Despite the backlash, Dave Chappelle’s ‘The Closer’ has landed two Emmy nominations for pre-recorded variety special and directing for a variety special.
This 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, and John Mulaney.
Last year, after ‘The Closer’ debuted on Netflix in 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.
This ultimately resulted in walk outs from trans employees. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos defended the special and argued that “content on screen doesn’t directly translate to real-world harm”.