Since we are in the midst of a comedy war, Netflix elected to take a position against cancel culture and all of its “woke” employees. When Dave Chappelle’s ‘The Closer’ special made a stir among the streaming company’s employees, there were protest walkouts.
Many LGBTQ+ activists attended the demonstration in the hopes of scaring Netflix into resigning. The company decided to write a note to all employees and potential recruits months after the occurrence. They’re essentially defending any artist’s ability to express themselves in any way they see fit.
The so-called “cultural memo” from Netflix.
“Entertaining the globe is both a tremendous opportunity and a hardship because viewers have a wide range of interests and points of view,” Netflix explained in a section suitably titled Artistic Expression. As a result, we provide a wide range of TV shows and movies, some of which may be controversial. To assist members in making informed decisions about what to watch, we provide ratings, content warnings, and simple parental controls.
“Everything on our service will not appeal to everyone. Even if certain programs go against our personal beliefs, we believe Netflix presents a varied spectrum of stories. Depending on your role, you may need to work on titles that you believe are harmful. If you have difficulties supporting our content diversity, Netflix may not be the ideal place for you.”
The truth of Netflix’s message to employees is that the company is simply side with the artists who make the most money. It’s that simple; there’s no other way of looking at it. Anyone who feels that by walking off the job, they can make a difference against Netflix is misguided.
Netflix is so large that it could potentially supplant any of them in an instant. This letter will raise a stir, but there is little anyone can do to prevent more of this obscene stuff from being released on Netflix. It all started with Dave Chappelle, but now the company is trying to protect other comedians and works that could be considered sensitive.
The memo could be a direct response to a walkout by trans employees and others at Netflix in October 2021 in protest of Dave Chappelle’s controversial special, Closer, which drew widespread attention for its transphobic statements and gags. While Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos refused to remove the special, citing creative freedom as explanation, he later admitted to regretting his attitude toward employees in the aftermath of the backlash. Regardless of what is best for the company, Sorentos looks to be sticking to his guns.
This is in direct contrast to Disney’s response to Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ statute. CEO Bob Chapek initially refused to comment on the situation, but later sent a memo highlighting the company’s creative output as the genuine contributor, which was universally panned. Employee reaction on Disney’s various platforms caused the business to alter its stance and finally speak out against the measure. Some Disney officials want Bob Chapek fired for his poor handling of the situation, but it does show that Disney is willing to listen to its employees in order to create a healthy working environment, whereas Netflix looks to be sticking to a self-imposed rule. While Netflix has long been the most popular streaming service, with its dwindling user base, it may no longer be the uncontested king, and messages like these will just contribute to the company’s already terrible reputation.
