“Some people will watch anything” is a common refrain when encountering a show or movie of dubious quality that’s nevertheless quite popular. But Netflix users are playing fast and loose with the definition of “watchable,” as The Daily Dot (via Decider) reports that (some of) the nation’s attention has been captured by an oscillating fan near a window. The 60-minute video, titled Oscillating Fan For Your Home, is currently the sixth most-watched video on Netflix, while last month’s shiny toy, Making A Murderer, is holding steady at number 16.
This latest trend has come to light thanks to the folks at Instantwatcher, an independent site that tracks what Netflix (and Amazon Prime) viewers are currently marathoning or just turning on to serve as background noise or digital wallpaper. At the moment (and when Decider’s writer submitted the article), the Oscillating Fan video is ranked sixth in the “Most Popular In Last 24 Hours” list, placing it behind The Spoils Before Dying and Meet The Patels. There’s also significant renewed interest in The Ladykillers, which is currently the most popular Netflix offering (is there anything the Hail, Caesar! trailer can’t do?).
Before you get to speculating on exactly what kind of forbidden act Oscillating Fan For Your Home could be a euphemism for, let us first reassure you that the video delivers exactly what the title promises—a fan that blows. But as it oscillates near a window, whose partially-closed blinds allow sunlight to shine on a pair of sunglasses and a highball glass filled with ice (and maybe something less tangible), the fan becomes part of a tableau that’s proving irresistible to anyone who is desperate for the return of double-digit temperatures. As the time winds down, you expect to see someone walk in and put on those sunglasses before jumping into a convertible, or adding some lemonade (read: gin) to that glass. In essence, this video is the promise of summer—or maybe it’s just some nice, white noise. It’s not for us to decide. We just want to get back to gazing upon this inanimate carbon rod until it’s June again.