The group has released a list of actionable demands intended to not only repair the streamer's relationship with the trans community, but prevent any future platforming of transphobia. A contingent within Netflix disagrees, however, as trans employees and their allies have scheduled a walkout over The Closer for today, October 20. Sarandos goes on to confirm that, while he has been listening intently to arguments to the contrary, he does not believe Chappelle's material meets that disqualifying criterion. Where we’ll definitely draw the line is on something that would intentionally call for physically harming other people or even remove protections. there will be things on Netflix that you dislike. Sometimes, and we do make sure our employees understand this, because of that. That impact can be hugely positive, and it can be quite negative. We are trying to support creative freedom and artistic expression among the artists that work at Netflix. I reiterate that because it’s why I work here, it’s why we do what we do. Of course storytelling has real impact in the real world. Meaning, I had a group of employees who were definitely feeling pain and hurt from a decision we made. We landed with some things that were much more blanket and matter-of-fact that are not at all accurate. First and foremost, I should have led with a lot more humanity. I did that, and I screwed it up in two ways. Obviously, I screwed up that internal communication. However, reinforcing that Netflix remains committed to on-screen diversity, he insists that Chappelle's creative freedom will continue to be protected: He refers specifically to his claim that fictional content doesn't translate to real-world harm, which he walks back, emphasizing instead that he should have approached the pain caused by The Closer with more empathy. In a new interview with Variety, however, Sarandos admits to regretting how he responded to his employee's concerns. Related: The Controversy Over Dave Chappelle's New Special 'The Closer' Explained Facing backlash from some of his own employees, he has remained steadfast in his decision not to remove The Closer from the streamer's library, citing Netflix's commitment to protecting the freedom of its creatives. Sarandos, meanwhile, has denied claims that the content crosses the line into hate speech, which the streaming service claims not to tolerate. Like Chappelle's previous special, 2019's Sticks & Stones, The Closer has been criticized for jokes directed at the LGBTQ+ community, and the transgender community in particular, which many argue are more harmful than funny.
The Closer proved instantly divisive, earning mixed reviews from critics and igniting a battle over the difference between free speech and hate speech. The stand-up comedy special from Dave Chappelle was recorded over the course of seven live performances in August, 2021, and released on the streaming service on October 5.
Vacationing in Antarctica? You’ll have access to a hundred more movies and shows than South Korea or Israel.įor the full list of movies and shows available, check out uNoGS or use the table below to see how countries stack up.Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos expresses regret at his handling of the controversy over The Closer, but maintains that it won't be taken down.
Behind the United States, the Caribbean island of Martinique has access to the most videos, followed by the French territory of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Aruba, and the Caribbean Netherlands. But a searchable database is likely something that Netflix would fight to take down as it faces pressure from copyright owners to take action against the users who are gaming the regional licensing agreements.Įven if you're not looking at global streaming options, the catalog does give an interesting look at which countries have access to the most videos - and the top five are probably not what you’d expect. Netflix does not release their full catalog offerings - the company closed its public API several years ago - and so far it’s unclear if this unofficial catalog violates any of the company’s terms of service. Vacationing in Antarctica? You’ll have access to more movies than South Korea The website goes as far as to suggest a VPN provider in countries where the video is not available. Updated daily, users can search the catalog based on everything from Netflix and IMDb rating, to genre and the availability of subtitles. The Unofficial Netflix Online Global Search (or uNoGS) is an online searchable database of the videos available in the 244 regions where Netflix is currently available. While Netflix goes on the offensive against customers who use VPNs to stream videos not available within their own country, a new website is taking some of the guesswork out of regional hopping.