“The Closer”, popular comedian Dave Chappelle’s newest special for Netflix, set social media ablaze when it premiered on the streaming platform last week due to jokes about the transgender community.
While some people criticized Chappelle’s treatment of transgender issues, such as claiming he is a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), others defended the comedian. Netflix has sided with the latter group.
“Several of you have also asked where we draw the line on hate.
We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe The Closer crosses that line,” said Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos in an internal letter obtained by The Verge. “I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries.”
Netflix declined to comment on the letter to The Verge, CNN and the Associated Press as of Tuesday.
In the letter, Sarandos confirmed that the company does not plan to pull the special, even if some talent asks for its removal. He said that Chappelle’s previous special, “Sticks & Stones” is the platform’s most watched and most awarded stand-up special.
Apart from the TERF joke, Chappelle also mentioned backlash he received for previous jokes about transgender public figure Caitlyn Jenner and discussed his friendship with Daphne Dorman, a trans woman comedian who previously opened for Chappelle and committed suicide in 2019.
“Gender is a fact,” Chappelle said. “Every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on earth. That is a fact.”
Regarding the larger LGBTQ community, Chappelle make a joke that in the U.S., it’s okay to shoot and kill a Black person, but not to “hurt a gay person’s feelings.”
In response to the special, GLAAD said Chappelle “has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities.”
Netflix employees also spoke out against the special, including software engineer Terra Field, who posted a tweet threat on the subject that went viral.
Shortly after posting the thread, Field and two other Netflix employees were suspended for attending a director-level meeting they were not invited to.
“It is absolutely untrue to say that we have suspended any employee for tweeting about this show,” A Netflix spokesperson said regarding a rumor that Field was suspended for her tweets. “Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we support their right to do so.”
Jaclyn Moore, a trans woman who served as a writer and producer for the Netflix show “Dear White People” said she would not work with the company if they continue to produce content like the Chappelle special.
Though the jokes have offended members of the transgender community, Chappelle claimed in his act that “that I have never had a problem with transgender people. If you listen to what I’m saying clearly, my problem has always been with White people.”
This argument was critiqued by writer Saeed Jones, who said it failed to address Black queer communities.
David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, which supports Black LGBTQ people, criticized Netflix’s decision to carry a comedy special on its platform exhibiting what he called “Chappelle’s lazy and hostile transphobia and homophobia,” according to the Washington Post.
Chappelle said in his special that he would no longer make jokes about transgender people in his standup routines.
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