“When You’re Poor, Everybody Thinks You’re Lying”
April 4, 2019 9:30 AM Subscribe
“Hayes and Burton want to create a service that not only offers more humane treatment of its creative community but also gives leftist and left-curious viewers a single home for everything from animated comedy to scripted and reality shows to quick explainers, produced explicitly without the kind of restrictions or corporate watering down more prevalent elsewhere. Means TV will be a subscription streaming service that will cost $10 per month, but it plans to publish content across social and YouTube to counter the legions of right-wing content creators on those platforms.” The team behind Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s viral campaign is aiming to create a home for quality leftist entertainment and media without a corporate leash. (Fast Company) “ “Basically, it’s a cooperatively-run, anti-capitalist Netflix,” said co-founder Naomi Burton, the goal of which is “to help create the cultural foundation and support needed to build socialism in the U.S.” (The Intercept) MEANS TV: For All Of Us - Parenting under Capitalism - Slavery, Colonizlism, And Capitalism - Lifehacks! How to literally stay alive! - Health Justice Is What We Deserve - Freedom Under Capitalism with Streetfight Radio - Youtube Channel
I'm so excited for this! I've been daydreaming about something like this... my dreams were of something like a hybrid between a worker's co-operative and a member's co-operative (like a food co-op), with some overlapping decision making so people could make and consume liberatory media while also practicing sharing power and modeling new decision making structures... but this seems like a great project!
posted by overglow at 9:56 AM on April 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by overglow at 9:56 AM on April 4, 2019 [2 favorites]
I'm excited by the idea of this, but I very much hope the explainers go into more depth and breadth than the example embedded in the first article.
posted by amtho at 10:26 AM on April 4, 2019
posted by amtho at 10:26 AM on April 4, 2019
Love this idea and pulling for them to make it, but very nervous that a) the content will be lame/boring and b) they go under fairly quickly. Starting a network out of nothing - with completely original content - looks reallllly hard.
Maybe I've become too cynical and hopeless but I very clearly see a future post in a year from now called "Why Means TV [Previously] Didn't Work".
posted by windbox at 10:43 AM on April 4, 2019 [7 favorites]
Maybe I've become too cynical and hopeless but I very clearly see a future post in a year from now called "Why Means TV [Previously] Didn't Work".
posted by windbox at 10:43 AM on April 4, 2019 [7 favorites]
It is shame they did not attempt to loop Public Libraries into this (that I could detiremine, and I haven’t heard of this around my library circles). Many Public Libraries are using their MakerSpaces to encourage creation, rather than just consumption, and Public Libraries have been on the frontlines of social justice for a long time (at least here in Ontario). Other than that, great idea!
posted by saucysault at 11:04 AM on April 4, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by saucysault at 11:04 AM on April 4, 2019 [10 favorites]
Netflix (and to a lesser extent Hulu) have succeeded because they brought in subscribers with other content and then hooked them on the original content. Come to think of it, this has been the model for HBO and Showtime as well. I love the idea of this but worry that it will become either a more ambitious Air America Radio or an even less-subsidized PBS.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:12 AM on April 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by Navelgazer at 11:12 AM on April 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
I want to see some examples of the content they are planning. Based on the promo clips they’re sharing now, it’s going to be a bunch of stand ups giving mildly amusing lectures… which is fine, but it’s not $10/mo fine.
Now, if we’re talking “The Simpsons, but anarchist” and dramas about union organising, as suggested in The Intercept link, I’m in… but I’m not seeing it yet.
posted by robcorr at 1:07 PM on April 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
Now, if we’re talking “The Simpsons, but anarchist” and dramas about union organising, as suggested in The Intercept link, I’m in… but I’m not seeing it yet.
posted by robcorr at 1:07 PM on April 4, 2019 [4 favorites]
100% support this great idea, but hmm... this is going to take a lot of thought - good points made my all.
posted by Nozz at 1:55 PM on April 4, 2019
posted by Nozz at 1:55 PM on April 4, 2019
What was that open torrented/downloaded/streamed video thing with the Mozilla-based front end called? At least a decade ago, probably saw it trumpeted on BoingBoing? Only thing I remember watching on it was Ask A Ninja.
This kinda reminds me of that.
posted by I'm always feeling, Blue at 5:08 PM on April 4, 2019
This kinda reminds me of that.
posted by I'm always feeling, Blue at 5:08 PM on April 4, 2019
There are several leftist podcasts that are excellent and doing quite well financially right now so I don't see why this project couldn't springboard off these and succeed.
posted by nofundy at 6:05 PM on April 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by nofundy at 6:05 PM on April 4, 2019 [3 favorites]
“The Simpsons, but anarchist” and dramas about union organising, as suggested in The Intercept link, I’m in… but I’m not seeing it yet.
To really bring change, programs like that would have to crossover to Netflix and HBO, and not be relegated to LeftyTV.
So some infiltration might be in order.
(Also, I would like those shows.)
posted by rokusan at 3:35 PM on April 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
To really bring change, programs like that would have to crossover to Netflix and HBO, and not be relegated to LeftyTV.
So some infiltration might be in order.
(Also, I would like those shows.)
posted by rokusan at 3:35 PM on April 5, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by ominous_paws at 9:49 AM on April 4, 2019 [6 favorites]