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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

#531

Post by jessaustin »

chrisofspades wrote: post #341
ethbr0 wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends on where parent is from. There are a lot of relatively monolithic countries from an ethnic perspective. To the broader point, I think what Uzo is talking about is "representation." Which doesn't just mean "some type of person on the screen." It means the full diversity of experiences and aspirations of that type of person... on the screen. Living Single isn't Friends with African Americans. It's African Am…

> Living Single isn't Friends with African Americans. Implies that Living Single came after Friends , but it debuted the year before.

In fact lots of people feel that Friends was largely a ripoff of Living Single.

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/white-ripoff

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

#532

Post by sangnoir »

LordHumungous wrote: post #388
h3daz wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

What sort of product do you have in mind that would be for white people?

I mean, there already are sunscreen products that don't look flattering on non-white skin. However, they aren't explicitly marketed as "for white people" - that's implicit

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

#533

Post by imbnwa »

runbathtime wrote: post #519
imbnwa wrote: post #422

Earlier quoted context omitted.

LMAO, you're really reaching for those grapes. The courts ruled that "cakes for straight people" meant cannot be sold to non-straight people , which is in fact discriminatory and also illegal. I don't think BlackOakTV is requiring photo identification as proof of Blackness to sign-up. Stop it. Edit: For clarity, the Supreme Court actually ruled in favor of the homophobic cake shop in Colorado strictly on freedom of r…

You can only discriminate against white people. You can't discriminate against all of the political elite's pets. Pets include blacks, browns, gays, trans, and all the victim groups. Also businesses usually can't discriminate either. I get that this tag line is more for marketing purposes, and in fact they might not refuse to take white ppl's money that want to sign up... but they are in fact discriminating in the ty…

> You can only discriminate against white people. You can't discriminate against all of the political elite's pets. Pets include blacks, browns, gays, trans, and all the victim groups.

Wow. Pets, okay.

> I get that this tag line is more for marketing purposes, and in fact they might not refuse to take white ppl's money that want to sign up... but they are in fact discriminating in the type of content they will produce and stream-- but since its against whites it is okay.

Lemme ask you a question: are the American arms of Univision/Telemundo/Korean Broadcasting System also discriminatory since they also will likely not put up content by ethnicities other than their own, which would also be "against whites"? Cause they actually have FCC approval.

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

#534

Post by runbathtime »

afavour wrote: post #236
umvi wrote: post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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 justific…

You deny reality --"White and black basketball players aren't different physically" seriously? The only reason blacks dominate bball is bc they are different physically. The same for why we have women's sports that exclude men. The reason why blacks need to create X for blacks is often because they can't compete without it, which just means yes groups on avg are different. Whites can't compete with black bball players. Groups on average are different. So yes, I can see why there is a reason and market for a NBA for whites.

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

#536

Post by andrewzah »

unmole wrote: post #205

I am not American but the overwhelming majority of the media I consume is American. Given the near hegemony of American popular culture, that is likely true for millions of non-Americans. All these people consume American content because they find it enjoyable and at some level relatable despite living in very different countries and not speaking English as their first language. At the end of the day, the human condi…

This is a bit reductionistic and over-sells American media. People in other countries may watch American-made media in addition to their own country's media, unless it simply doesn't have any. Foreign media, is also just that: foreign media. It's an entirely different context when watching, say, dramas made and set in Taiwan or Korea.

The fact of the matter is that in American media, most of the actors, writers, and producers are from one group in terms of looks. How is it "mind boggling" to think about how it feels to rarely see someone who looks like you in popular media (and almost never for leads in films)? Or when someone like you is depicted, it's usually a tired trope or racial stereotype?

America is extremely diverse and yet our media disproportionately represents one type of person, and only very recently has begun to correct itself. It's easy to say "hey, we're all Americans", when most people in media look like us. Would you say the same thing if most tv shows and nearly all lead roles in films were solely of Asian-Americans? The answer is clearly no.

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

#537

Post by thegrimmest »

imbnwa wrote: post #497
zentiggr wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You make it sound like segregation end... the last few years, and especially the state voting laws passed in the past year, show that while it may not be explicit law anymore, it is still certainly what a lot of people are fighting to do in any way possible. I (as a middle age white male) WANT people to be thinking about because it's still happening 24/7, and people who aren't bigoted should be aware and pushing back…

Strangely Telemundo/Univision's American arms don't have to deal with this type of criticism. The "for" is clearly indicating a target audience, not that you can't sign-up if you're not Black with photo identification, which is the courts' criteria for illegal discrimination and segregation.

Spanish-speaking is not a physical trait is it?

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

#538

Post by menzoic »

bilbo0s wrote: post #407
meiraleal wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You get to understand when you see the divide of prosperity, government support, unequal laws, school access, etc in numbers.

There are no unequal laws. Now I concede there is grossly unequal enforcement of laws. But the words on the page are just the words on the page. It's the people who enforce those laws in an inequitable fashion.

Before it was illegal/unconstitional many unequal laws were passed. Now that there are explicit laws banning the practice, any newly passed unequal will not be explicit in its language otherwise it can easily be striken down and made unenforceable in court. This may be why you can't recognize modern unequal laws that do exist and likely will continue to be passed in the near future.

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

#539

Post by bishoprook2 »

sombremesa wrote: post #179

I think people who are being downvoted in this thread have valid points, and they’re not really critiquing the company, rather the problem seems to be your messaging. You shouldn’t say “Netflix for black people” because Netflix is for black people already. Moreover if I start selling boxed water called “water for black people” with black stories on the carton, I’m unnecessarily limiting my audience (even alienating s…

>You shouldn’t say “Netflix for black people” because Netflix is for black people already.

Judging from the Netflix recommended videos and casting for Netflix originated shows, I'd say that goal has been achieved at this point.

You do have to wonder how overlooked Spanish speakers must feel. That's probably where the real money is in 'Netflix for xxx people'.

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

#540

Post by spaniard89277 »

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?

In France blacks don't really have a different culture, except when they carry their own from their country of origin, sometimes passed into french-born blacks. It's not like in the US where (it seems) there's a clear black-american culture with visible boundaries.

Blacks of different origin also have different cultures.

I mean, if one tried to start up a netflix for blacks in an european context, with the same leiv motiv as this one (political) it would be very difficult as different blacks come from different backgrounds.

They surely share stuff, to a same degree one would say white europeans share stuff too.

Also, I haven't discussed this issue with black people, but my gut feel given their reaction to other stuff is that the suggestion that they have a "different culture" to the country they live in may even be offensive to them.

Since the american worldview is always trying to get influence through media and the internet, this may be changing with newer generations.

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