Netflix Co-CEO Defends Chapelle’s Controversial Stand-Up
(Los Gatos, CA) — The co-CEO of Netflix is defending Dave Chapelle’s new stand-up special “The Closer.” In a memo to staff, Ted Sarandos said they have different standards for artistic freedom when it comes to stand-up comedy. He noted Chapelle’s last special “Sticks & Stones” is one of Netflix’s most watched and controversial stand-up specials and that the streaming giant has no plans to plans to remove “The Closer.”
Meantime, three Netflix employees were suspended for attending the company’s quarterly meeting over the weekend, uninvited. One of the individuals was Terra Field who identifies as a queer trans person and has openly criticized “The Closer” as being insulting to the trans community.