,Byron Bay businesses are boycotting Netflix’s new reality series ‘Byron Baes’. The majority of the community believes they deserve better than a series about Instagram “influencers”.
Netflix announced a new reality TV series about “influencers” living their best lives in Byron Bay just over ten days ago. And immediately, it sparked controversy. In the teaser announcement, Netflix described the show as a series of fights, flings and heartbreak.
The Byron Bay Shire Mayor, Simon Richardson, is among many that wants to put a stop to production. The Mayor said the show was “offensive” to the Byron Bay community.
“We’ve almost got a a Truman Show-type portrayal of who we are where everything is quite idyllic and superficial, where out the back it’s an empty parking lot.”
Netflix described the upcoming series as a “love letter to Byron Bay.” And Cr. Richardson said he initially entertained the idea. However, he quickly changed his mind.
“They offered no money and said that the ‘massive exposure’ was payment enough. However, shortly after I read the press release I declined as I didn’t want to be associated with that garbage.”
Source: Yahoo News
Residents Fight Back
In response, thousands of business owners have signed a petition to refuse their premises as filming locations. These include iconic Byron clothing brands like Spell and Zulu. Cafe owner Ben Gordon declined Netflix location scouts offer,
“They will tout that it’s going to be seen by millions of people and that it’s free marketing but it’s not good marketing and you don’t want to be involved with that…
“This is a show that is targeted to 200 million Netflix subscribers in America about people who aren’t actually from Byron.”
Source: News.com
Additionally, Mayor Richardson has called on the producers to film the series in another town that would appreciate the exposure.
Netflix is yet to begin filming the reality series and already the Byron Bay community is fighitng against the process. If this continues, the show might not make it out of the planning stages.
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