Why Netflix quietly shelved an anti-racism video project

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The scoop

Amid the turmoil following the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, Netflix has sought to address racist depictions in its film and TV library in its own way, particularly on brand.

Some entertainment companies, like Amazon, had added disclaimers before TV shows like Mad Men and movies like Borat. Others, like NBC Universal, removed episodes of TV shows that included blackface.

Netflix, on the other hand, has sought to expand its hit non-fiction series Explained, produced by Vox Media, into this sensitive space.

In early 2021, the company contracted with Vox to create a series of videos that would accompany movies or TV shows featuring racist or stereotypical caricatures. The videos would explain topics such as the use of blackface and yellowface in Hollywood, as well as the portrayal of Native Americans in classic movies and westerns.

The task fell to Vox Creative, a brand studio within the media company that aims to influence audiences from a position of truth and purpose, and build a more diverse, inclusive and welcoming brand experience. according to its website.

More than two dozen Vox employees and post-production contractors worked on the videos, which were regularly shared with Netflix executives for ratings and commentary, according to two people who worked on the project. .

But as the political climate cooled and corporate racial justice initiatives faced growing right-wing backlash, the project faltered. First, Netflix told the producers that the short videos should be bundled into a longer explainer about the on-screen race.

Earlier this year, Netflix killed the project.

Max’s review

Netflix did not explain its decision to kill the project to people working on it and did not respond to a request from Semafor.

But the decision represents the latest pushback by a major brand away from the message of social justice that many companies have embraced in the wake of Floyd’s death in 2020.

The story continues

Over the past few months, a number of prominent companies have bowed to backlash from conservative groups around LGBTQ messaging. Anheuser-Busch has cut ties with trans model Dylan Mulvaney and furloughed marketing executives responsible for appointing her as Bud Light’s spokesperson following a massive backlash against trans people. Target pulled items from its Pride line following complaints from the right.

Advertising and marketing executives admitted that highlighting issues such as race, sexuality and gender identity had consequences for brands. Last summer Procter and Gamble chief brand officer Marc Pritchard told an audience at Cannes Lions that advertising had gone too far for good at the expense of business goals. This year, Semafor reported that the organizers of the advertising industry’s top awards ceremony quietly advised jurors to avoid awarding prizes based solely on politics and advocacy in favor of focusing on more commercial campaigns.

And while many big consumer brands are loath to admit they are responding to social pressures, staffing reflects shifting priorities. Quietly, a number of companies have fired, fired or seen off executives who have been brought in to deal with diversity, equity and inclusion. Just last week, Netflix announced that its head of inclusion strategy was stepping down in September, while Warner Bros. Discovery announced it would fire diversity manager Karen Horne on Friday as part of a restructuring.

Room for disagreement

Netflix declined to comment on the decision, but the company’s business requires it to serve a wide range of people around the world, and its executives have been exceptionally forthright about the trade-offs that entails.

Were not really to fuel business, were in the entertainment business, then-CEO Reed Hastings told Andrew Ross Sorkin in 2019.

Notable

Were programmed for a lot of diverse people who have different opinions, different tastes and different styles, and yet didn’t do everything for everyone. We want something for everyone, but not everything will be for everyone, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told Maureen Dowd following a controversy over comedian Dave Chappelle.

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