The Chappelle Watershed Moment
How Netflix handles the backlash to The Closer will determine the continued power of the shrieking micro-minority.
If you give a mouse a cookie he’s gonna want a glass of milk.
The trouble with the whole 'cancel culture' nonsense boils down to the parents. If a child throws a tantrum, makes demands, and refuses to stop screaming until he gets his way, the parent has two choices: capitulate or deny. Parents who capitulate train the child to throw tantrums rather than find a more productive approach. It's bad parenting. It makes for bad children. They grow up with a bizarre sense of their own power but the only demonstration of said power is through a spiteful rage.
Corporations that bow down to a micro-minority of very loud Twitter complaints based upon identity or tribal demands train those who gain power through mob tantrum to keep doing it.
The media has all but given up. Smaller businesses, eager to ease the bad publicity caused by online activism often have no choice but to cave. It's the big corporations that need to create boundaries.
Is Chappelle's latest Netflix special edgy? You bet. He warned us in the first ten minutes. Could anyone suspect he might make harsh fun of whites, blacks, gays, straights, man, women, and the trans community? Of course. His last three specials did much the same. Were they funny? Most people thought so. That's why they were greeted with massive viewership, awards, and Chapelle got another special.
Is it his best? Nah. It’s good that he’s capping it with this one because he’s getting closer to that Lenny Bruce railing against the courts territory here. Too much of the special seems to be trying to prove he’s been unjustly called out so he’s using the platform to even the scales some. Like the first comeback show of Louis C.K. which spent more time than necessary on his pain and less on his funny.
Netflix is about their bottom line and the screeching of less than one percent of their subscriber base should not influence them to censor a problematic but widely enjoyed comedy special. Truth is that most of those most incensed will still pay to stream Squid Games.
This is the same issue Biden, Schumer, and Pelosi face. The vast majority of the country embraces expansions to Medicare, drug program regulation, expanded childcare financing, reformed police departments, and the bulk of the bills up for debate. Likewise, the vast majority of the country does not embrace open borders, defunding the police, free college, and the programs pushed by the micro-minority of legislators on the Far Left.
If the activists cannot act productively, then the adults in the room either ignore them or find a way around. Otherwise, the Dems will be defeated handily in 2022 and Trump will return.
As for The Closer?
Several of you have also asked where we draw the line on hate. We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe The Closer crosses that line. I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries. Some people find the art of stand-up to be mean spirited but our members enjoy it, and it’s an important part of our content offering.
The adults have spoken. Let’s hope for a few more adult voices forthcoming.
