The Cultural Algorithm

After localization success with shows like " Narcos"and " Dark ," Netflix continues expanding its catalog of locally produced shows. Now in almost 200 countries, the streaming service has led efforts to create shows that not only cater to local sentiments, but also use local writers, producers and actors. While Amazon has experienced early success doing the same, particularly in India and Japan, other streaming companies lag. Still, when the European Union (EU) decided in October 2018 that all streaming companies will be required to raise local content percentage to 30 percent, Netflix balked.

As one of the largest and most economically successful nations in Southeast Asia, Malaysia has had a multi-cultural story from the beginning. With influences from foreign European powers, to nations in the Pacific sphere, Malaysia has been inundated with huge blooms of culture and religion – from its inception, to its independence from the United Kingdom in the 1950s, and finally to the modern Malaysia of today.

Different landscapes, countless languages, and a bounty of traditions that have continued on through generations, are passed down in stories and song. The cultural fabric of any nation is made up of its people's beliefs, food, customs, language, and music. Each of these individual parts help make up the unique whole, but each one is tied to the people from which they originate. It is the people's food, the people's music, and the people's language for a reason.

Every culture has stories. Though most tales have a hero and a villain -- a beginning, middle and end -- the specifics vary widely. What's heroic in one culture is villainous in another, and what is deemed controversial might be viewed instead as simple pragmatism. In this era of cross-cultural communications, it can be difficult to parse out what parts of each story are culturally unique. When done successfully, the result is hugely rewarding for everyone involved in the process, including writers, producers, distributors, and local regulators (e.g. Boards).

A trend in platform naming involves appending "Plus" or "+" to the brand name. Amazon announced last week, for example, that it was rebranding its recently acquired "Epix" streaming channel as "MGM+." This is consistent with a trend that began a few years ago as major brands have adopted the "Plus" naming strategy.

Disney recently removed a LGBTQ+ moment from “The Rise of Skywalker” in Singapore, leaving many confused why the media company would make this kind of decision. The answer itself is simple: Disney did this to ensure a lower age rating for the film in its Singaporean markets. This edit translated directly into a wider distribution of the movie and a larger audience. In short — Disney earned more eyes on that film and it was able to better protect its brand in that market. Disney made sure it was not seen as irreverent of local customs or bring any doubt to its kid-friendly, family-focused brand in Singapore. And, as for the Southeast Asian country itself, LGBTQ+ rights have long been a hotly controversial topic despite growing progressive movements within Singapore’s traditionally conservative politics. While the choice on Disney’s part to remove the scene may be controversial in the eyes of some, it’s important to recognize the business rationale for adjusting content to respect local regulations and cultural sensitivities, while also acknowledging the differences in each culture that calls for such actions. And, in this case? While the seemingly strict crackdown occurred, the removal of the short scene had a positive outcome on the financial and brand successes of “The Rise of Skywalker” in Singapore. For a global company like Disney, its brand is paramount to its success, no matter the territory or region, and cuts like this are commonplace in the industry. How could this scene have impacted the Disney brand, though? It’s cut and dry — Singaporean censorship rulings firmly state that any film containing LGBTQ+ themes or content may completely be restricted to viewers 18 years of age and above, while any films focusing on homosexuality face harsher scrutiny and may be subject to a 21 and over rating. If the film had been left as is, it automatically would have received an 18 or even 21+ rating in Singaporean markets, due to featuring material that many Singaporeans aren’t comfortable viewing for themselves or for their families. By virtue of removing several seconds of film not integral to the movie plot, the maturity rating completely changed (receiving instead a PG-13 rating for violence) and allowed a much wider audience to be able to pay for, attend and enjoy a film they otherwise would not have been able to. This was a deliberate move on Disney’s part, rather than some last-minute effort or mistake. Regardless of Singapore’s specific laws, many have said this removal disenfranchises LGBTQ+ representation, and even J. J. Abrams stated in an interview , “In the case of the LGBTQ community, it was important to me that people who go to see this movie feel that they’re being represented in the film.” Others have said that it doesn’t matter that those few seconds were removed, as many viewed the scene as a simple ‘throwaway’ that did not push the envelope or give people from the LGBTQ+ community the representation they wanted or deserved. With many saying it was a step back for LGBTQ+ representation in film rather than a step forward, multitudes of voices on the internet have since called for openly LGBTQ+ characters in future Disney productions instead of relegating the representation to background characters. Content providers today distributing their titles internationally are often faced with the similar challenge of balancing storytelling and statistics, the integrity of their film with the profits of their franchise, and importantly, the physical distribution of their title within regions that may find some parts of it contentious. Many studios, as a result, elect instead to respect local laws and ensure their films are culturally appropriate so they have the ability to reach the widest market, impact the biggest audience and make the most money. Even just knowing when or where to change a small scene or remove a single frame in a region-specific compliance edit could allow the film to be seen by hundreds of thousands more viewers, and in some markets, even millions. This example of Singaporean censorship serves as a shining example for how being culturally compliant can be good for business and a brand, while also serving to stress the importance of executing that cultural compliance as openly and tactfully as possible.

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India’s two Houses of Parliament, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, passed the Tribunals Reforms Bill, 2021 Aug. 2 and Aug. 9, respectively. They did so amid solid opposition to the lack of discussion on the merits of the bill. The bill seeks to eliminate eight appellate tribunals, including the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).

There is no immunity from Censorship.Here we are at the end of another quarter, and dozens of movies and series were subjected to censorship threats, forced edits, or country bans. Regardless of whether a title is popular, where it originated, or where it's being shown, none of that was a defense against the censor's scrutiny.