Posted in: CBS, Comedy Central, Netflix, streaming, TV | Tagged: chappelle, cw, netflix, south park, Stargirl, The Closer

Chappelle Helps Netflix: South Park's Stone; Chappelle Fan on Stargirl

With a:  sweet new deal in place that keeps South Park rolling on Comedy Central, sets up 14 "events" for streaming service Paramount+ (two launching before the end of the year) and allows them to expand their creative sandbox beyond Kyle, Kenny, Cartman, and Stan, Trey Parker & Matt Stone are having a pretty good run of things lately. But as viewers know, a major part of the show's success is its willingness to tackle topics regardless of the controversy it could create- and with that controversy comes pushback. "We have been waiting to get canceled for 30 years," Stone explained in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "It changes, who is involved with it. But we have been dealing with this shit the whole time we have been making the show. And we can't complain. Things have been going fine for us. It gives us fodder and gives us something to talk about." Which brought the conversation to the topic of comedian Dave Chappelle and his recent Netflix special.

The duo would be asked for their thoughts on the controversy surrounding Chappelle's stand-up special The Closer and how the streamer handled the matter. Member and allies of the LGBTQ community accused the comedian of making homophobic, transphobic, and other hateful comments during the special. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended the comedian and the special, pushing back on calls to have the special pulled by arguing that the streamer is home to varied & diverse viewpoints- even those some may not like. But if you ask Stone, there are quite a few people on the creative side in & around Hollywood who like the way the streaming service defended Chappelle and that the streamer will end up benefitting from it in the long run. "I think Netflix's reputation in the Hollywood community went way, way up. That's all I'm going to say. There are some people who do not agree. But the vast majority of creative people in Hollywood were happy with Netflix's decision. That's my feeling. I can't prove that," he explained.

Are some of the "creative people in Hollywood" who were happy with Netflix's handling of the controversy working on The CW's DC's Stargirl? Thanks to the keen observations by Bleeding Cool TV writer/reviewer Jimmy Leszczynski (check out his review of this week's episode here), we noticed something during the "Summer School: Chapter Twelve" (directed by Greg Beeman and written by James Dale Robinson) scene between Mike (Trae Romano) and Jakeem (Alkoya Brunson) where the former convinces the latter to help the JSA. It has nothing to do with the actors, their characters, or even the conversation. It's about the room- and more specifically, what's on the walls. Now as you'll see in the first screencap, the room's decorated with some pretty generic stuff:

Except for a framed picture of Chappelle that appears pretty prominently in the scene…

Obviously, with how filming works the episode would've wrapped well before everything surrounding The Closer would've gone down. That said, leaving it in was definitely a decision- as was having it be such a focal point for viewers eyes. A coincidence of odd timing? Something added-in later on as a show of support? It's tough to say- and considering the showdown with Eclipso that's on the horizon for next week, maybe the show's recruiting a new member to the JSA? Given how things have already gone this year, not sure anything surprising anymore.

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