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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

#761

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

The US is a somewhat unique case because of (of course) slavery, and in particular how long it lasted and how difficult it was to eradicate the last vestiges of explicit or implicit slavery. (People were still being treated as de facto slaves into the 1960s, for example: https://www.livescience.com/61886-modern-slavery-united-stat... ) In most other countries, including other countries that practiced slavery, either…

There has to be more, because in Europe, and particularly in southern europe there has been slavery for thousends of years. Everyone has been slave to everyone, like a free for all.

Yet there's no one making claims based on that, and I'm not aware that such claims existed in the past neither. People just accepted as a fact of life and moved on.

If you look at how all the relations played out between southern europe, the Ottoman empire and northen africa in general, you'll see this isn't from so distant past.

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

#763

Maybe I just have enough black friends in Hollywood, but in the past few years, the following shows from black showrunners all made the cultural zeitgist on broadcast tv: Blackish, Empire, How to Get Away with Murder, and Bob and Abishola; and on on cable/streaming: Atlanta, Insecure, Power, Dear White People, Lovecraft Country, and I May Destroy You. (Note, I am friends with some of the writing staff and crew on sev…

Just curious, but how do you have so many friends in Hollywood? (Feel free to email me directly if wanted)

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

#764

I'm not black but I enjoyed those shows in the 90s too. They were inclusive. Your focus on race is exclusive. It's a "Black space" and I get the feeling I'm not welcome. Maybe you're just trying to target a niche, but I think you're limiting your potential market, and, frankly, helping to further divide our society on racial lines.

I wholeheartedly disagree, would you feel unwelcome at an Asian restaurant or a place that serves authentic Mexican food?

Simply creating a space that caters to culture specific creativity is a good thing, and as others have pointed out its been done before with BET.

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

#765

Maybe I just have enough black friends in Hollywood, but in the past few years, the following shows from black showrunners all made the cultural zeitgist on broadcast tv: Blackish, Empire, How to Get Away with Murder, and Bob and Abishola; and on on cable/streaming: Atlanta, Insecure, Power, Dear White People, Lovecraft Country, and I May Destroy You. (Note, I am friends with some of the writing staff and crew on sev…

I would not be surprised if acquisition by BET is the exit strategy.

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

#766

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think we're already well past the point of return on that. It's not the 90s anymore where everyone watches the same 2 sitcoms or whatever. There's YouTube, Twitch, and like a dozen different streaming services out there. People don't all watch the same stuff anymore. I assume you are just as critical of things like Crunchyroll?

Crunchyroll doesn't market itself as being by Asians, for Asians, and about Asians. It focuses on a specific genre of television that just happens to originate from Asia.

The reaction by the admins and community to this blatantly racist and discriminatory product have me sickened to my core. Any comment pointing out the negative impacts of profiting off of our increasing racial divisions has been suppressed.

I'm turning off of this site for a while.

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

#767
post #648
post #145

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"in that" is an english phrase that when used means exactly how I interrupted it

Please don't post in the flamewar style to HN. It's tedious and nasty. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

A lot of people here don't speak english as a first language.

Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith.

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

#768

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If you find any niche that makes sense, go for it Even if it meant objectifying people into a market segment just to make money, under the branding of empathy and identity? Just because it is branded “black” doesn’t mean it won’t perpetuate harmful racial stereotypes, such as “being black is the most important thing about you as a person”. In fact, it would have every reason to amplify that message to keep and grow…

I feel it's necessary to identify myself as black to provide some context... The objectification already exists. This won't change that. It will, however, hopefully result in more content existing for a market that's hungry for it. OP also identifies as black, so I trust that they understand that branding their product as "for blacks only" will only hurt them, even within their market segment .

[deleted]

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

#769

I'm not black but I enjoyed those shows in the 90s too. They were inclusive. Your focus on race is exclusive. It's a "Black space" and I get the feeling I'm not welcome. Maybe you're just trying to target a niche, but I think you're limiting your potential market, and, frankly, helping to further divide our society on racial lines.

I wholeheartedly disagree, would you feel unwelcome at an Asian restaurant or a place that serves authentic Mexican food? Simply creating a space that caters to culture specific creativity is a good thing, and as others have pointed out its been done before with BET.

If the Restaurant was called "Food For Mexicans", would you feel welcome if you weren't Mexican? I have doubts.

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

#770
post #735

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So why do we need a Netflix for black people? Someone perceives an unmet need, and seeks to meet it. > Why can't e.g. the existing Netflix simply air culturally black content if people are craving more of it? They could . Someone with sufficient motivation and resources to launch a business thinks they aren't. That's...kind of true of most startups—an incumbent could meet the need they are marketing too, but they t…

My point is not that I think they're wrong for trying to address a market. Everybody is welcome to do that. My point is that we don't call Netflix "Netflix for white people" and it's not designed in an exclusive way such that it aims to only serve a white audience. I'm probably not conveying my sentiment well: please read it more as "I'm excited about this effort and want include myself as an audience member to help…

> My point is that we don't call Netflix "Netflix for white people"

Well, no, because Netflix is the example that defines the segment; that dominant incumbents tend to be focussed on the preferences of the dominant socioeconomic cultural segment, which is predominantly White in the United States, is...not a novel observation.

For many people, IOW, the “for White people” is implied.

> My initial comment that stared this sub-thread is that I see a social utility to having content "for women" since it's motivated by biology

Content “for women” is often not “motivated by biology”, but, more to the point...

> but I don't see a social utility to having content "for black people"

Who cares? It’s not seeking government subsidy, or proposing the existence of a social (externalized) good, its proposing meeting an unmet private need.

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