Ted Sarandos, Netflix CEO, has expressed his support of Dave Chappelle amidst the controversy surrounding his most recent comedy special.
In a memo sent out on Friday after Netflix’s quarterly company review, Sarandos instructed managers on dealing with employees and talent who were upset about the last of Chappelle’s comedy trilogy The Closer, reported Variety. The special has sparked an outcry from those who found the routine and the comedian to be anti-LGBTQ.
At that meeting, three uninvited junior streaming service employees crashed the gathering and attempted to stage a small protest. One of those staffers was an openly transgender individual.
In the memo, Sarandos believes that Chappelle’s stand-up specials fall under Netflix’s policy to embrace artistic freedom and not transgress that company’s policy to disallow titles that incite violence or hate.
“Chappelle 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,” Sarandos wrote.
Sarandos also addressed internal dissent from employees and talent who have taken issue with Chappelle’s brand of comedy.
“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,” he said.
GLAAD, an organization geared towards supporting LGBTQ+ individuals, issued its statement in response to Sarandos’ memo.
“Netflix has a policy that content ‘designed to incite hate or violence is not allowed on the platform, but we all know that anti-LGBTQ content does exactly that,” the statement read. The organization went further to say that Netflix should stand by its policy.
Chappelle is not a “Knock-Knock” joke comedian, and that any topic he addresses will carry some controversy. For his part, the comedian has been clear that being canceled is not a concern of his.
