Netflix offers a series for minority communities, allowing audiences to listen to various environments and topics. For example, the series pose covered the themes of queer and trans communities, while the Sense 8 also connected transnational and LGBTQ narratives. Trans TV provides a new approach to modern TV formats and content by expressing minority identities, including the transgender community. However, series with this theme can be viewed by a wide enough variety of audiences. Most of Netflix’s minority community content is still produced from a specific Western perspective or market response. Therefore, there are not many opportunities to see the stories and various contents of non-Western minorities. Also, Netflix is another commercial market, so the audience is ‘money’. If the audience does not watch the content, the content becomes non-consumerable and worthless. Also, Netflix sometimes has different content from country to country. If the country is conservative and the stories of minorities are not sold, then the content for minorities cannot be made. The current efforts are heading positively, but there is still a long way to go before being considered enough’.

In particular, more attempts are needed to capture non-Western minority narratives, non-mainstream expressions, and diverse voices within minority communities. Through content differentiation or censorship by country, we can discuss that Netflix can limit the potential politics of minority content. Goddard and Hogg (2018) argue that ‘Trans TV’ should not just provide the visibility of minority characters but also shed light on their experiences and stories in a political and cultural context. Based on this, Netflix’s minority content has succeeded in providing global visibility, but it can be criticized for not fully reflecting cultural diversity. In fact, in Korea, series ‘Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born’ (정년이) which is based on webtoon, about queer and Korean traditional music were made into Disney Plus dramas, the theme of queer was erased from dramas.

Currently, Korea is a country where gender conflicts are severe, and production companies have chosen a ‘safe’ method that does not cause ‘controversy’ by erasing homosexuality and feminism from dramas. Netflix and other tote companies must invest in dealing with minority stories from more diverse cultures and producing authentic narratives rooted in local contexts. Through this, it will be able to establish itself as an essential medium that promotes social change beyond simply strengthening its position as a global platform.

Ultimately, minority content should go beyond mere visibility to form a consensus with a wide range of audiences and become a tool to break down social prejudice and boundaries.

Bibliography

Goddard, M. and Hogg, C. (2018) ‘Introduction: Trans TV as concept and intervention into contemporary television’, Critical Studies in Television: The International Journal of Television Studies, 13(4), pp. 387–391.

Reference

https://www.artinsight.co.kr/news/view.php?no=72696

https://www.artinsight.co.kr/news/view.php?no=72696

Jiho Lee 33764256