Dave Chappelle’s ‘The Closer’ Lands 2 Emmy Nominations Despite Public Backlash

J. Clara Chan
·2 min read
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Dave Chappelle’s standup special, The Closer, has landed two nominations for the 2022 Emmys, despite backlash from Netflix employees and viewers over the comedian’s jokes targeting trans people.

The special received nods for best pre-recorded variety special, and for Stan Lathan in the variety special directing category. In the variety special category, The Closer is joined by Adele’s One Night Only, Warner Bros. and HBO/HBO Max’s Harry Potter reunion, Norm Macdonald’s posthumous Netflix special Nothing Special, and Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga’s One Last Time.

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Shortly after The Closer debuted on Netflix last October, trans staff members and allies at Netflix spoke out against the comedian, who mocked gender identities and defended J.K. Rowling’s transphobic remarks during the special. At the time, a few internal memos sent to employees by co-CEO Ted Sarandos, in which he defended the special and argued that “content on screen doesn’t directly translate to real-world harm,” added fuel to the fire, leading staffers and allies to plan an in-person and virtual walkout to protest the streamer’s handling of the matter.

Sarandos later apologized for his memos, admitting that he “screwed up those communications” but noting that his stance toward keeping the special up — and without any sort of disclaimer — remained the same. Chappelle, meanwhile, is set to host and produce four new comedy specials with Netflix, the first of which was released earlier in February.

The firestorm around The Closer has led to an ongoing debate around the role streamers like Netflix have in platforming contentious content, as well as how much — or little — power employees can have in speaking out against such content. Earlier this year, Netflix updated its culture memo to warn prospective employees that the streamer “may not be the best place for you” if they would not be comfortable working on a wide breadth of titles, including those they may “perceive to be harmful.”

The aftermath of the special has also seen growing concerns about the safety of comedians after Chappelle was attacked on-stage while performing at The Hollywood Bowl in May during the Netflix Is a Joke festival, with the assailant later saying the attack was in part a response to Chappelle’s jokes about the LGBTQ community and homelessness.

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