Netflix cracks down on woke culture!
The streaming giant has reportedly issued a memo to its disgruntled employees, highlighting that the company values the "artistic expression" of its content creators over each employee's personal thoughts, beliefs, and lifestyles, as per the report of New York Post.
New Netflix Memo
"Be willing to work on content you may not agree with. And if you don't like it, you can cancel," read the The Wall Street Journal report regarding the streaming behemoth's update to its culture policy.
The company's memo, titled "Netflix Culture — Seeking Excellence," said, "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. If you'd find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you."
Under the "Artistic Expression" section of the memo, Netflix shared that it's challenging to entertain the entire world because people have such diverse preferences and perspectives.
As a result, the streaming platform provides a diverse selection of TV episodes and films, some of which may be controversial. Because of this, the company made sure to provide ratings, content warnings, and simple parental controls to help members make educated decisions about what to watch.
And while the streaming behemoth admitted that its material might be offensive to certain viewers, it has vowed not to suppress its artists' voices.
Read More: Netflix Games List: How to Play 'Arcanium,' 'Krispee Street'
"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 company said.
Why Did Netflix Issue This Memo?
As per a Variety report, since Dave Chappelle's comedy special "The Closer" debuted on Oct. 5 last year, Netflix has been embroiled in controversy, with workers and artists openly condemning Chappelle for comments and jokes they deemed transphobic and homophobic.
As a result, hundreds of Netflix employees and allies protested on Oct. 20 at the streaming giant's Los Angeles headquarters. However, the event, which was meant to show support for the trans community, became confrontational at times as demonstrators clashed with a boisterous audience of the comedian's supporters.
According to another Variety report, Chappelle addresses the controversy surrounding his Netflix special in a stand-up video, claiming that he is prepared to meet with transgender Netflix employees or other members of the trans community, but that he will not bend "to anybody's demands."
Chappelle said that the issue stemmed from business interests and that he had received support from members of the LGBTQ+ community.
"I want everyone in this audience to know that even though the media frames it that it's me versus that community, that is not what it is," he said. "This has nothing to do with them. It's about corporate interests and what I can say and what I cannot say."
Related Article: Netflix Issues Extra Charges for Password Sharing Beyond Household
