Netflix
Comedian Dave Chapelle laments “Cancel Culture” and defends himself against allegations that it is transphobic
Last week there was a small protest by employees in front of the Netflix headquarters because of Dave Chapelle’s statements (archive image)
© Hubert Boesl / Picture Alliance
US comedian Dave Chappelle is accused of representing transphobic opinions on his Netflix show. Now, in turn, he reacted with accusations.
The US comedian Dave Chappelle, whose latest show on Netflix caused a storm in the transgender community, has reacted to his critics and accuses them of wanting to “cancel” him (from the screen).
Chappelle posted on Instagram that, contrary to reports to the contrary, he was ready to meet members of the Netflix transgender community and to discuss the allegation that his comedy show was transphobic. He also asked the viewers of his show to vote on whether he was – morally – already banned.
Protest by Netflix employees
Last week there was a small protest by employees in front of the Netflix headquarters in Los Angeles because of Chapelle’s statements. Critics have been bothered by Chappelle’s show “The Closer”, in which he said that “gender is a fact” and that LGBT people are “too sensitive”, the BBC reported. Netflix representative Ted Sarandos subsequently apologized for his communication on behalf of Netflix and his handling of the subject: “I screwed it up.”
Chappelle’s video, which he uploaded to his Instagram account on Monday, was shot on Sunday during his performance in Louisville, Kentucky, according to CNN. It was his first public response to critics since his show debut on October 5th. He appeared on the show with popular podcaster Joe Rogan. “It was said in the press that I was invited to speak to transgender workers on Netflix and I declined,” Chappelle, 48, told the audience. “That’s not true. If you had invited me, I would have accepted. Though I’m confused what we’re talking about … They said they want a safe working environment on Netflix. Well, it seems like I’ll be the only one soon who can no longer go to the office. “
“It’s about corporate interests”
“For the transgender community, I’m more than ready to give it an audience,” he continued. “But she won’t want me.” He also denied that he was in conflict with the LGBT community, saying, “This has nothing to do with them. It’s about corporate interests and what I can and cannot say.” Last week, Netflix reported a record subscriber number of 213.5 million worldwide.
Chappelle also complained that his show had resulted in his latest documentary “Untitled” not being featured at film festivals. “Today no film company, no film studio, no film festival … will want to touch this film any more,” he said, calling on people to watch their new film and judge for themselves whether the criticism was justified or not.
Sources: BBC, CNN, Instagram / Dave Chapelle