Everything you need to know about the Dave Chappelle saga
Dave Chappelle’s career has been made possible through making queer folk the butt end of his jokes, and in 2021, he’s finally been made accountable.
Content Warning: Homophobia, Transphobia, Sexual Assault
Released on October 5, comedian Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special “The Closer” has caused multiple discussions on just how far humor can go. The cis comedian spoke on feminism, religion, queer folk — mostly in a negative light. His whole gimmick, from his 2003 show debut of Chappelle’s show till now, has been skewed towards rape, and using transgender and non-binary people as the butt of his jokes.
The Closer
At the 36 minute mark of “The Closer”, Chappelle starts talking about discriminatory laws in the United States. He cites how in North Carolina, folks may only use a restroom that corresponds with the gender they were assigned on their birth certificate. He carries on to say “That’s a mean law. No American should have to present a certificate to take a s–t at Walmart in Greensboro, North Carolina,”
Chappelle carries on to label himself as “transphobic comedian, Dave Chappelle” in pursuit of comedic irony during the bit ostensibly about how he’s opposed to bathroom bills. He sets the scene of a woman walking into the bathroom, stands shoulder to shoulder with him at the urinal, and pulls a “real live, meaty d–k out”.
He then goes on a rant on how trans women are not actual women. In one instance, Chappelle agreed that, "Gender is a fact," as he defended Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, who has been accused of being a TERF (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist). He carries on to profess his fondness for the LGBTQ+ community before labelling himself as a TERF.
Right up to the end of the special, Chappelle doesn’t shy away from further controversy. He compares trans women’s genitalia to plant-based meat, and how non-binary folk are a threat to his life. “These transgenders,” he began. “They want me dead.”
Chapelle carries on: “Everytime I come up on stage I be scared. I be lookin’ around the crowd, searching… For knuckles and Adam's apples to see where the threats might be coming from.”
“Careful Dave, they after you,” he cites a fan interaction. “They after you.”
After a pause, he continues. “One they or many theys?”
Public pushback
Despite numerous complaints about Chappelle’s special from Netflix staff members, The Closer went ahead with promotion and further release. Numerous Netflix staffers had allegedly raised concerns that “a series of jokes about gender-neutral pronouns and the genitalia of transgender people was potentially inflammatory and damaging.”
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos emerged as Chappelle’s apologist. An internal memo he published reads: “Several of you have also asked where we draw the line on hate….We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe The Closer crosses that line,” Sarandos also noted that stand-up comedy – which consists of Chappelle making rape jokes about “frumpy dyke[s]”– only exists to push boundaries.
In the note, Sarandos also used Chappelle's previous special "Sticks & Stones" as an example on the consistency of Chappelle’s controversial jokes, using it as a supporting statement to show that it was their “most watched, stickiest, and most award winning stand-up special to date”.
In response to the memo by Sarandos, GLAAD – an advocacy group founded as a protest against defamatory coverage of LGBT people – said “Netflix has a policy that content ‘designed to incite hate or violence’ is not allowed on the platform, but we all know that anti-LGBTQ content does exactly that.
"While Netflix is home to groundbreaking LGBTQ stories, now is the time for Netflix execs to listen to LGBTQ employees, industry leaders, and audiences and commit to living up to their own standards.”
GLAAD further tweeted that Chappelle's brand "has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities."
Netflix Employees respond
Showrunner for Netflix’s highly acclaimed “Dear White People” Jaclyn Moore made a statement saying that she would not be engaging with Netflix any more given their continuous support towards dangerous and harmful transphobic content, and further profiting from them.
Moore, who is transgender, tweeted: "I've been thrown against walls because, 'I'm not a "real" woman'. I've had beer bottles thrown at me. So, @Netflix, I'm done."
Continuous relentless pushback from staffers at Netflix Inc resulted in the suspension of a three employees, one of whom is transgender; Terra Field. Field, a senior software engineer at Netflix, had published tweets criticising Chappelle's special.
The suspension was denied by Netflix. “It is absolutely untrue to say that we have suspended any employees for tweeting about this show. Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we support their right to do so," Netflix said in a statement.
A person – according to the Associated Press – who is familiar with the matter, said the three employees were investigated due to their unauthorised presence at a quarterly meeting designated only for company directors and vice presidents. However, only one worker – Field – was suspended as a result of the investigation.
Field shared on Twitter that Netflix had reinstated her position “after finding there was no ill-intent in [her] attending the QBR meeting.”
On October 20, about 100 people – a mix of Netflix staff members, transgender rights advocates and public officials – protested at the Netflix headquarters. Moments before the walkout of his employees, Ted Sarandos acknowledges he “screwed up” in how he spoke to Netflix’s staff about Chappelle’s special.
Transgender activist Ashlee Marie Preston – who organised and attended the protest – wanted Netflix to take measures that does not result in promoting misinformation about trans and nonbinary communities in the future. “A list of firm asks” were presented to Sarandos. According to Preston, Chappelle was invited to speak to the organisers, but refused the opportunity.
Chappelle breaks his silence
Preston said that the Netflix employees were searching for more action on Sarandos’ part: “While we appreciate the acknowledgement of the screw-up, in his own words, we want to actually talk about what that repair looks like.”
On October 25, Chappelle finally addressed his comments regarding transgender folk on his Instagram account. Chappelle remained unapologetic, saying: “I said what I said.” Chappelle claimed that the controversy was about ‘corporate interests’ and that there were members of the LGBTQ+ community – like Caitlyn Jenner, whom he also ridiculed in the special – have been supportive of him.
Chappelle also denied the statements stating he refused to meet with transgender employees. “It’s been said in the press that I was invited to speak to the transgender employees of Netflix and I refused. That is not true — if they had invited me I would have accepted it, although I am confused about what we would be speaking about.”
Chappelle lightly notes that he was willing to meet with members of the transgender community, without leaving out space for an opportunity to joke: “To the transgender community, I am more than willing to give you an audience, but you will not summon me. I am not bending to anybody’s demands. And if you want to meet with me, I’d be more than willing to, but I have some conditions. First of all, you cannot come if you have not watched my special from beginning to end. You must come to a place of my choosing at a time of my choosing, and thirdly, you must admit that Hannah Gadsby is not funny.”
Preston commented on Chappelle's statement, citing that he was far from remorseful, and there was no honest desire to repair any harm. “In fact,” she wrote an Instagram post, “His list of ‘demands and conditions’ felt more like a jab at the exchange between the @netflix trans ERG and Ted Sarandos than an actual invitation to have a meaningful conversation.”
As per recently, Labour Charges has been filed against Netflix by Terra Field, and another transgender employee, B. Pagels-Minor.
The paperwork filed on October 27 – which is now being investigated by the National Labor Relations Board – alleges that Netflix acted in order “to quell employees from speaking up about working conditions including, but not limited to, seeking to create a safe and affirming work environment for Netflix employees, speaking up about Netflix’s products and the impact of its product choices on the LGBTQ+ community, and providing support for employees whom Netflix has treated in an unlawful and disparate manner".
Since then, Field and Pagel-Minor shared their full, uncensored stories on working for the streaming platform on "Cancel Me, Daddy", a podcast focused on giving voice to those who are often ignored in the cancel culture discourse.
As for Chappelle, he only had one complaint from his mess – – that it has caused his invites to film festivals to be revoked, despite already accepting a documentary regarding George Floyd he made last summer, and that he is now making that documentary available in ten American cities.
