Comedian Hannah Gadsby, who won an Emmy for a Netflix special, lambasted the company’s co-CEO.Co-CEO Ted Sarandos referenced Gadsby in a memo to staff defending Dave Chappelle’s new special.Some Netflix employees and talent have criticized the special, in which Chappelle makes transphobic comments.Insider Advertising: News, trends & strategies in advertising Loading Something is loading.
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Comedian Hannah Gadsby tore into Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos in an Instagram post on Friday, after Sarandos wrote a memo to staff, which referenced her, defending Dave Chappelle’s controversial new standup special.
“Now I have to deal with even more of the hate and anger that Dave Chappelle’s fans like to unleash on me every time Dave gets 20 million dollars to process his emotionally stunted partial word view,” Gadsby wrote.”You didn’t pay me nearly enough to deal with the real world consequences of the hate speech dog whistling you refuse to acknowledge, Ted.”
Gadsby has two standup specials on Netflix, including “Nanette,” for which she won an Emmy.
Sarandos defended Chappelle and Netflix’s decision to release his new special, “The Closer,” in an all-staff memo this week after employees began speaking out against the special , as reported by multiple outlets including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.The Netflix trans employee resource group is planning a company-wide walkout next week .
“We are working hard to ensure marginalized communities aren’t defined by a single story,” Sarandos wrote in part.”So we have ‘Sex Education,’ ‘Orange is the New Black,’ ‘Control Z,’ Hannah Gadsby and Dave Chappelle all on Netflix.
Key to this is increasing diversity on the content team itself.”
“The Closer” is Chappelle’s sixth and perhaps final Netflix special.The comedian struck a three-special deal in 2016 with Netflix worth $60 million , The New York Post reported at the time, but it’s unclear if he was paid more for the additional specials.
In “The Closer,” Chappelle makes transphobic comments and defends “Harry Potter” author JK Rowling by exclaiming “Team TERF!,” which stands for trans exclusionary radical feminist, a term Rowling has referred to herself as.
Gadsby isn’t the first person with content on Netflix who has spoken out against the streamer over the special.
Jaclyn Moore, who is trans and is an executive producer on Netflix’s “Dear White People,” said that she wouldn’t work with the company “as long as they continue to put out and profit from blatantly and dangerously transphobic content.”
Below is Gadsby’s full post:
“Hey Ted Sarandos! Just a quick note to let you know that I would prefer if you didn’t drag my name into your mess.Now I have to deal with even more of the hate and anger that Dave Chappelle’s fans like to unleash on me every time Dave gets 20 million dollars to process his emotionally stunted partial word view.You didn’t pay me nearly enough to deal with the real world consequences of the hate speech dog whistling you refuse to acknowledge, Ted.
Fuck you and your amoral algorithm cult … I do shits with more back bone than you.That’s just a joke! I definitely didn’t cross a line because there isn’t one.”
Disclosure: Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Business Insider’s parent company, Axel Springer, is a Netflix board member.
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