Hundreds of Los Angeles Netflix employees walked out of work on Wednesday in protest of the controversial Dave Chappelle special on the streaming network. The workers, organized by “Team Trans,” say the program is transphobic. They want Netflix to pull it and pledge to release more “intersectional” content. The pre-noon gathering outside a LA Netflix office-studio complex drew around 100 individuals. The majority of whom were on the side of an estimated 30 Netflix employees who joined in later. Some agreed to identify themselves as Netflix personnel, but they all refused to give their names.
“Dave Chappelle doesn’t get to suck the joy out of this moment. This is a moment where we are coming together in a unified effort,” activist Ashlee Marie Preston said to CBS News at Wednesday’s rally.
The demonstration comes after weeks of turmoil at Netflix. Numerous employees and actors spoke out against the company previously. Some employees even claim they were suspended shortly after criticizing Chappelle’s special on social media. The corporation claims that it did not fire or reprimand any employees as a result of their statements and that all employees have the right to their own opinions.
Netflix Has a Storm On its Hands
The Closer, a special by Dave Chappelle, premiered on October 5 and includes several jokes about transgender people. The LGBTQ+ community slammed the special, accusing it of targeting transgender people and potentially instigating violence against them. Netflix ran into a buzz-saw of criticism not only with the special but in how internal memos responded to employees’ concerns. Notably, co-CEO Ted” Sarandos wrote that Netflix doesn’t allow titles that are “designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe ‘The Closer’ crosses that line.”
On Monday, Sarandos said that he mishandled the controversy by not communicating better with his employees and detractors. “Obviously, I screwed up that internal communication,” Sarandos told Variety. “I did that, and I screwed it up in two ways. First and foremost, I should have led with a lot more humanity. Meaning, I had a group of employees who were definitely feeling pain and hurt from a decision we made. And I think that needs acknowledgment upfront before you get into the nuts and bolts of anything. I didn’t do that.”
By John Galietta
Twitter: @jgalietta17
Instagram: @jgalietta17
