Dave Chappelle’s Controversial Special ‘The Closer’ Lands Emmy Nom

Peter White
·1 min read
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Dave Chappelle continues to gain the support of TV Academy voters.

The comedian’s latest Netflix comedy special The Closer, which has been engulfed in controversy due to the backlash regarding transgender jokes, has landed an Emmy nomination in the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) category.

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It is his fourth nomination in the category in five years. In 2018, his Equanimity special won the award, while in 2020 he also beat rival comedians Hannah Gadsby, Jerry Seinfeld, John Mulaney and Tiffany Haddish, as well as his own PBS special around him winning the Mark Twain comedy award.

Last year, however, his George Floyd special 8:46, which dropped on YouTube, was beaten by Hamilton.

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The Closer, which was released in October 2021, received backlash for Chappelle’s take on transgender rights. It caused a walkout from trans employees at the streamer, while co-CEO Ted Sarandos was in the crosshairs after defending the special and admitting that he “screwed up” the internal communication of the issue.

Directed by Stan Lathan, here’s the official synopsis of the special: As he closes out his slate of comedy specials, Dave takes the stage to try and set the record straight — and get a few things off his chest.

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