Hi, fam, it's Amara.

Welcome to the TransLash podcast, a show where we tell trans stories to save trans lives.

Today we're talking about Netflix, and everything that's happened in the month since Dave Chappelle came out with his Netflix special, The Closer.

As you know, that content went nuclear.

We took a deep dive into why these jokes were so damaging to trans people, putting our lives at risk in collaboration with the Cancel Me Daddy podcast just after the

special aired. But more than Dave Chappelle, I am curious about what all of this says about Netflix

itself, about the outsized influence of this most powerful player in Hollywood and about the

contradictions. One might even say dangers at the heart of technology and media platforms whose global reach

grows by the year.

And that's why the pushback from trans employees and allies and Netflix in the wake of the

closer matters.

Not only might it signal broader changes in Hollywood, but their demands might point to an even more profound shift required to make sure that media platforms driven by algorithms aren't weaponized against vulnerable groups.

That's why today we will be speaking with B. Pagel's Minor, the black trans employee fired from Netflix about how the company has handled all of this.

I have gotten dozens of messages from my former Netflix colleagues, from every other type of colleague I've ever worked with, reminding me of the value that I have in society. And what I mean by that is

there are people who said, for instance, you were the embodiment of Netflix values.

And then I'll be talking with Zoe Schiffer, a senior reporter at The Verge about how Netflix's

management ended up in this mess and what

might be next for the streaming giant. While I think it's very admirable that employees are

pushing the company to do better, I think that when Ted Sarandos comes out and the first thing

he's kind of saying is, look, it costs us this much and it's popular with our audience.

I think we kind of have our answers right before us.

But before we get to the show, I want to keep thanking everyone, writing podcast reviews, and shouting out our show.

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