In a wide-ranging interview published today in the New York Times, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has doubled down on his earlier defense of artistic freedom and support for comedians Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais.
Both comics have come under fire in some circles for attacking transgender people. The controversy prompted some Netflix employees to stage an earlier protest.
In an interview with Maureen Dowd, Sarandos said he was surprised by the reaction but had no hesitation in supporting Chappelle. He added that comedians can only figure out what’s acceptable by “crossing the line from time to time. I think that for American culture in general, having free speech is very important.
“We code for a lot of different people who have different opinions and different tastes and different styles, and yet we don’t do everything for everyone. We want something for everyone, but not everything will be for everyone.”
The Chappelle support “wasn’t heavy in that regard. And you rarely get a chance to put your principles to the test,” he said. “It was an opportunity to take someone, as in Dave’s case, who is by any measure the comedian of our generation, easily the most popular comedian on Netflix. No one would say that what they do isn’t thoughtful or smart. You just don’t agree with him. ”
Days after Chappelle was attacked onstage at the Hollywood Bowl during the Netflix Is a Joke Festival, Netflix released a new corporate culture memo. The synopsis suggested, “If you’re having a hard time supporting our breadth of content, Netflix may not be the best place for you.”
That line in the sand was celebrated by the Conservatives, surprising Sarandos. “It used to be a very liberal issue, so we live in interesting times.”
He added, “I’ve always said if we censor in the US, how are we going to defend our content in the Middle East?”
Sarandos didn’t delve that deeply into the controversy surrounding Ricky Gervais’ comedy special on Netflix. Similar outrage was expressed at the perceived anti-transgender attitude.
Sarandos said his comments about Chappelle concerned Gervais.