of the screen? Who are the hordes of people encouraging Netflix to make shows like The Goop Lab by lending their attention to What the Health and its coterie?

Netflix is a business, and there’s no real reason for people to think it would uphold a higher moral standard than network television. The variety of content on the platform is vast: it must be to capture every demographic successfully (something Netflix has ostensibly done). Their business model has always been to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks, and a show will only ever be trending if that’s where the eyeballs are.

Not everyone who tuned in to The Goop Lab is at fault. Normal people who might be looking for answers to very real health problems are prime targets for Netflix to dangle pseudoscientific solutions in front of. Some viewers might have just been well meaning journalists doing research for a scathing article (oops). But as for the rest of you, the best thing you can do to discourage anti-intellectual content like this ‘documentary’ is to watch something else.

Netflix offers us a lot of truly excellent scientific content. They have hours of NatGeo and PBS content available and are responsible for Our Planet and Explained. If we can resist the urge to satiate our morbid curiosity for the bizarre and tune into these actually meaningful programs, there’s a chance we could take some of the wind out of Gwen’s sails.

The information age is a scary place because not only is correct information more accessible than ever, so is misinformation. We’re unable to hold Netflix to as high a moral standard as we can ourselves, so be mindful of what you engage with. If we’re not careful we could end up with more ketogenic recipe books and steamed celebrity vaginas shoved down our throats.

The main take away? As it turns out Netflix does run ads. They’re just six episodes long.