Today marks the day of the planned walkout among Netflix employees in protest of Dave Chappelle's latest comedy special, and the streamer's LGBTQ+ Twitter account has joined in. The current controversy swarming Netflix began earlier this month with the release of Chappelle's The Closer. Since 2017, Chappelle has made a total of 6 stand-up specials for Netflix, and they have not been without some backlash. In The Closer's case, the comedian's "jokes" regarding the LGBTQ+ community - specifically transgender people - were deemed as crossing the line in many ways.
For example, Chappelle openly called himself transphobic in the special and even defended Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who has posted anti-trans sentiments online multiple times. There was near-immediate backlash to The Closer, with many calling on Netflix to pull it off the service. In response, CEO Ted Sarandos insisted The Closer would not be removed and stated Netflix values creative freedom. This has only fueled the fire, particularly when it comes to trans employees at the streamer. Last week, news broke that the trans members of Netflix and their co-workers were planning a walkout to show their dissatisfaction.
The day of the walkout has arrived, and it's clear a good number of Netflix employees are participating. Most, the streamer's social media account directly geared towards LGBTQ+ projects, confirmed it is joining the walkout by writing, "brb walking out" at exactly 12pm EST. When asked if that message was meant in jest or seriousness, Most said their entire team was leaving.
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Meanwhile, Netflix issued a statement regarding the walkout (per Variety):
“We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that’s been caused. We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content.”
The walkout arrives mere hours after Sarandos admitted he regrets his initial reaction to employee concerns. "First and foremost, I should have led with a lot more humanity," he stated. However, he also reiterated he has no plans to take down The Closer, once again citing creative freedom. While that remains a disappointing outcome, Sarandos' regret is at least a small step forward. At the same time, though, Netflix has a long way to go when it comes to acknowledging the harm that has come from Chappelle's special.
Netflix is in an interesting place right now. This controversy looms large, yet the streamer is enjoying some unprecedented successes at the same time. The Korean drama Squid Game broke out in a big way for Netflix and recently displaced Bridgerton as its biggest original show. Whether its response to The Closer will have any long-term affects remains to be seen, but Netflix's trans employees certainly deserve to be heard and supported. Hopefully, today's walkout will ensure that happens.
Source: Most, Variety