Netflix staff raised concerns about Chappelle special before its release
BNN Bloomberg
The company is dealing with an internal outcry unprecedented in its history.
Netflix Inc. employees raised concerns about offensive material in Dave Chappelle’s new comedy special “The Closer” days before its release, warning executives that a series of jokes about gender-neutral pronouns and the genitalia of transgender people was potentially inflammatory and damaging.
The company’s leaders, including global head of TV Bela Bajaria and co-Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos, decided the show didn't cross the line, sparking Netflix’s most significant public labor dispute in recent memory. Employees have taken their grievances to internal forums and Twitter; at least three were suspended for crashing a meeting, then reinstated following outcry. Now the company is planning to host an internal event with trans activist Alok Vaid-Menon; meanwhile, employees are planning a walkout on Oct. 20.
A Netflix spokesperson told Bloomberg News that the company supports artistic expression from its creators and encourages employees to disagree openly.
Sarandos has lauded Chappelle as the most-watched comedian on Netflix — 10 million people have put on “The Closer” since its debut, according to a person familiar with viewer numbers. Co-CEO Reed Hastings said the streaming platform will “continue to work with Dave Chappelle in the future,” he wrote on an internal message board. “We see him as a unique voice, but can understand if you or others never want to watch his shows,” Hastings wrote, according to transcripts of the comments seen by Bloomberg News.
The comedian’s popularity comes at a cost. Netflix spent US$24.1 million on the “The Closer,” slightly more than the US$23.6 million it paid for Chappelle’s 2019 special, “Sticks & Stones.” By comparison, the streaming service spent US$3.9 million for “Inside,” Bo Burnham’s recent hour-and-a-half special. The nine-episode “Squid Game,” which delivered the best debut in Netflix history, cost US$21.4 million.
By Netflix’s own measurement, “Sticks & Stones” had an “impact value” of US$19.4 million, meaning it cost more than the value it generated, according to internal documents reviewed by Bloomberg. The company also evaluates its programs by “efficiency,” which balances a show’s reach with its price-tag. On that scale, Chappelle’s special scored 0.8 — less than the break-even score of 1. By comparison, Burnham’s “Inside” scored 2.8.
