Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people • Hacker News Board

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

#231

Post by rory » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 3:23 PM UTC

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…

Subjectively-- many of the best "black" shows in the 90s were in the Traditional Sitcom category-- Fresh Prince, Martin, Family Matters, Steve Harvey show, etc.. Even though they touched on black issues, 80% of the shows' content was "typical American experience".

Perhaps the niche-ification of streamed content has resulted in Black shows that don't feel relevant to non-black people. And since the majority don't feel it's applicable to them, they lose the algorithm game.

Just a guess, I don't have any real evidence to back this up. But if that's the problem, it seems like it would be solved by this startup.

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

#232

Post by WastingMyTime89 » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 3:23 PM UTC

throwaway2037 wrote: post #72

Can any French, Belgians, or Dutchies with significant Black African sub-culture comment? I am curious: If there was a French-language or Flemish-/Dutch-language "Netflix for black people" in your country, what would be the reaction?

> Black African sub-culture comment

Africa is both one of the largest and one of the most populated continent on earth. There is no Black African subculture in France. There are African immigrants from many different places in Africa each with their own cultures and many descendants of immigrants with a mix of sensibilities towards the culture of their parents places of origin.

As a French, the idea that you could have a "Netflix for black people" in France slightly insulting but our culture is extremely different from the American one. We used to have a channel dedicated to the cultures of French oversea territories but it was stopped as it wasn't doing very well.

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

#233

Post by gunshai » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 3:24 PM UTC

Server6 wrote: post #83

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…

Not OP, but yeah the market has clearly changed. Everything we consume today and media in general has been fractured, organized into subcategories, and is now delivered by algorithms. I my opinion the problem isn't that there is no demand for black-focused media, its that its just become another subcategory of Netflix. And because it may not be as popular on Netflix it doesn't get as much production. Look at what Net…

But why would it not be as popular on netflix, amazon, hulu, ect?

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

#234

Post by disneygibson » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 3:24 PM UTC

shipmaster wrote: post #223

disneygibson wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it’s encouraging separatism. I would much rather have a startup that promotes black creators to the broader culture than one exclusionary by design. Looking at top musicians, artists, and other cultural figures, it seems to me like this is already largely the case. Hip hop sales come in large part from white people. I want more of this cultural sharing, not isolationism.

You seem to think there is a monolithic "culture" that needs to be augmented. This has never been the case. There are always a dominant culture that is not necessarily named and multiple subcultures per minority group. Why are folks more sensitive to black sub-culture manifestations in the US vs other minority groups?

America does have a relatively monolithic culture and this translates into its businesses, government, and everything else. This is easy to observe if you live outside of America.

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

#235

Post by ape4 » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 3:24 PM UTC

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.

Ouch "Uber for white people" certainly isn't (apartheid)

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

#236

Post by afavour » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 3:24 PM UTC

umvi wrote: post #215

alexanderskates wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does "X for white people" look like though? The only reason that "X for black people" exists is that black people are a minority group and aren't sufficiently catered to by X, which is already more or less "X for white people" by default, at least in the US and much of Europe. As such, any product that that markets itself explicitly to white people (again, only referencing the US and Europe here) is much more li…

> What does "X for white people" look like though? Totally hypothetical example... "NBA for white people" - basically majority-white professional basketball teams playing each other. I'm sure that would ignite a firestorm if someone tried to do that.

But what would the justification be for setting up such a league? "Netflix for black people" is a representation of cultural differences and seeing those differences reflected on screen. "NBA for white people" would just be... excluding non-white people. White and black basketball players aren't different physically (on average) nor do they typically have different playing styles. There isn't really a lot of justification in such a division, hence why it would result in a firestorm.

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

#237

Post by raclage » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 3:24 PM UTC

brownerd wrote: post #166

chemeng wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, it’s very interesting that “X for Women” seems non-controversial to most people, but “X for [underserved group]” brings out the trolls en masse.

Perhaps if you tried to approach people with different views from you with an open mind and genuinely listened instead of calling them "trolls" you'd learn more interesting things. If you study the history of the world, "tribalism" in some sense is a common theme throughout all cultures, many wars and many injustices. It might have been "Protestant vs Catholic" or "Sunni vs Shiite" or "Serb vs Croat" or whichever tri…

> In short- the best way to help Black people in America isn't to perpetuate our separate identity, but to remove the power and significance of racial identifiers entirely.

And you think the source of this power and significance is...media streaming companies?

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

#238

Post by throwaway894345 » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 3:25 PM UTC

spaniard89277 wrote: post #183

afavour wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know what country you're from but if you don't think there are subcultures in your country under-represented by the dominant media I'd assert you're almost definitely wrong. Perhaps it feels a little strange from the outside that such a subculture is definitively "black" but yeah, that's basically how things are in the US. The country has a deep history of racism and black people being literal slaves, in that…

> I don't know what country you're from but if you don't think there are subcultures in your country under-represented by the dominant media I'd assert you're almost definitely wrong What constitutes under-repressented? Is proportionally represented ok? I mean, I'm one of those "subcultures" and honestly I don't feel the need to be represented in media. I'm ok with it, but I don't see what does it bring to me or to m…

> What constitutes under-repressented? Is proportionally represented ok?

Reminds me of an article a while back complaining that Muslim characters were underrepresented in film despite being 2X proportion, meanwhile Christian characters in film are rarely represented (and secular characters wildly over-represented). When identifiably Muslim and Christian characters are portrayed in film, they are frequently villains (Muslims being terrorists and Christians being bigots, typically) and when they aren't villains they are fundamentally secular but maybe they wear a cross necklace or feature prominently in a corny Christmas special (e.g., Turk from Scrubs). Anyway, this is all a tangent, sorry for the digression, etc.

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

#239

Post by snakeboy » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 3:25 PM UTC

namdnay wrote: post #211

snakeboy wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but suggesting that racism is only racism when the government does it too is a first. I think you've misunderstood this post. This is less like a "white's only" restaurant, and more like an Italian food restaurant. It's supporting a cultural niche, not excluding another.

Now I’m European, so maybe I’m not in the right cultural mindset for this, but your comparison really highlights what is problematic for me: based on someone’s skin colour you are determining their culture/heritage. What does a Nigerian have in common with a Jamaican, apart from the melatonin in their skin? Why would they have similar tastes in media?

If they're a few generations removed from their Nigerian or Jamaican ancestors, they probably don't have strong ties to their home countries' cultures. This seems true of most Americans whose families emigrated 3+ generations ago.

"The melatonin in their skin" explicitly shaped many aspects of law, society, and culture in the US up until the 60s, which is still in living memory, so I don't think it's that surprising that there would still be measurable differences in culture and media interests.

Think about how much your parents' lives and the stories they told you are reflected in your present-day values and interests.

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

#240

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 3:25 PM UTC

flyingfoxxx wrote: post #159

tcoff91 wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re essentially saying that black people need to erase their cultural identity and assimilate into the dominant culture and shut up and watch tv shows about white people like the rest of us and be happy about it. Black people live a different experience than other groups, and maybe they want different shows that resonate with them. BET has been successful for a long time and this service is BET for the internet.

What constitutes as the “black experience”? Are you speaking in terms of the modern day experience of black people? This is a genuine question, and I would really appreciate to hear a response from one who is black. Also, is “black” a culture? No really, aren’t there different cultures that make up the black population, just as there are for whites? Or is there also “white culture”? Or “brown culture”? These seem lik…

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