Netflix Takes Heat For Misguided ‘Dear White People’ Show
Netflix has been on a streak recently, smashing through growth and revenue goals and producing more top-notch original programming than ever before.
So perhaps a stumble was due.
This week Netflix released a satirical comedy-drama series called “Dear White People” which, yes, is just as racist as one could assume from the title. (The show’s writer, Jack Moore, once tweeted “fuck white people.”) It even has many users claiming to have cancelled their subscription in response.
The show’s 30-second commercial on YouTube had more than 100,000 “thumbs down”—compared to fewer than 6,000 thumbs up—after racking up 500,000 views. By YouTube standards, that’s a staggeringly high volume and engagement of unhappy consumers. There’s also a hashtag trending on Twitter: #BoycottNetflix.
This fumble aside, Netflix is on track for its best year yet, with more original programming and continued growth, including new markets. The company now counts more than 94 million members in 190 countries watching 125 million hours of TV shows and movies per day.
Netflix Plans to Release More Original Content This Year Than Ever Before