Netflix's CEO Admits "I Screwed Up" When Responding To Dave Chappelle Outrage From LGBTQ Community

Perhaps the most unique aspect of the latest outrage against Dave Chappelle and his stand-up comedy is the fact that Chappelle himself doesn’t seem to be the one stoking the anger even more. In fact, the mess that Netflix finds itself in now after the release of “The Closer,” which many say contains dangerous transphobic content, was largely due to how the co-CEO of the streaming service, Ted Sarandos, handled the situation. That is to say, Sarandos made what could have been a small, one-day news story into a headline-making rallying cry that has now lasted weeks. And for that, the executive is finally willing to admit his mistakes.

READ MORE: Netflix CEO Continues To Defend Dave Chappelle And Says ‘The Closer’ Jokes Won’t “Directly Translate To Real-World Harm”

For those not familiar with the whole Dave Chappelle/Ted Sarandos/LGBTQ situation, it’s a lot to cover right now. Suffice to say, Chappelle released a special that has transphobic content and Ted Sarandos decided to defend (and then double-down on his defense) the comedian. This caused massive outrage from the LGBTQ community, and caused all sorts of issues in-house between Netflix and its trans employees. 

Now, speaking to Variety, Sarandos is willing to take blame for stoking the fire, as many of his staff find themselves mounting a walkout and protest of their own workplace.

“Obviously, I screwed up that internal communication,” admitted Sarandos. “I did that, and I screwed it up in two ways. 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. That was uncharacteristic for me, and it was moving fast and we were trying to answer some really specific questions that were floating. We landed with some things that were much more blanket and matter-of-fact that are not at all accurate.”

He continued, “Of course storytelling has real impact in the real world. I reiterate that because it’s why I work here, it’s why we do what we do. That impact can be hugely positive, and it can be quite negative. So, I would have been better in that communication. They were joining a conversation already in progress, but out of context. But that happens, internal emails go out. In all my communications I should lean into the humanity up front and not make a blanket statement that could land very differently than it was intended.”

These are reversals on what was originally said by Sarandos in leaked internal memos, where he defended “artistic freedom” and denied that Netflix content could have harmful real-world effects. As for the planned walkout at Netflix, Sarandos said that he has already spoken to employees about the issues and will continue to do so.

“I’m committed to continuing to increase representation on screen and behind the camera, and I’m always open to learn and improve on how to address these challenges,” he said. 

We’ll just have to wait and see what happens after today’s planned protest and what Netflix is going to do in response. 

For those curious what the walkout at Netflix is meant to stand for, the organizers of the movement, The Trans* Employee Resource Group, has written a letter with their list of demands (via The Verge):

Over the past few weeks, it has become clear that there are many places where Netflix still has to grow when it comes to content relating to the trans and non-binary community. The Trans* Employee Resource Group, which includes trans and non-binary colleagues as well as our numerous allies, wants Netflix to immediately take the steps below to begin to repair the relationship between the Company, our colleagues, and our audience. Specifically, we want the Company to adopt measures in the areas of Content Investment, Employee Relations and Safety, and Harm Reduction, all of which are necessary to avoid future instances of platforming transphobia and hate speech, and to account for the harm we have caused and will continue to cause until the below measures are put in place.

Content Investment

  • Create a new fund to specifically develop trans and non-binary talent
  • This fund should support both above-the-line (ATL) and below-the-line (BTL) talent;
  • This fund should exist in addition to the existing Creative Equity Fund;
  • Increase investment in trans and non-binary content on Netflix comparable to our total investment in transphobic content, including marketing and promotion;
  • Invest in multiple trans creators to make both scripted and unscripted programs across genres;
  • Revise internal processes on commissioning and releasing potential harmful (“sensitive”) content, including but not limited to involving parties who are a part of the subject community and can speak to potential harm, or consulting with 3rd party experts/vendors;
  • Increase the ERG role in conversations around potentially harmful content and ensure we have best in class regional support on complicated intersectional diversity issues;
  • Hire trans and non-binary content executives, especially BIPOC, in leading positions;

Employee Relations and Safety

  • Recruit trans people, especially BIPOC, for leadership roles in the company (Director, VP, etc.) and promote an inclusive environment for them;
  • Allow employees to remove themselves from previous company promotional content (e.g. allyship and diversity videos, etc.);
  • Eliminate references/imagery of transphobic titles or talent inside of the workplace, including but not limited to murals, posters, room names, swag;

Harm Reduction

  • Acknowledge the harm and Netflix’s responsibility for this harm from transphobic content, and in particular harm to the Black trans community;
  • Add a disclaimer before transphobic titles that specifically flag transphobic language, misogyny, homophobia, hate speech, etc. as required;
  • Boost promotion for Disclosure and other trans-affirming titles in the platform;
  • Suggest trans-affirming content alongside and after content flagged as anti-trans.

We are employees, but we are members, too. We believe that this Company can and must do better in our quest to entertain the world, and that the way forward must include more diverse voices in order to avoid causing more harm. The Trans* ERG looks forward to working with the Company to make this a better, more entertaining place for us all.

Sincerely-

Trans* Netflix