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

Post by calvinmorrison » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 9:26 PM UTC

k12sosse wrote: post #726

calvinmorrison wrote: post #553

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't find the quote from Tyler Perry, but Madea is definitely not just for Black people. All of his stories are like this: they trick you into watching because it's funny, and easy to watch - but at the same time every story also had hard to talk about problems related to things like family life, drugs, intramarital issues, and prostitution. I listened to an interview with Tyler and he called it a bait-and-switch.…

I can enjoy TP films, for the record. I agree with those statements. Why don't you write the teleplay and try to shop it around? You seem invested in the idea!

Post by IanClarke » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 9:31 PM UTC

zentiggr wrote: post #326

ekianjo wrote: post #251

So next is Netflix for asian americans, Netflix for blonde women, and why not Netflix for ugly people who are sick of only watching beautiful people on screen? The good thing business wise I guess is that the market possibilities are infinite, but I am not sure what world you want to create.

So you're opposed to the basic concept of marketing niches?

Post by [deleted] » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 9:42 PM UTC

pier25 wrote: post #354

salamanderman wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except that "for white people" is the default. The minority representation in media is still generally token at best. And, while it may seem like a double standard, when you say something implying that there should be a "x for white people" it sounds like you're saying you're already seeing too much minority representation in media for your comfort or sense of place in society. And if that's the case, know that that…

So you'd say Netflix is mostly for white people? Asking seriously, I'm European.

Post by dragonwriter » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 9:47 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #756

crooked-v wrote: post #751

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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. Well, sure, because that's not their target market, but also because there isn't really a single predominant 'White culture' in the U.S., distinct from mainstream culture in general, in the same way that 'Black culture' was united by centuries of slavery and c…

There are plenty of outlets for distinctively and unapologetically ethnic content that serve other ethnicities; we don't know about them not because there isn't much of it, but because we're not the intended audience. I'm not watching any Polish-language dramas because I don't speak Polish, but they certainly exist, as do Korean soap operas and Japanese game shows. We hear about some of these things when they break i…

Post by philip1209 » Fri, Aug 06, 2021, 9:55 PM UTC

Uzo0312 wrote: post #677

troelsSteegin wrote: post #558

Strategically, are you trying to be a brand, a studio, a platform, an marketplace, or maybe all the above? I think the question I have is what to try to build first. As a brand, I see you trying to become a trusted provider of content for an underserved black-identifying audience with diverse tastes. To build brand first, I wonder if you don't want to put BlackOak-curated content out on existing media platforms. That…

Beautiful thoughts! Im taking note! To your point, we are trying to be all of things... and I would add community to that list. In terms of where we're starting, I'd say we've headed down the dual path of curator and studio. Five years ago, I think we could've been just a curator and come out earlier with a differentiated product. But today, with so many curated options out there, content differentiation was somethin…