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Nobody Plays Both Sides of the Culture War Better Than Netflix Comedy

In ‘Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution,’ Netflix gives a voice to their favorite comedians’ preferred punching bags

On June 18th, Netflix will release their examination of the careers of certain queer comedians in a film they describe as, “A feature length documentary that explores the history of LGBTQ+ stand-up comedy, considering its importance as an instrument for social change over the past five decades.” Among the many legendary comics featured in the documentary are Eddie Izzard, Lily Tomlin, Tig Notaro, Wanda Sykes, Margaret Cho, Billy Eichner and Hannah Gadsby, the lattermost of whom Chappelle called out by name in his controversial and Grammy-winning 2021 Netflix special The Closer. As a company, Netflix has made it clear that they want to appeal to both sides of the picket line in the comedy content they produce, and both the revolutionaries and the reactionaries should be free to use the platform for social change in either direction. For Netflix Comedy to consistently stand by the hateful rhetoric that their top-billed comedians voice in their specials and simultaneously claim to champion the rights of their A-listers’ targets is as much an exercise in free speech absolutism as it is a paragon of corporate hypocrisy.

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