The streaming service Netflix has been under fire after releasing Dave Chappelle‘s special, ‘The Closer’.
The comedian went at the LGBTQ+ community with transphobic and homophobic comments in his latest offering, and the country has been divided on whether or not his thoughts are harmful ever since.
Several Netflix employees have even gone on record to say they’re horrified that the special aired. And now, after a cold internal response from the streamer’s CEO Ted Sarandos, a new statement from the platform has been issued regarding a planned employee protest.
“We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that’s been caused. We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content,” the statement, shared by Variety, reads.
In a statement that went out yesterday, Sarandos acknowledged that his internal email to disgruntled employees (in which he said “content on-screen doesn’t directly translate to real-world harm”) was a mistake.
“I screwed up that internal communication. I did that, and I screwed it up in two ways” he told Variety. “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 to be acknowledged up front before you get into the nuts and bolts of anything. I didn’t do that.”
As mentioned, a company walkout has been planned for today, October 20, as the special is still available to watch on the streamer. Hundreds of employees are reportedly planning to protest Netflix’s stance.
GlobalGrind
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