Netflix has exclusive comedy specials with big stars like Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais, but the streaming service has faced backlash for working with them due to transphobic jokes included in the specials.
10.05.2022 - 00:21 / thewrap.com
Robbie Praw, VP of Stand-up and Comedy Formats at Netflix, announced on Monday that the streamer will be showcasing highlights from the 11-day “Netflix Is a Joke: The Festival” stand-up comedy event held in Los Angeles, including Pete Davidson riffing on Kanye West’s bizarre social media onslaught, Amy Schumer telling a joke she wasn’t allowed to do at the Oscars, and David Letterman commenting on the recent attack on Dave Chappelle.The month-long comedy rollout begins with “The Hall: Honoring the Greats of Stand-Up,” on May 19, which has John Mulaney paying tribute to Robin Williams, Dave Chappelle on Richard Pryor, Chelsea Handler on Joan Rivers and Jon Stewart to George Carlin. The remaining programs are as follows:Also coming up is a Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias special filmed in front of Netflix’s largest-ever audience at a sold-out Dodger Stadium.“These shows represent some of the best work we’ve done at Netflix, with the best comedic talent on the planet. We’re so grateful to everyone who performed, helping to create the biggest comedy festival in U.S.
history. From Amy Poehler and Tina Fey in conversation, to John Mulaney performing at both the Forum and the Hollywood Bowl, and an unforgettable evening during Stand Out … this festival was a celebration of comedy and a true civic event,” Praw said.
“There were so many special moments that are almost too numerous to mention, from Bill Burr, Wanda Sykes and Kevin Hart headlining the biggest venues in town, to Larry David charming everyone at the Greek, Seth Rogen leading hilarious table reads, free outdoor shows at the Palladium and Chris Rock surprising fans at the Hollywood Bowl. And Dave Chappelle’s four sold-out stand-up shows at the Bowl will go down as one of the
.Netflix has exclusive comedy specials with big stars like Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais, but the streaming service has faced backlash for working with them due to transphobic jokes included in the specials.
New York Times in a story posted Saturday. “They are not always going to be right, but how you help navigate the outcomes, and the urgency you bring to it, is what gets folks through the storm. And the storms will come.”While Netflix was riding high with the addition of 10 million subscribers amid the first few months of the pandemic in summer 2020, trouble loomed on the horizon.
J. Kim Murphy Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has offered further defense for the streamer’s curation of stand-up comedy specials from Ricky Gervais and Dave Chappelle, both of which have been criticized for including language that is considered transphobic.In an interview with Maureen Dowd at The New York Times, Sarandos reaffirmed his stance on airing the specials, saying that the way comedians figure out where the line is is by “crossing the line every once in a while.”“I think it’s very important to the American culture generally to have free expression, Sarandos told the Times.
Netflix is under fire again due to jokes about the transgender community in Ricky Gervais‘ new comedy special.
Warning: This story contains spoilers for season 1 of Squid Game.
Netflix employees should leave the company if they take issue with its programming, the streaming giant has said in an internal memo obtained ahead of its publication this week.Within the platform’s ‘Artistic Expression’ section of its corporate culture memo, which was due to be shared publicly on Thursday (May 19) although was obtained in advance by Variety, employees are advised that they should leave the company if they’re offended by the streamer’s “content breadth”.The anti-censorship drive comes months after Netflix aired Dave Chappelle’s controversial stand-up special The Closer, which prompted LGBTQ+ employees and supporters to walk out in protest over his transphobic and homophobic jokes.At the time Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended Chappelle, saying: “We don’t allow Netflix titles that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe The Closer crosses that line.”Now, the ‘Artistic Expression’ of Netflix’s updated memo states: “Not everyone will like — or agree with — everything on our service.“While every title is different, we approach them based on the same set of principles: we support the artistic expression of the creators we choose to work with; we program for a diversity of audiences and tastes; and we let viewers decide what’s appropriate for them, versus having Netflix censor specific artists or voices.”The section concludes that employees’ “personal values” about what they consider “harmful” will not be taken into consideration.It continued: “As employees we support the principle that Netflix offers a diversity of stories, even if we find some titles counter to our own personal values. Depending on your role, you may need to work on titles you perceive to be harmful.
A Rhode Island dog whose inspiring story of going from shelter dog to lifesaving police K-9 which became the subject of a recent Netflix movie has been euthanized.
Wilson Chapman editorNorm Macdonald may now be in the running for a posthumous Emmy. Netflix pulled a May surprise on Thursday, revealing that a final stand-up special from the legendary comedian, who died in September, will launch on May 30.
A Tribute To Bob Saget will premiere on June 10.The date was revealed during the Netflix Is A Joke festival (via Deadline), with the film set to celebrate the late comedian and actor’s life with friends and family.The special was filmed at The Comedy Store in West Hollywood following Saget’s death aged 65 on January 9, featuring guests Jim Carrey, Chris Rock, John Mayer, Jeff Ross and Full House co-star John Stamos.Saget was found dead by authorities in a Florida hotel room, the day after he had performed a stand-up comedy set in Jacksonville. It was confirmed in February he died as a result of head trauma.A statement shared by Saget’s family read: “[Authorities] have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep.”Stamos paid tribute to Saget following his death at the time, writing: “I am broken.
comedy festival, the streamer confirmed which performances will be available to view in the coming weeks, including tributes to late comedians such as Bob Saget and Robin Williams and the yet-to-be-announced date for Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias’s groundbreaking set at Dodger Stadium.Featuring a wide range of events and stars, the festival also made headlines for some of its comedians’ jokes, such as Pete Davidson’s digs at Kanye West. But the biggest news of the fest was when Dave Chappelle was tackled on stage during his set at the Hollywood Bowl, with the attacker being charged with four misdemeanor counts.
Netflix has announced a June 10 premiere date for A Tribute To Bob Saget, a celebration of the comedian and actor’s life in comedy with his friends and family. The date was unveiled as part of the Netflix Is A Joke festival.
Sad news for Amy Schumer fans.
The Upshaws are back in June for an eight-episode second season on Netflix, as audiences take yet another visit with a working-class African American family in Indiana struggling to make it work and make it right without the blueprints to do it.
David Letterman made a rare stand-up comedy appearance on Friday, May 6, performing at the Fonda Theatre as part of the Netflix Is A Joke Festival.
Pete Davidson has joked about Kanye West pulling a ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ – watch footage from his Netflix Is A Joke Festival set below.Davidson appeared at the festival last Friday (April 29) to premiere his new show, Pete Davidson And Best Friends, which was filmed for release on Netflix later in the year. To a sold-out crowd at Los Angeles’ Fonda Theatre, he opened the set by poking fun at the claims that West tried to spread rumours about Davidson – who is currently dating West’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian – having AIDS.“I had an AIDS scare this year,” he said before telling the audience that he got himself tested for the condition since West is a “genius”.
Damn! Pete Davidson really could not resist getting in some jabs at Kanye West!
UPDATED, 7:40 AM: Netflix today released a four-minute video clip of Pete Davidson joking about Kanye West during his appearance last week at the Netflix Is A Joke: The Festival at The Fonda Theatre. You can watch it above.
Dave Chappelle has been attacked by a man during a Netflix stand-up show at the Hollywood Bowl.Footage has surfaced online from last night’s show (May 3) which appears to show a man charging and tackling the comedian.The man was then said to have been dragged away by security, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Following the incident at the Netflix Is A Joke festival, Chappelle regained his composure and joked that “it was a trans man” in reference to the backlash last year over his stand-up special The Closer, where he described himself as “team TERF” as he spoke on the controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling.Dave Chappelle just got attacked on stage pic.twitter.com/E4gAfmkPgQ— Hoodville (@Hoodville_) May 4, 2022Here is a video of the aftermath.