Posted in: Netflix, streaming, TV | Tagged: chappelle, LGBTQ, lgbtqia, netflix, The Closer, trans

Chappelle/Netflix Update: Trans Employees, Allies Plan Walkout & More

Update III: The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Transgender Netflix employees and ally co-workers have scheduled a staged walkout for next Wednesday, October 20, in response to comments made by comedian Dave Chappelle in his latest Netflix special, The Closer. Reportedly, members of the Netflix employee resource group Trans* and their allies will take a "day of rest" next week (with an additional source reporting that October 19 will see a virtual event open to all staff members to address the special's impact on the trans community. The news comes on the same day that three Netflix employees were reinstated after being suspended for crashing the streamer's quarterly business review meeting, a two-day event attended by the top 500 employees at the streamer. Netflix did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment.

One group that did choose to comment earlier today was The Most, the social media handle representing Netflix's LGBTQ+ storytelling. Over a series of four tweets, the account addressed its followers by being open about the tough position they find themselves in over the Chappelle controversy. "Sorry, we haven't been posting, this week fucking sucks. To be clear: As the queer and trans people who run this account, you can imagine that the last couple of weeks have been hard. We can't always control what goes on screen. What we can control is what we create here, and the POV we bring to internal conversations. We have been reading all of your comments and using them to continue advocating for bigger and better queer representation. Ok, you can go back to yelling at us now."

Original Report: Last week, we reported on how Dave Chappelle was facing backlash for comments he made during his recent Netflix stand-up special The Closer. Many on social media & within the LGBTQ+ community as well a number of LGBTQ+-supporting organizations (GLAAD, National Black Justice Coalition & others) are demanding that the streaming service pull the special over what they say were hate-filled comments meant to attack the trans community and others. But based on a memo reportedly from Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos that was sent to staff on Friday (and obtained by Variety), the special and Chappelle aren't going anywhere.

"Several of you have also asked where we draw the line on hate. We don't allow titles Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don't believe 'The Closer' crosses that line. I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries. Some people find the art of stand-up to be mean-spirited but our members enjoy it, and it's an important part of our content offering," Sarandos reportedly wrote, arguing the importance of artistic freedom in making the decision. "Externally, particularly in stand-up comedy, artistic freedom is obviously a very different standard of speech than we allow internally as the goals are different: entertaining people versus maintaining a respectful, productive workplace." Here's a look at the full text of the email reportedly sent:

I wanted to follow-up on the "The Closer" — Dave Chappelle's latest special — as several of you have reached out following QBR asking what to say to your teams. It never feels good when people are hurting, especially our colleagues, so I wanted to give you some additional context. You should also be aware that some talent may join third parties in asking us to remove the show in the coming days, which we are not going to do.

Chapelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long standing deal with him. His last special "Sticks & Stones," also controversial, is our most watched., stickiest and most award winning stand-up special to date. As with our other talent, we work hard to support their creative freedom – even though this means there will always be content on Netflix some people believe is harmful, like "Cuties," "365 Days," "13 Reasons Why" or "My Unorthodox Life."

Several of you have also asked where we draw the line on hate. We don't allow titles Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don't believe The Closer crosses that line. I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries. Some people find the art of stand-up to be mean-spirited but our members enjoy it, and it's an important part of our content offering.

In terms of our commitment to inclusion, we're working hard to ensure more people see their lives reflected on screen and that under-represented communities are not defined by the single story. So we're proud of titles like "Sex Education," "Young Royals," "Control Z" and "Disclosure." Externally, particularly in stand-up comedy, artistic freedom is obviously a very different standard of speech than we allow internally as the goals are different: entertaining people versus maintaining a respectful, productive workplace.

Today's conversation on Entertain the World was timely. These are hard and uncomfortable issues. We all bring different values and perspectives so thank you for being part of the conversation as it's important we're clear about our operating principles.

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