Good lord this is so racist. Imagine if there were "Netflix for whites"
Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people
591–600 of 898 posts
Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people
#592I 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…
This is an easy fix. Make it “Netflix by Black People” or “Netflix by Black Creators.” by , not for
I don't know. I think "by" implies creation/ownership of the company in that case, but the important part is what it provides, not who owns it. Just like the GP, does "Water by Black (Whatever)" really have a draw? Some people may want to support people they identify with, but I think most just want a good product, so the trick is making sure that product is easily identified for those that are interested in it.
Maybe trying to call to associations with BET is enough, and something like Black Streaming Entertainment (BSE, to avoid possible problems with BES) would be enough? Although if it's free, to my eyes BlackStream seems like it would be ideal.
Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people
#593My netflix feed at least has been pretty full of shows and movies that feature black stories and characters. I think they have a specific channel for this. So have the other streaming networks from what I've seen. My apple News+ has had a black experience and racial justice spotlight - you can't turn some of these off actually.
What is missing here is creative ownership. That content needs to be vetted by tastemakers and producers who are mostly white. What gets funded and not funded is sometimes determined by the target demographic and in America that is usually the white majority. Netflix and Apple gets to turn on, off, buy, sell, and change this content on a whim. They get to select what is important about black culture. Today the black…
Fair enough - I think you could lead with that. The claims that shows don't have black characters - not sure that is true in current release wave.
WorldStar / BET etc - have been some channels / platforms focused more heavily on the black experience?
Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people
#594How is this not racist? I find this to be supporting segregation and racist ideas in general.
I don’t understand how this would lead towards a better society at all. I don’t understand how YC gave you funding. I am starting to really lose respect for YC. Seems like a toxic idea and honestly I hope you fail.
Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people
#595.
Flamewar comments like this will get you banned here. Please stick to the rules.
Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people
#596Earlier quoted context omitted.
Spanish-speaking is not a physical trait is it?
Just for context those channels are more culturally specific than “Spanish-speakers” it’s basically Mexican which isn’t interchangeable with Spain or Bolivia for example.
Telemundo was founded by Puerto Ricans/Boricuas in Miami FYI, and both expressly target the Hispanic public in America with content of various origins.
Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people
#597Congrats on your launch here on HN. This does seem like a nice niche market to tackle. I think you're positioned well in the market for multiple reasons.
I'd be worried about Netflix if they saw you're growing fast, but until then I doubt they'd be a threat. If they were courageous enough to do this they would have already, so most likely they're waiting for a player like you to prove that there is a large enough market for this before they pull the trigger. And I think by that time you should be large enough that it'd be just easier for them to acquire you instead.
Second, if you build out your platform in a way that can be generalized it could be worth even more. The platform should be content agnostic so that it can be used for other underserved populations down the road.
Sweet idea and good luck!
Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people
#598Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is an easy fix. Make it “Netflix by Black People” or “Netflix by Black Creators.” by , not for
I don't know. I think "by" implies creation/ownership of the company in that case, but the important part is what it provides, not who owns it. Just like the GP, does "Water by Black (Whatever)" really have a draw? Some people may want to support people they identify with, but I think most just want a good product, so the trick is making sure that product is easily identified for those that are interested in it. Mayb…
My point is more that for somewhat implies exclusion, while by doesn’t.
Restaurant for Italians. Suggests that non-Italians don’t belong here.
Restaurant by Italians. Suggests that Italians make the food here and that it’s not for a particular group.
Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people
#599I guess something to ask is if black content creators are among the most creative, and black consumers are among the most energetic and prolific users, are you only attributing their lack of success(?) on youtube because of algorithms? If it's just a question of likes/subscriptions/shares, then the statement that they are the most energetic and prolific users seems incorrect. If it's something else, can we identify w…
In my experience, questioning the logic behind marketing-speak just gets you more marketing-speak. This seems like a well-intentioned idea, but I doubt it'll actually go anywhere. " x for y group" rarely works, " x without z problem" seems to work a lot better.
I will say that there are verticals where "x for y" group do very well - media and content and dating apps come to mind as one. It seems to work better where there's an aspect of cultural or group identity that comes along with the "Y", and I think this project would qualify as that.
Re: Launch HN: BlackOakTV (YC S21) – Netflix for black people
#600I 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…
Unless you live on a huge country (china, india, russia, etc), for an ordinary person, they will consume more media from the country that influences them, than their own country.
Big productions are in a huge % american media, national media for some ~40million population country, limits itself to talkshows, entertainment world, sports and so.. not movies, series or sitcoms