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Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people

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Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people

#111

Post by poeron »

h3daz wrote: post #68
sokoloff wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

BET wasn’t offensive me. Telemundo wasn’t offensive to me. Nickelodeon wasn’t offensive to me. Food Network wasn’t offensive to me. Serving targeted programming to an identifiable minority audience seems like a perfectly reasonable business (and social) proposition. I don’t know that “Netflix for Black People” will test well, but it seems perfectly fine to me. [white middle-aged male if context matters]. Edit to add:…

My only problem with marketing "X for black people" is that marketing "X for white people" isn't socially acceptable.

The reason for that, in the US at least, is that "for white people" is implied by default. Everything is always for white people. So when you go and spell it out explicitly, "X for white people" ends up having a connotation of "X for white people only."

Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people

#112

Post by zentiggr »

h3daz wrote: post #68
sokoloff wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

BET wasn’t offensive me. Telemundo wasn’t offensive to me. Nickelodeon wasn’t offensive to me. Food Network wasn’t offensive to me. Serving targeted programming to an identifiable minority audience seems like a perfectly reasonable business (and social) proposition. I don’t know that “Netflix for Black People” will test well, but it seems perfectly fine to me. [white middle-aged male if context matters]. Edit to add:…

My only problem with marketing "X for black people" is that marketing "X for white people" isn't socially acceptable.

Well, it's kind of the default majority, and with the history here in the US particularly, not only is it unnecessary to say, it almost automatically invokes the history of racism we're still dealing with. So yes, not acceptable given the loaded context.

Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people

#113

Post by dhosek »

kitcar wrote: post #35

Out of curiosity - you mention that in the 90's there were a number of TV shows featuring prominent black characters but there isn't anymore. Why did you decide the solution to that problem was to create a black-focused distribution platform, instead of production company focused on creating new shows of similar quality to those in the 90's - has something changed about the market that would prevent shows like those…

I can think of a few major factors that impacted the market in the 90s:

1. Fox/WB/UPN. These fledgling networks broadcast a lot of black-oriented content trying to grab a foothold in the market. This in turn spurred ABC/NBC/CBS to do the same to avoid losing market share.

2. Bill Cosby. The success of the Cosby show in the 80s/early 90s instigated a lot of attempts to grab a piece of that market. Cosby had further success with the spin-off show A Different World (which was notable also as being the only TV show at its time to focus on Gen X characters).

Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people

#114

Post by tcoff91 »

h3daz wrote: post #68
sokoloff wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

BET wasn’t offensive me. Telemundo wasn’t offensive to me. Nickelodeon wasn’t offensive to me. Food Network wasn’t offensive to me. Serving targeted programming to an identifiable minority audience seems like a perfectly reasonable business (and social) proposition. I don’t know that “Netflix for Black People” will test well, but it seems perfectly fine to me. [white middle-aged male if context matters]. Edit to add:…

My only problem with marketing "X for black people" is that marketing "X for white people" isn't socially acceptable.

That comes with the territory of being the dominant ethnic group in our society. Everything is essentialy for white people by default unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Also, it’s not like this blackoakTV doesn’t allow white people to sign up. But I bet you won’t, because you have no interest in black stories. Which in turn kind of proves why it should exist.

Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people

#115

Post by slim »

frereubu wrote: post #61
megraf wrote: post #7

I feel like this encourages a divide.

How does it "encourage" a divide rather than just represent a divide that exists? Edit: This feels a bit like the idea that showing children stories about gay people would somehow "turn them gay".

By creating thought bubbles exactly like social media

Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people

#116

Post by racl101 »

tootie wrote: post #57
f6v wrote: post #2

“X for black people” sounds so bizarre to me(non-American). The cultural divide between the people must be insane.

Having dedicated cultural venues or channels for a subculture isn't the same thing as like segregated bathrooms. It's more about appealing to a niche audience that isn't lucrative enough for a mass market purveyor. It's not really different from genre channels like sci-fi only or comedy only except that it's geared to an ethnic demographic who want more representation in their media. When a giant company like Netflix…

Exactly. Nobody complains about the Latino channels on TV. lol

Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people

#117

Post by mrits »

ohitsdom wrote: post #18
josteink wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seconding this. And imagine the outrage if someone had made “X for white people”. There’d be riots in streets. The bizarreness and racist double standard behind this is just astounding seen from the outside.

I hear this argument a lot and people use examples like BET and black churches. But take a step back and look at what led to black-specific things. MTV hardly played black artists. White churches excluded and actively attacked black Christians. White has been the default in America for a long time. Seems like that's slowly starting to change but until it does, there's going to be a need for things specifically target…

When I think of MTV in the early 90s I actually think of LL Cool J.

Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people

#118

Post by tptacek »

GordonS wrote: post #101
tptacek wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Huh? They do make TV for white people. There's Polish TV, there's Russian TV, there's German TV, name it. It's rude to troll on someone's Launch thread.

Having an opinion is not trolling - I would guess the OP wants honest feedback. Personally, I'm divided on how I feel about this launch, but if there is a market for it anywhere, it's the US, with its deep-rooted racial divisions and disparities. The comparisons you are making seem very different, as they are based on language and global geography, rather than skin colour.

"Black" is a culture; it's not merely a skin color. Our country kidnapped millions of people from the African content, stripped them of their heritage and family ties, and randomly moved them around plantations in the American south, then released them and spent 100+ years subjecting them to apartheid laws that they united to fight. It is a whole unique interesting thing (jazz, soul food, the Black church, the Harlem Renaissance), and is as much its own culture as any ethnicity that has a TV station.

Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people

#120

Post by bitminer »

kadabra9 wrote: post #30

Just from an addressable market standpoint, it seems like you have work cut out for you given that you’ve essentially isolated your product to 13-14% or so of the US population. Not to mention those in that segment that already sub to Netflix , other streaming services etc.

Especially since Netflix has a lot of entertainment featuring black actors, producers etc. from the US. And a lot of Nigerian and South African productions too.

You just have to look for it.

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