It’s no secret that in today’s Hollywood, artistic risk-taking often comes second to woke ideological conformity. Censorship, virtue signaling, and overprescribed outrage have become show-business-as-usual. Studios trip over themselves to inject far-left political messaging into nearly every script, award shows have become lectures, and entire careers can be derailed by a single viral moment that stokes a campaign of indignation. The industry’s obsession has created a climate where self-censorship is the norm and challenging the narrative is a career hazard.
But amid the tyranny that is the “woke” outrage mob, one major player has shown a remarkable level of resistance. While Hollywood studios, streaming platforms, and even sports leagues scramble to appease progressive activists, Netflix has taken a different path: defending free expression and refusing to cave to censorship demands.
Take Dave Chappelle. In 2021, the left erupted over his Netflix special The Closer, accusing him of “transphobia” and demanding it be removed from the platform. Netflix employees staged a walkout, activist groups piled on, and the media treated it like a moral emergency. Most companies would have folded instantly, but Netflix didn’t budge. Netflix didn’t just keep Chappelle; it doubled down, releasing two new specials from him since. And Chappelle remains one of Netflix’s most bankable stars, proving that audiences, not activists, should decide what’s worth watching.
Another example is Ricky Gervais. In 2022, his special SuperNature ignited a frenzy from the woke mob around jokes about transgender women. Again, activists demanded Netflix pull the special, and, again, Netflix stood its ground. Sarandos publicly defended Gervais (who has since released two more specials on Netflix — Armageddon and Morality).
Or look at Tony Hinchcliffe. Known for his sharp-edged humor, Hinchcliffe went viral after some of the jokes he told at a rally for President Donald Trump. But Netflix didn’t just keep working with him; the company expanded the partnership, ordering three Kill Tony specials and an additional stand-up special. That’s a clear message: Netflix isn’t going to blacklist talent for offending progressive sensibilities.
Netflix’s defense of free speech isn’t just visible in its programming choices. In 2022, the company sent a “culture memo” to employees, making its stance crystal clear: if you’re offended by the content on Netflix platforms, you might want to work somewhere else. “Depending on your role, you may need to work on titles you perceive to be harmful,” the memo read. “If you’d find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you.” It was a rare display of backbone in corporate America.
And while other entertainment companies have compromised their values to tap into the lucrative Chinese market, Netflix has refused. Sarandos has openly said the company has zero presence in China because its shows wouldn’t pass the country’s censorship board without cuts. “We’re one of the rare companies in the U.S. that has no exposure to China’s censorship, taxes, tariffs, anything,” he explained. In a world where Disney edits films to appease Beijing and the NBA tiptoes around human rights abuses to protect its market share, Netflix’s refusal to bend the knee is refreshing.
Look, it’s true that conservatives won’t love every piece of content on Netflix. But the presence of programming that attracts a progressive audience doesn’t change the fact that Netflix consistently refuses to censor material because it offends delicate leftist sensibilities. The company has proven that it understands something vital: free speech matters, and the audience — not activists — should decide what’s worth watching.
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