Producing : Chapelle - Netflix - and you by Cherelynn Baker

Freedom of Speech - the only thing which allows us as producers, directors, writers and other artists to express ourselves. For real. Cancel culture needs to be shut down and those behind it need to be slapped. They forget they live in America. Perhaps they would be happier in China... where their opinions could land them in irons on any given day.

Thank you Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg - I find it ironic that this subject comes up as there is so much content currently streaming that could be considered offensive. In the words of Gilda Radner, "it's always something!".

Freedom of speech doesn't apply to hate speech, in my opinion. If what Chapelle said in his show was about a specific ethnicity and not trans people, everyone would have been outraged. But somehow, mocking queer folks and belittling their issues is still okay... And what Netflix said, "it does not translate into real-world harm” were clearly the words of cisgender white male with a terrible lack of empathy and knowledge. Yes, it DOES translate into real-world harm! Of course it does, because after seeing Chapelle saying that stuff about trans people on TV, then now some people will think it's okay to say that. This leads to bullying and queer people feeling so bad about themselves they can go so far as committing suicide. As a platform that always promoted inclusivity and diversity in its shows, I just don't understand how Netflix can host this type of content.

I think we are all adults. Comedy should help us to laugh at anything and break the tension. So, in times past, we had comedy cover every type of lifestyle or race. It was a comedy, not a real-world event. I just don't get how I could get hurt on something that was not directed specifically to me and was a generalization of something that was in a comedy show. If we cannot laugh at ourselves, then we will live in a really tense world full of strife.

Back in olden times; the ACLU defended the 'rights' of free speech for those unsavory KKK folk. Today the ACLU has become a self appointed censor of the 'right' of free speech. MY; how the world has changed.

Now as I said, and without qualification of any kind, the ability of every writer, producer, director and artist to make their statement depends on freedom of speech. It's why people come to this country. We paid for it, and still pay for it in blood. That doesn't mean that there are not consequences to making your statement, but the current rabid culture of crying and whining and pretending opinions one doesn't like are "hate speech" is anti-American, Anti-democratic, Anti-Patriotic, and just plain cynically hypocritical.

Alicia Sekhri People who think they should be able to shut others down seem to think they are safe in their own freedoms - they are not. If you can shut one person down with political screaming, you too can and eventually will lose your right to say what you want. True. Period. Defining statements as "hate speech" because a particular person or particular group doesn't like them is cynical anti-democratic political maneuvering; it does not mean the opinion is hate speech in any degree. It means someone doesn't agree with it and either is actually offended or pretending to be offended. I didn't watch the whole thing but I am confident that referring to objective biology and differentiating that from political wishes is "hate speech" only in someone's fantasy world. Media requires you to participate as an audience member on purpose and therefore the depth of one's offense is suspect by definition. If you don't like something you needn't watch it, read it or hear it. People don't change the channel and they continue stoke their own anger - intentionally - because they have a political axe to grind, not necessarily because a statement is objectively offensive. Nor is offending one person or group "hate speech" . People need to just grow up.

Juan Seattle That's actually really funny and to many of us, the alphabet people comment is a pointed wink to the industry. Because for those of us around for a while, we know that casting directors and producers have used it as shorthand for the LBGQ etc. community for long over a decade. First discussion with a casting director often goes something like "How are we going to cast this: Aryan Nations (all white with maybe a token Black possible in the background), Urban (all Black with maybe a token white possible in the background, Rainbow (one of every ethnicity until cast is full) or Alphabet (LGBQ)? Mainstream is all very calculated and Dave clearly is jabbing at them here with that comment, as well the joke. He's told their secrets before. The very recent trend in Hollywood, sadly, is for casting breakdowns to come out with only two choices: no ethnicity specified, which means white, or "Diverse" which means anyone not white. Thus the powers that be are actually now lumping everyone not white into one group. It permits them to cast someone "diverse" without addressing specific inequalities and without being criticized... because they attended to "diversity."