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Dave Chappelle on ‘SNL’: A timeline of the controversy around his transgender jokes

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CNN
 — 

Tonight Dave Chappelle will host “Saturday Night Live” for the third time – an appearance that is courting controversy before he even takes the stage.

The comedian has drawn increasing ire in recent years for making jokes aimed at transgender people, and the outcry grew louder last fall when Netflix released a Chappelle special, “The Closer,” in which he doubled down on his comments.

Netflix stood by Chappelle, who went on a national tour after the special and largely ignored the controversy after addressing it in his act.

But his comments were criticized by fellow comics, fans, trans advocates and some Netflix employees, and a Minnesota venue canceled a Chappelle show this year over the controversy.

Given that context, it was surprising to some “SNL” viewers to see him invited back to Studio 8H. Here’s a look at Chappelle’s recent history of jokes about trans people – and the resulting backlash.

August: In a series of stand-up shows at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, Chappelle made jokes aimed at trans people for at least 20 minutes, Vulture reported. He made explicit jokes about trans people’s bodies and referred to trans people as “transgenders,” among other comments, Vulture said.

These weren’t the first jokes Chappelle had made at trans people’s expense. But he delivered them in New York after drawing some backlash for earlier comments.

“That joke and others in this section suffer from the same problems as those from his specials – they are rooted in disgust and generalization,” Vulture wrote of a Chappelle joke about ISIS fighters being horrified by transgender soldiers. “They’re just not good.”

August 26: Netflix released a stand-up special, “Sticks and Stones,” in which Chappelle performed more material about trans people, including some content from his Radio City shows. In an epilogue to the special, he brought up his friend Daphne Dorman, a trans comedian, whom he said laughed hardest at his jokes about trans people.

October 5: Netflix released Chappelle’s special “The Closer.” In it, he goes on an extended tangent about transgender people and makes several jokes at their expense. He misgenders a trans comedian, once again makes explicit jokes about trans women’s bodies and defends TERFs, or trans-exclusionary radical feminists.

He also referred to trans people as “transgenders,” states that “gender is a fact” and later says that Dorman died by suicide shortly after she was criticized by other trans people for defending Chappelle after “Sticks and Stones.”

At the time Chappelle’s special was released, at least 33 states had introduced anti-transgender legislation, much of it aimed at young trans people.

October 13: Amid calls from LGBTQ advocates, fellow comedians, Netflix employees and social justice organizations to pull the special, Netflix stood by Chappelle.

In a letter obtained by the Verge and Variety, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos told employees that the special will remain available to stream.

“We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe ‘The Closer’ crosses that line … Some people find the art of stand-up to be mean spirited but our members enjoy it, and it’s an important part of our content offering,” Sarandos wrote.

Netflix suspended three employees for attending a virtual meeting of directors to discuss the special without notifying the meeting organizer in advance. Among them was Terra Field, a trans senior software engineer who had publicly criticized the special and Netflix. Her suspension was later reversed.

October 19: Sarandos told Variety he “screwed up” his communications with Netflix employees but reaffirmed he did not believe the special qualifies as “hate speech.”

October 20: Around 65 demonstrators, including Netflix employees and trans advocates, participated in a walkout in protest of Netflix’s support of “The Closer.” The demonstrators called on Netflix to hire more trans and non-binary executives and fund more trans and non-binary talent.

October 24: Three trans stand-up comics told CNN they were disappointed by Chappelle’s jokes, even though all three said they once considered the celebrated performer as a comedy inspiration. While all of them agreed that jokes about trans people aren’t inherently offensive, they said Chappelle’s set was infused with the same hateful rhetoric and language used by anti-transgender critics.

“When he talks about the trans community, he’s not talking about them, he’s speaking out against them,” comedian Nat Puff told CNN. “And that’s the difference between saying something funny about the trans community and saying something offensive about the trans community.”

A fourth comic, Flame Monroe, one of the only trans comics whose material is streaming on Netflix, told CNN she believes Chappelle should be allowed to joke about trans people, even though she initially was taken aback by some of his comments.

October 25: Chappelle addressed critics at a show in Nashville, appearing alongside Joe Rogan, the podcast host who’s been criticized for dismissing the effectiveness of vaccines and using racial slurs, among other controversies.

Chappelle released videos on his official Instagram account from the set, in which he seemingly addressed the trans employees at Netflix who participated in the walkout over “The Closer.”

“It seems like I’m the only one who can’t go to the office anymore,” he said.

“I want everyone in this audience to know that even though the media frames it as though it’s me versus that community, that’s not what it is,” Chappelle went on. “Do not blame the LBGTQ (sic) community for any of this s—. This has nothing to do with them. It’s about corporate interest and what I can say and what I cannot say.”

“For the record – and I need you to know this – everyone I know from that community has been nothing but loving and supportive. So I don’t know what all this nonsense is about.”

July 12: “The Closer” was nominated for two Emmys, including “outstanding variety special (pre-recorded).” Adele later won the category.

July 21: A Minneapolis venue canceled Chappelle’s sold-out show hours before its doors were set to open, apologizing to “staff, artists and our community” after receiving criticism for hosting Chappelle.

“We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have,” wrote First Avenue, the venue famous for being featured in Prince’s “Purple Rain” film.

November 5: “Saturday Night Live” announced Chappelle would be its post-midterms host. The backlash was swift.

Field joked on Twitter: “Wait I thought I cancelled (sic) him. Is it possible cancel culture isn’t a real thing??”

November 10: After the New York Post reported that several “SNL” writers are boycotting Saturday’s episode, Chappelle’s representatives told CNN there are no issues with writers or cast members. “SNL’s” current staff includes nonbinary cast member Molly Kearney and nonbinary writer Celeste Yim.

Chappelle will take the stage live Saturday at 11:30 p.m. ET.



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Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle 2022 Co-Headlining Tour Announcement

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Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle have dates for their co-headlining tour.

Set to take place across seven dates this December, the comedians will kick off their engagement on December 1 in San Diego and will appear in Phoenix, Anaheim, San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento before closing it out in Thousand Palms on December 14. The tour will take place just shortly after Rock finishes his solo engagements, and a week or so before Chappelle begins his three-date shows in Hollywood, Florida from December 27 to December 29.

Check out the list of tour dates below. Live Nation’s pre-sale tickets will be available on October 20 while tickets for the general public will be available on October 21.

Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle 2022 Tour Dates
12/01 – San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
12/05 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
12/07 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Center
12/10 – San Jose, CA @ SAP Center
12/11 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
12/12 – Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center
12/14 – Thousand Palms, CA @ Acrisure Arena

Elsewhere in entertainment, Rian Johnson confirmed that Benoit Blanc, Daniel Craig’s character in Knives Out, is gay.

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Dave Chappelle says that before Oscars slap, Will Smith ‘did an impression of a perfect man for 30 years’

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Chappelle is in the midst of a joint comedy tour with Chris Rock, who in March was slapped while presenting on stage at the Academy Awards by actor Will Smith.

“A lot of people forget who Will Smith is,” Chappelle said on stage at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, according to British news outlet, The Telegraph. “Then 10 minutes before he was about to get the biggest award… he acted like he was back in Philadelphia.”
Smith won a best actor award for his role as Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, in the film “King Richard.” But his win was overshadowed by his conduct that night, which was condemned by the Academy and earned Smith a 10-year ban from Academy events.

“Will did the impression of a perfect person for 30 years, and he ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us,” Chappelle said. “Whatever the consequences are… I hope he doesn’t put his mask back on again, and lets his real face breathe….I see myself in both men.”

A representative for Chappelle confirmed The Telegraph’s reporting. CNN has reached out to representatives for Rock and Smith for comment.

Chappelle made the comments during the first of three shows as part of their UK tour. They have two consecutive dates scheduled this weekend at London’s O2 arena, with additional dates scheduled throughout Europe.

Rock reportedly also addressed the slap, joking that Smith “hit me over a bullsh-t joke, the nicest joke I ever told,” according to The Telegraph and The Times of London.
In July, Smith opened up about the incident in a video posted to Instagram, saying he was “deeply remorseful.”

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Theater cancels sold-out Dave Chappelle show hours before performance

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Dave Chappelle
Photo: Eamonn M. McCormack (Getty Images)

A theater in Minneapolis canceled a sold-out Dave Chappelle show yesterday, transferring the performance to a different venue just hours before Chappelle was set to take the stage. This is per CNN, which reports that Minneapolis’ First Avenue theater issued a statement on its Instagram this week, which included an apology to “staff, artists, and our community” for not holding itself to “our highest standards” for booking Chappelle, who has come under heavy criticism in recent years for a) doing transphobic material in his various comedy sets and specials and b) getting very angry at people suggesting that transphobic material by one of the most well-known and popular comedians on the planet might go some way toward propagating harmful attitudes towards trans people.

First Avenue’s post didn’t specifically cite Chappelle’s transphobic material as the reason for the cancellation—or the presence of a small group of protestors outside the theater ahead of Chappelle’s performance—but its statement does cite the “impact” that Chappelle’s appearance would have. “The First Avenue team and you have worked hard to make our venues the safest spaces in the country,” the statement reads in part.

Chappelle, who performed that night at the Varsity Theater, did, of course, address the cancellation, calling protestors “transgender lunatics” and stating rumors that First Avenue staffers had been threatened to cancel his show. (He also managed to get in a line about monkeypox being a “gay disease,” because if there’s one place Chappelle remains at the cutting edge of modern comedy, it’s in finding the most recent and harmful false narratives to propagate.)

Anyway, please prepare your bodies for yet another chapter in the ongoing discourse about whether Dave Chappelle—who still, we feel it’s worth noting, got to do a show last night in which he charged $130 a pop for people to hear him do an hour about how silenced he is—is being canceled.



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Minneapolis Venue Cancels Dave Chappelle Show

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Attendees who planned to see Dave Chappelle at Minneapolis’ iconic First Avenue will have to reroute to Varsity Theater tonight. On Wednesday evening, the venue originally scheduled to host the comedian announced it would be canceling the show hours before set time.

Apologizing to their staff, artists, and the community, organizers at First Avenue said in a statement that they had to “hold ourselves to the highest standards.”

“We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls,” the venue wrote. “The First Avenue team and you have worked hard to make our venues the safest spaces in the country, and we will continue with that mission.”

Those planning to attend the show were set to receive an email with information about the comedy event’s new venue, Varsity Theater, two and a half miles away.

“We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have,” the venue wrote. “We know there are some who will not agree with this decision; you are welcome to send feedback.”

The cancelation and venue change comes as activists organized a protest outside of the venue, which is now being moved to Varsity Theater. Local reporter Grace Birnstengel with MPR News said she had spoken with “upset staffers” at the venue Tuesday, some of whom were planning to call out sick the night of the show. A rep for First Avenue said they could not confirm whether staff had called out of work to protest the show.

Reps for First Avenue and Chappelle did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s requests for comment.

Chappelle has long faced backlash for his transphobic jokes, especially those featured in an October stand-up special, titled The Closer. Chappelle called himself a TERF, and said Caitlyn Jenner winning a “Woman of the Year” prize was like BET giving Eminem a “N— of the Year” prize.

The Netflix special led to employees at the streaming service staging a walkout, demanding Netflix acknowledge the detrimental effect material like Chappelle’s can have on the LGBTQ community while also pushing the service to release more LGBTQ content.

At the time, Chappelle appeared to relish the controversy. A statement from the comedian’s rep said he “stands by his art” but was ostensibly open to discussing the issues with the special. Probably the closest thing to that kind of conversation took place about a month later during a contentious Q&A session with students at Chappelle’s former high school in D.C. The school was planning on naming its theater after the comedian, and as students expressed their concerns about the decision in light of his jokes, Chappelle responded by calling them “immature.” 

This past June, Chappelle returned to the high school to address students again as the theater was officially christened the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression. “Rather than give this theater my name, I would like to give these students my message,” Chappelle said in a speech that is now serving as his latest Netflix release, What’s In a Name?



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Dave Chappelle Minneapolis Show Cancelled Amidst Transphobic Remarks Backlash – Deadline

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Dave Chappelle may have garnered an Emmy nomination last week for his controversial The Closer special, but today the comic was booted out of one of Minneapolis’ most storied venues for his often-wounding take on the transgender community.

Mere hours before the Mark Twain Prize winner was set to step on to the stage at the Minnesota metropolis’ First Avenue, organizers pulled the plug on the sold-out show. Citing a backlash against Chappelle’s perceived transphobic remarks, First Avenue management canceled his protested performance at the venue and moved him to the nearby Varsity Theater.

Here is what First Avenue said earlier today:

The Varsity Theater soon afterwards took to Twitter Wednesday to reinforce the shift of venues:

Reps for Chappelle, who was previously set to put on two other shows at the Varsity tomorrow and on July 22, did not respond to a request for comment from Deadline on the First Avenue cancellation. Tickets for Chappelle’s First Avenue gig were suddenly released on July 18 and were scooped up within minutes for the 1,550 main room capacity facility.

For those of you living under a rock or requiring a cultural anthropology lesson, First Avenue is the club featured heavily in Prince’s iconic Purple Rain film from 1984. Though First Avenue has never official been declared a historical landmark, as many believe it should be, the venue celebrated its 50th anniversary back in 2020. Over his career, Chappelle has performed at the venue repeatedly.

Even though Chappelle’s The Closer attracted fierce fallout and even some Netflix staff firings and resignations over the protests for his attacks on the transgender community, TV Academy voters still felt fit to give the special an Emmy nomination on July 12 in the Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) category.

In his What’s in a Name? special released on Netflix last month, Chappelle showed little understanding of the pain he may have caused. In fact, he called The Closer a “masterpiece.” Citing a meeting with upset students of Washington D.C.’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where Chappelle himself finished high school, the comic dismissed their concerns with his material and his POV on trans rights as simply “talking points” lacking insight into his artistic nuance.

“The more you say I can’t say something, the more urgent it is for me to say it,” said Chappelle in the 40-minute speech over the naming of the school’s theater. “And it has nothing to do with what you’re saying I can’t say. It has everything to do with my right, my freedom, of artistic expression.”



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Dave Chappelle Show Canceled by Minneapolis Venue

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A Dave Chappelle stand-up show in Minneapolis, Minn. was canceled on Wednesday, just hours before the comedian was set to perform.

First Avenue, the iconic venue that provided the setting for Prince’s “Purple Rain,” announced that the show would not be taking place at their theater and was instead moving to Varsity Theater. In an Instagram post, the venue addressed the social media backlash they had received after booking Chappelle, who has had his share of controversy this year after his Netflix special “The Closer” was criticized for transphobic jokes.

“To staff, artists and our community, we hear you and we are sorry. We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls,” the statement reads. “The First Avenue team and you have worked hard to make our venues the safest spaces in the country, and we will continue with that mission. We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have.”

After announcing Chappelle’s show earlier this week, First Avenue’s social media was filled with comments in protest of the comedian, though TMZ reported that tickets quickly sold out. “Disgusting that you are allowing Dave [Chappelle] to perform at your venue when your guild lines [sic] specifically state not homophobic or transphobic language will be tolerated,” one comment reads.

Varsity Theater in Dinkytown is now hosting Wednesday’s show, in addition to two more shows on July 21 and 22.

Chappelle has defended his jokes by touting artistic expression, doubling down in a recent speech given at his alma mater released by Netflix. During the speech, titled “What’s in a Name?,” Chappelle announced that he decided against having a theater named after him at the school, instead opting to call it the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression. Chappelle explained that he came to the decision following a conversation with the school’s students, in which they criticized his remarks in “The Closer.”

“When I heard those talking points coming out of these children’s faces, that really, sincerely, hurt me. Because I know those kids didn’t come up with those words. I’ve heard those words before. The more you say I can’t say something, the more urgent it is for me to say it,” Chappelle said. “And it has nothing to do with what you’re saying I can’t say. It has everything to do with my right, my freedom, of artistic expression. That is valuable to me. That is not severed from me. It’s worth protecting for me, and it’s worth protecting for everyone else who endeavors in our noble, noble professions.”

Representatives for Chappelle did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.

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The Emmys Have a Dave Chappelle Problem

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Earlier this year, Louis C.K. proved his own “cancellation” was a myth when his big comeback special Sincerely Louis C.K. not only landed a nomination but went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.

Don’t be surprised if Dave Chappelle pulls off a similar trick at the Emmys.

Now, to be fair, hateful speech is not the same as C.K.’s abusive behavior, but it now feels inevitable that Chappelle’s controversial Netflix special The Closer will be rewarded by the Television Academy when nominations are announced this Tuesday.

In addition to Chappelle’s Netflix special, the nominations for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) are expected to include some non-comedy entries as well, including Adele’s One Night Only concert and a similarly problematic Harry Potter 20th anniversary reunion on HBO Max. But it is comedy—and Chappelle, specifically—that have dominated the category in recent years. The comedian’s previous Netflix specials Equanimity, in which he defended Louis C.K., and Stick and Stones, in which he mocked Michael Jackson’s accusers, won the award in 2018 and 2020, respectively.

If The Closer is included among the nominees, it will be despite immense backlash against the transphobic jokes at its center—and the comedian’s continued obsession with that topic. Even after he was attacked on stage at the Hollywood Bowl, Chappelle quickly joked that the assailant must have been a “trans man.” More recently, he assailed students who criticized him as “instruments of oppression.”

But it will also come at a time when Chappelle—much more so than Louis C.K.—has maintained the support of the comedy community, speaking on behalf of his friend Jon Stewart at the recent Mark Twain Prize ceremony—an honor he received himself in 2019—and making a surprise appearance on one of John Mulaney’s summer tour stops that drew criticism from fans who felt bombarded by his anti-LGBTQ+ jokes.

So ahead of the nomination announcement this week, here are five comedy specials that deserve a spot over The Closer.

Jerrod Carmichael — Rothaniel

Of all the specials on this list, Carmichael’s game-changing hour is (hopefully) the most likely to make it into the final crop of nominees. Directed by his frequent collaborator—and the man who should have won last year’s award in this category—Bo Burnham, Rothaniel is a sneakily hilarious and moving set that promises to uncover multiple secrets about Carmichael and delivers. Coming out as a gay man is among the least surprising things the comedian reveals about himself over the course of the laid-back hour, which evolves into a sort of public therapy session with the hyper-engaged audience.

Moses Storm — Trash White

When comedian Moses Storm dropped by The Last Laugh podcast back in January, I called his HBO Max special Trash White the first great stand-up special of 2022. Not only is it visually dazzling with a set made out of literal white trash, but Storm has a hell of a story to tell about growing up in a doomsday cult and reckoning with how that unconventional childhood has impacted his ability to exist as an adult in the world. And on top of that, it includes a beautifully rendered, inadvertent tribute to the late Bob Saget, who played a surprisingly big role in Storm’s upbringing.

Ronny Chieng — Speakeasy

Speakeasy, gorgeously filmed in New York’s Chinatown, is The Daily Show correspondent Ronny Chieng’s excellent follow-up to 2019’s equally hilarious ​​Asian Comedian Destroys America! Instead of complaining about “cancel culture,” Chieng flips the script by daring viewers to “cancel” him so he can stop being so successful, go back home to Singapore and see his mother for the first time in several years. “If you commit a crime, you go to jail. That’s not cancel culture, that’s a felony,” he told me earlier this year. “So when I did that bit, I was making fun of the ‘woke’ Twitter people who try to cancel everybody. And then I was making fun of the right-wing, who think that cancel culture is all-powerful.”

Taylor Tomlinson — Look at You

In her debut Netflix special Quarter-Life Crisis, Taylor Tomlinson broke through the noise and quickly established herself as one of the most confident young stand-up comedians in the game. Her 2022 follow-up Look at You proved it wasn’t a fluke. Now, at just 28 years old, she has already achieved her wildest comedy dreams, culminating with her first big theater tour this fall. The Emmys will presumably have many more opportunities to honor Tomlinson down the line, but they might as well start now. Her bit comparing imbalanced couples to chocolate-covered raisins alone deserves some sort of award.

Roy Wood Jr. — Imperfect Messenger

If you want to see what true stand-up comedy excellence looks like, few can top another Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr., who has been at it for more than two decades and just gets better with every special he puts out. For evidence of his mastery, look no further than the long run about how Leonardo DiCaprio’s role as an evil slaver in Django Unchained makes him an “underrated white ally.” But that joke is just one of many in Comedy Central’s Imperfect Messenger that intelligently takes on relevant issues in the culture without punching down or pissing off entire groups of marginalized people.

Bonus: Naomi Ekperigin on The Standups and River Butcher’s A Different Kind of Dude

So, these two are kind of a cheat because, as part of Netflix’s The Standups and Comedy Central’s Stand-Up Presenting series, respectively, the half-hour specials from Naomi Ekperigin and River Butcher don’t exactly qualify for this category at the Emmys. But I would put both sets up there with any of the hour-long specials released by more seasoned comics over the past year. Each comedian uses their 30 minutes to introduce themselves to the world in very different ways. By the time they inevitably land their own hours, they will no doubt both deserve to be in the Emmy conversation for real.

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Duke Ellington School theater won’t be named for Dave Chappelle

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In a surprise move, comedian Dave Chappelle announced that the student theater at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Northwest Washington will not bear his name.

Chappelle, one of the school’s most famous alums, was in town Monday night for a dedication ceremony for the venue.

It will instead be called the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression.

The dedication had initially been postponed last November after critics blasted the comedian’s high-profile Netflix special, “The Closer,” as transphobic. Ellington students also raised concerns. Chappelle told the audience Monday that while he felt the backlash against him lacked nuance and wasn’t about his work, he didn’t want a theater bearing his name to distract from students focusing on the meaning of their art.

At the time of the controversy last year, Duke Ellington Principal Sandi Logan said she had had formal and informal meetings with students to discuss Chappelle’s comments, including a month of weekly meetings with an advisory committee of student leaders that included representatives from the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance.

Duke Ellington school delays naming of theater after Dave Chappelle until April

“Moving forward with the event … without first addressing questions and concerns from members of the Ellington Community would be a missed opportunity for a teachable moment,” the school wrote in a statement.

Established in 1974 with a mission of providing a free, first-class arts education to children in the nation’s capital, Duke Ellington attracts students from across the city and is one of the few area art schools that educates a mostly Black student body.

Chappelle, who pledged to donate $100,000 to the school’s theater, said last October that having the theater named after him was “the most significant honor of my life.”

“I used to skip school. I would hide in there when I was skipping class. Who would have thought that that theater would one day be named after me?” Chappelle said in a speech to donors to raise money for Ellington before a screening of “The Closer” at the Angelika Pop-Up theater at Union Market. “But I understand it because sometimes when you love things, they love you back. And I loved that school.”

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Ted Sarandos Talks About That Stock Drop, Backing Dave Chappelle, and Hollywood Schadenfreude

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Over a three-hour dinner, Mr. Sarandos was charming and upbeat, dressed down in Levi’s and sneakers. You would never know he had been through a Job-level run of bad fortune in the last few months. First, his father, with whom he was very close, died. Soon after, his mother-in-law, Jacqueline Avant, with whom he was also very close, was shot to death when she encountered a burglar in the middle of the night at her Beverly Hills home. Ms. Avant, renowned in Hollywood for her elegance, art collecting, philanthropy and community organizing in Watts, Calif., was the wife of Clarence Avant, a music mogul known as the “Black Godfather.”

Then, on top of Mr. Sarandos’s personal woes, Netflix skidded from rapid growth to grind-it-out. (Its stock peaked above $700 a share in November 2021 and has now fallen below $200.)

The rise of Mr. Sarandos, a community college night-school dropout, from a video store clerk in Arizona to the pinnacle of Hollywood, is legendary.

“He’s had more singular influence on movies and television shows than anyone ever had,” Barry Diller told me. “He has denuded the power of the old movie companies that had held for almost 100 years. They are now irrelevant to setting the play and rules of the day. If there is still a Hollywood, he is it.”

Only a few years ago, the Netflix lobby was the coolest place on earth. Now it’s suddenly gloomy. In her “Saturday Night Live” monologue last weekend, Natasha Lyonne, the star of Netflix’s “Russian Doll,” sarcastically cracked that the “two things you definitely want to be associated with right now are Russia and Netflix.”

After winning the pandemic, Netflix now finds itself in its own version of its survival drama “Squid Game.” The company hit a ceiling, for now, of some 220 million subscribers, after thinking it could get to a billion with its global empire, and that has thrown a wrench into the future of Netflix and streaming in general. Wall Street suddenly turned a cold shoulder on its former darling, telling Netflix, Guess what, guys, you’ve got to make money, not just grow subscriptions.

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