I recall when Blockbuster came to town, a few mom and pop video rental shops went under. Now, Blockbuster is shutting the doors themselves, a victim of disruptive technology. When they arrived, I could not download and watch a movie on my telephone. Too bad about the several jobs lost, though. Hope you folks find something else, and soon.
Blockbusting is a word with a real estate definition you need to know to get a license. According to Wikipedia:
Blockbusting was a business practice of U.S. real estate agents and building developers meant to encourage white property owners to sell their houses at a loss, by fraudulently implying that racial, ethnic, or religious minorities — Blacks, Hispanics, Jews et al. — were moving into their previously racially segregated neighborhood, thus depressing real estate property values. Blockbusting became possible after the legislative dismantling of legally-protected racially-segregated real estate practices after World War II, but by the 1980s it disappeared as a business practice after changes in law and the real estate market.
Here in modern California, the word has no such implications associated with it, so this big video chain felt no compunction against taking it as their name. Things change, and so do attitudes and behavior. Goodbye, Blockbuster. We’ll see what blockbuster comes next.
