Why is ‘Zoolander’ so popular on Apple’s iTunes Store?

“iTunes users must be hypnotized by his ‘blue steel’ gaze, because Zoolander has been hanging out in the Top 10 movies purchased on iTunes,” Chris Albrecht reports for NewTeeVee. “Wait, what? An eight-year-old comedy is more popular than Ratatouille, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, and High School Musical (parts 1 and 2)?”

Albrecht muses, “Either Ben Stiller is HUGE with iTunes users, or Apples sales are so low that it doesn’t take much to make it into the top 10. Zoolander isn’t even in the top 100 iTunes rentals.”

“For comparison, the digital download of Zoolander ranks #339 on Amazon Unbox, and the Zoolander DVD ranks #1,830,” Albrecht reports. “So why is Zoolander so darn popular on iTunes?”

Full article here.

The results are in, amigo. What’s left to ponder?

57 Comments

  1. people would probably prefer to purchase Ratatoullie or Pirates with the packaging and extras.
    Zoolander would be easy to just buy and watch instead of being caught with the case on your DVD shelf!!

  2. “I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more to life than being a really, really, ridiculously good selling movie.”

    @Ampar

    LOL… you gotta love that line… Zoolander is one of those movies that you and your family can watch over and over again. Thats right, families. Not the typical basement living in their mothers house 40 year old Windows weenies watching from UNBOX or other internet video crappy services on the X-Box. ” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />

  3. Yeah, slappy, the group sex scene and drug use in Zoolander will go over great with my pre-teen kids.

    I’ve always wondered how I’d get the chance to explain the meaning of “ménage a trios” to my 9-year-old daughter.

    Or how to let my 7-year-old twins know that smoking Peyote for six straight days might make them think they’re rappelling down Mount Vesuvius.

    Thanks for the family film recommendation.

  4. Maybe it’s just one of Steve Jobs’ favorites, so he gave an order to keep Zoolander in the top 10 until further notice.

    And we all know that the penalty for violating one of SJ’s directives is far worse than anything Zoolander could inflict upon us.

  5. Yeah, not so much a kid-friendly movie (remembering the massage scene with the animitronic appendage under the sheet…)

    But, I love the movie! (And we own the DVD)

    Mugatu is my favorite character, especially whenever he says “That Hansel is so hot right now…” 😀

  6. Wow, he really rips apart iTunes and Zoolander. Lucky for them, no one really reads his NewTEEVEE magazine or whatever it’s called.

    @Passerby:
    To help Ben Stiller (and others) use his Apple TV, Apple should start the “Apple Inc. Center for People Who Can’t Operate Their Apple TVs Good, and Want To Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too.”

    I think it has potential.

  7. There are only 4 movies worth watching on itunes..the catalog is so ridiculously (yes…that word again) small that it’s no wonder a mediocre film from the brilliant Stiller would still be popular.

  8. Obviously, iTunes seems to scape up some of the dregs.
    Clearly, this is the downside of catering to Windows users.

    How else can a detestable piece of garbage like Zoolander be in the iTunes top ten.

    Fsck Windows. Bring back FireWire iPods!

  9. Zoolander’s popularity shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s a perfect fit for the iTunes store demographic (or what I imagine that demographic to be), young men into gadgets and silliness. The same crowd that enjoyed the 40 Year Old Virgin or Family Guy. The scene in the office looking for the files, banging on the tangerine iMac, alone is worth the price of the movie. (“The files are in the computer.” Trust me, it was funny)

    Plus it’s easy to watch on an iPod’s small screen. And it was a much better movie than PotC or HS Musical. Both of which were terrible. Commercial success doesn’t equal quality.

  10. Someone must tickle me to laugh when watching Zoolander. Its low-level humour is not funny at all.

    “Maybe it’s just one of Steve Jobs’ favorites, so he gave an order to keep Zoolander in the top 10 until further notice.

    And we all know that the penalty for violating one of SJ’s directives is far worse than anything Zoolander could inflict upon us.”

    totally agree!

  11. I rented it for me and the kids. It’s a silly movie with a cute message and great cast. Ben Stiller plays this type of character with grace and ease.

    Same type of movie as Joe Dirt – which we laugh at every time we watch it. (yes – I skip over the your my sister?!?)

  12. odd, the funniest parts of Zoolander got deleted from the movie itself. Well, at least they’re all on the xtras/deleted scenes on the DVD. BTW, didn’t Zoolander premiere on 9/11…or some days just after?

  13. @C1,
    “Every irritating Grateful Dead/Phish fan you meet.”

    Thank God they aren’t touring any more (well, the Dead are coming back soon), C1. How about my favorite band, Widespread Panic? Are they on your shit list, too? Have you heard them or of them?

    (Not being sarcastic or pissy, just asking. I know you are into the goth and rave scene, as am I, ironically. Electronica, goth, and techno don’t necessarily clash with GD/Phish/WSP as much as you think – go see Widespread next time they come around Seattle – it will be the best show you will ever see! And, FYI, I don’t look like the typical Dead Head/Spread Head. No dreadlocks or stinky hippy look here – most fans at the shows think I’m a cop. Yeah, an undercover cop rolling his face off, dancing like a mad man, and hitting a joint – riggghhhhtttt!)

  14. Ya know, I’d bet that most of the big blockbuster type of movies won’t actually make it too high on the list with iTunes (at least longevity-wise).

    Most of those movies get watched in the theatre, and when checking out iTunes, I generally try to find things I haven’t seen before. Looking for one of those “oh yeah, I wanted to see that!” moments…

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