Star Trek: Discovery Actor Wilson Cruz Claims Dave Chappelle Comedy Special Is Responsible For Violence
John F. Trent
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Star Trek: Discovery actor Wilson Cruz recently claimed that the latest Dave Chappelle comedy special on Netflix, The Closer, is responsible for violence.
Source: Star Trek YouTube
Cruz, who plays Dr. Hugh Culber on Star Trek: Discovery, took to Twitter where he reacted to an article from The Hollywood Reporter.
Cruz wrote, “Is this how you’re celebrating National Coming Out Day, Netflix? Celebrating the violence your content IS responsible for and CANCELING your Trans employees for speaking HER TRUTH and standing up for our community?”
Source: Wilson Cruz Twitter
The article from The Hollywood Reporter is titled, “Netflix Suspends Trans Employee Who Spoke Out Against Chapelle Special Over Attending Meeting Without Permission.”
In the article, The Hollywood Reporter’s Alex Werpin claims, “A source said that the employees, including engineer Terra Field, whose Twitter thread about the special went viral, were suspended for attempting to join a quarterly meeting meant only for directors or vice presidents, and not because of Field’s tweets.”
John Bauld from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Not included in the article is Field’s lengthy Twitter thread criticizing the special and Chappelle and accusing Netflix of encouraging violence.
Field began the thread writing, “I work at Netflix. Yesterday we launched another Chappelle special where he attacks the trans community, and the very validity of transness – all while trying to pit us against other marginalized groups. You’re going to hear a lot of talk about ‘offense’. We are not offended.”
Source: Terra Field Twitter
Field continued, “Being trans is actually pretty funny, if you’re someone who actually knows about the subject matter. How could volunteering for a second puberty *not* be funny? That isn’t what he is doing though. Our existence is ‘funny’ to him – and when we object to his harm, we’re ‘offended’.”
Source: Terra Field Twitter
“The problem is that people are responding to something we never said. We aren’t complaining about ‘being offended’ and we don’t have ‘thin skin’. You try going to a pharmacy and having them call you “sir” in front of everyone while you pick up your estradiol. ‘Thin skin,”” Field tweeted.
Source: Terra Field Twitter
The Netflix employee then asserted the comedy special causes harm. Field tweeted, “What we object to is the harm that content like this does to the trans community (especially trans people of color) and VERY specifically Black trans women. People who look like me aren’t being killed. I’m a white woman, I get to worry about Starbucks writing ‘Tara’ on my drink.”
Source: Terra Field Twitter
Field continued to argue the comedy special promotes harm, “Promoting TERF ideology (which is what we did by giving it a platform yesterday) directly harms trans people, it is not some neutral act. This is not an argument with two sides. It is an argument with trans people who want to be alive and people who don’t want us to be.”
Source: Terra Field Twitter
Field added, “This all gets brushed off as offense though – because if we’re just ‘too sensitive’ then it is easy to ignore us. I’m surprised I haven’t had anyone call me (ironically) ‘hysterical’ yet today.”
Source: Terra Field Twitter
Field then lists a number of individuals who were killed writing, “So who does this harm? Why don’t we go over the list of some people from the US who aren’t offended by Dave Chappelle’s special.”
Source: Terra Field Twitter
While Field’s tweets were not included in the article, a response from a Netflix spokesman was. The spokesman stated, “It is absolutely untrue to say that we have suspended any employees for tweeting about this show.”
The spokesman added, “Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we support their right to do so.”
Source: Dave Chappelle: Equanimity (2017), Netflix
A memo from Netflix Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is also included in the article. The memo declares that Chapelle’s special does not meet the company’s definition of hate.
He wrote, “Several of you have also asked where we draw the line on hate. 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.”
Sarandos added, “I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy which exists to push boundaries. 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.”
Source: Dave Chappelle: The Closer via Netflix Is A Joke YouTube
With this information included in the article, Midnight’s Edge host Tom Connors responded to Cruz stating, “Way to bury the fact that they burst into a meeting unannounced, I’m sure that if they had lodged their complaints properly this wouldn’t be the case. Way to conflate the truth…”
Source: Thomas Connors Jr Twitter
Cruz tweeted in response, “Way to ignore WHY she felt it necessary to take such actions. Sit your ass down.”
Source: Wilson Cruz Twitter
In response to another user who tweeted, “Always some excuse for dramatized irresponsibility,” Cruz wrote, “What a privilege existence to live the kind of life in which you could never imagine raising your voice and taking a stand against oppression. Enjoy.”
Source: Wilson Cruz Twitter
Twitter user _WyattHolliday responded, “Yet not so privileged that someone making a joke about me is oppression.”
Cruz then wrote, “I mean, what can you say, when your right to exist isn’t questioned and supported by every law and societal norm created by people who are just like you. Wake up.”
Source: Wilson Cruz Twitter
What do you make of Cruz’s claim that the comedy special is responsible for violence?
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