Netflix and Chappelle won't be canceled over 'The Closer' — but that's not the point
If Netflix could be canceled, it seems the last few weeks would have done the trick.
In the avalanche of controversy following the release of comic Dave Chappelle's tone-deaf Netflix standup special, The Closer, no entity took it on the chin harder than the sprawling streaming company.
Most recently, the company faces complaints filed with the National Labor Relations Board last week by employees fired or suspended during the Chappelle controversy. They allege the company retaliated against them over their public criticism of the special. Netflix has denied the assertions.
Besides drawing an avalanche of critical reviews and complaints from groups like the LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD and the National Black Justice Coalition, Chappelle's special inspired a walkout organized by Netflix's own transgender employees and their allies, drawing several hundred people to the company's office in Los Angeles office.
But even as Netflix's co-CEO Ted Sarandos has that he "screwed up" addressing his staff's at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies last week. And it's hard to see how that decision will, ultimately, harm Netflix's bottom line.
