While comedian Dave Chappelle has come under fire recently for his Netflix comedy special, The Closer, South Park creator Matt Stone has said he believes that Netflix handling of the controversy has elevated their reputation in Hollywood. Stone and his South Park co-creator Trey Parker have often been the subject of numerous complaints over the years for the animated series which pokes fun at every subject that "you shouldn't poke fun at" as part of the dark, profanity filled animated world of South Park, so the controversy surrounding Chappelle's special, which has caused a wave of complaints from the Trans community is something that Stone knows a bit about.

In his comments, Matt Stone said, "I think Netflix's reputation in the Hollywood community went way, way up. That's all I'm going to say. There are some people who do not agree. But the vast majority of creative people in Hollywood were happy with Netflix's decision. That's my feeling. I can't prove that."

Public complaints about the content of TV programs have been around almost as long as television itself, but the last few decades, with the boom in social media, has allowed more people to air their grievances in seconds and on a very public platform. When these complaints do arise, they usually lead to a stand-off between those who have been offended and those who haven't, and finding a middle ground at times seems impossible. Many complaints against comedy, come down to comedians making jokes about communities that they are not part of, and therefore some believe they should not be making the jokes in the first place.

Dave Chappelle has already seen a similar backlash for his Sticks and Stones special in 2019, which was itself criticized by LGBTQ+ and transgender groups arguing that his shows are harmful rather than funny. However, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos recently said that although he "screwed up" his communication to Netflix staff unhappy that Chappelle's special was not removed, but stood by the creative freedom of the artists that Netflix feature on their platform.

In an interview with Variety, Sarandos said, "Obviously, I screwed up that internal communication. I did that, and I screwed it up in two ways. First and foremost, I should have led with a lot more humanity. Meaning, I had a group of employees who were definitely feeling pain and hurt from a decision we made. We landed with some things that were much more blanket and matter-of-fact that are not at all accurate. Of course storytelling has real impact in the real world. I reiterate that because it's why I work here, it's why we do what we do. That impact can be hugely positive, and it can be quite negative."

He added, "We are trying to support creative freedom and artistic expression among the artists that work at Netflix. Sometimes, and we do make sure our employees understand this, because of that... there will be things on Netflix that you dislike. That you even find to be harmful. Where we'll definitely draw the line is on something that would intentionally call for physically harming other people or even remove protections."

The question of where the line between free speech, creative freedom and damaging opinion lies is one that is not likely to be resolved anytime soon, with more minority groups looking for greater inclusion and equality across the entertainment industry. As noted, South Park has been courting this kind of controversy for three decades, and creators Stone and Parker spoke recently about how they "have zero concern about criticism, outrage or cancel culture" when it comes to telling the stories of South Park. As the show was renewed up to season 30, with an additional 14 new movie and TV projects added to their deal, Stone commented, "We have been waiting to get canceled for 30 years. We have been dealing with this shit the whole time we have been making the show. And we can't complain. Things have been going fine for us. It gives us fodder and gives us something to talk about."

It seems that overall, there are a growing number of people who support Netflix's overall approach to the controversy, and while not everyone will agree, it continues to show that there is a polarizing opinion about just how far is too far when it comes to both content and the restriction of creative freedom. This news comes to us from The Hollywood Reporter.