More on George Floyd protests.
It was a cascade of solidarity messages from some of the biggest players in entertainment and tech.
Netflix, CBS and Amazon were among those that took to social media and sent heartfelt messages to employees this weekend to demonstrate their support for the Black Lives Matter movement as protests ran through the country. But it didn’t go as planned for all of them.
Streaming giant Netflix, which has supported the work of black creators such as Shonda Rhimes and Spike Lee, was among the first entertainment companies to post support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
On Saturday, it tweeted, “to be silent is to be complicit. Black lives matter.” The company added that it had a duty to its African American customers, employees, creators and performers to speak up. Director Ava DuVernay replied, “Well done.”
Some companies, however, faced skepticism over their commitment to the cause. On Sunday, Amazon, whose studio is a big employer in Los Angeles, tweeted: “together we stand in solidarity with the Black community.” Civil rights campaigners such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Fight for the Future used the tweet to point out that Amazon’s Ring camera-enabled doorbell has partnered with police departments, raising concerns about the risks to privacy and racial profiling.
Amazon had no immediate comment.
CBS declared its support for the demonstrations in a post on Twitter but was met with questions about why its former Los Angeles headquarters was being used by police. “Stand in solidarity with actions, not posts,” wrote Carina Adly Mackenzie, creator of the CW sci-fi series “Roswell, New Mexico,” which is coproduced by CBS Television Studios.
CBS has made a push to increase the diversity in its programming, with series such as “The Neighborhood” and “All Rise,” after being criticized for making shows with mostly white leading roles.
“So many corporations with supportive messages,” director Stella Meghie said in a tweet. “Please also feel free to address the antiblackness within your own companies — hire more of us, listen to us, promote us, pay us more and check the rampant microagressions faced by the Black employees and creatives you do employ.”
CBS sold the Fairfaxbased television studios complex last year. “CBS does not own or operate Television City,” spokesman Chris Ender said in a statement. “We sold the production facility and campus to Hackman Capital in December 2018.” It still uses studios at the facility such as for “The Late Late Show With James Corden” and rents offices for executives.
The backlash in some cases highlights the perils for entertainment companies and brands as they speak out on social issues, in part to court younger consumers. Studios that haven’t already shown an active role in diversifying their ranks risk alienating consumers. And social media users will be quick to highlight double standards in public forums.
“Companies that have not in the past demonstrated that they are through and through a purpose-driven company ... they are perceived as inauthentic, as jumping on the bandwagon,” said Americus Reed, marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania ‘s Wharton School of Business.
The weekend protests calling for justice after the death of George Floyd, which sometimes turned violent, touched many cities across the U.S. and abroad. Now, entertainment companies such as Live Nation and Spotify are focusing efforts on the so-called Blackout Tuesday, pausing operations in support. Spotify will create playlists but also ask employees to take time to educate themselves on the issues.