LOS ANGELES — Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos sent a lengthy message to the entire company after growing controversy over a new original special from the comic. Dave Chappelle.
After addressing the top leadership in Friday’s memo, Sarandos sent an email to all employees on Monday, some of whom have expressed displeasure over the jokes about it. trans community Chappelle’s “The Closer” and set a walkout protest as a response.
“We know that our decision to put Dave Chappelle’s latest special on Netflix has left many of you outraged, disappointed and hurt,” Sarandos wrote in an email received. Diversity.
“With ‘The Closer’, we understand that the concern is not about certain content being offensive, but rather titles that may exacerbate real-world harm (such as hate, violence, etc. to already marginalized groups). more marginalized) Last year, we heard the same. 365 Days and concerns about violence against women. Although some employees disagree, we firmly believe that content on screen does not directly harm the real world is,” he said.
“The strongest evidence to support this is that violence on screen has increased significantly over the past thirty years, especially with first party shooter games, and yet violent crime has declined significantly in many countries. Adult violence, can watch assault and abuse – or enjoy shocking stand-up comedy – without it harming others,” he continued.
When contacted for comment, queer media watchdog GLAAD said it was “established 36 years ago because of the consequences media representation has for LGBTQ people. Authentic media stories about LGBTQ life can be found on issues such as marriage equality. directly responsible for increasing public support for
“But film and TV have also been replete with stereotypes and misinformation about us for decades, causing damage to the real world, especially for trans people and LGBTQ people of color. Ironically, the documentary ‘Disclosure’ on Netflix shows this. demonstrates quite clearly.”
Sarandos would descend into a debate about the potentially harmful effects of the material, notable given that those who condemn Chappelle’s jokes specifically cited the physical danger that trans- Opposing ideology.
“What we object to is the damage that this kind of content does to the trans community (particularly trans people of color) and very specifically black trans women. People who look like me are not being killed. I am a white woman,” wrote trans Netflix employee Tera Fields in a viral Twitter thread last week.
“Make no mistake, Chappelle’s alleged jokes do not affect fictional people; in fact, they do real harm to transgender and non-binary audiences and black LGBTQ youth who may have once viewed him as a role model,” Queer writer and lawyer wrote Preston Mitchum on Wednesday.
Studies, including 2016 research conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association, support Sarandos’ claim, especially around the effects of screen violence, but trans communities have long sought to educate the public on the shocking fatality rate. looking forward to. face’s. In 2020, the Human Rights Campaign reported a record number of violent deaths by trans and gender non-conforming people, the highest rate since the group tracked these killings in 2013.
Dialogues about on-screen violence damaging the real world have been going on for decades. Last week, videos of fist fights outside a pop-up store dedicated to the brutal, record-breaking Netflix series “Squid Game” spread rapidly. In July, a Wisconsin judge released Anissa Weir, the young woman sentenced to death by stabbing her classmate to death, as a tribute to the digital folklore character Slender Man, the subject of the 2018 feature film.
In his Monday note, Sarandos said Netflix is ”working hard to ensure that marginalized communities are not defined by a single story,” and that the key to that effort is “on the content team.” To increase diversity.” He referred to titles such as “Sex Education,” “Orange is the New Black,” “Control Z,” and Hannah Gadsby’s Stand-Up as Chappelle’s Special Service Companion.
“Our hope is that you may be inspired enough to entertain the world, while keeping up with the titles you firmly believe have no place on Netflix. This won’t be the last title that surprises some of you.” That’s if you can still love Netflix. I sincerely hope you can,” he concluded.