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Netflix Under Fire for Anti-Trans Jokes in Ricky Gervais Special

Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais attends the Netflix 2020 Golden Globes After Party on Jan. 5, 2020, in Los Angeles. (Arnold Turner/Getty Images for Netflix)

By    |   Tuesday, 24 May 2022 05:42 PM EDT

Netflix is under fire again over jokes in comedian Ricky Gervais' just-released special, ''SuperNature,'' that some perceive as transphobic.

According to Axios, this is the second time the streaming giant has caught heat for comedians making anti-trans jokes in their specials on the platform. Comedian Dave Chappelle drew controversy for making jokes about the transgender community in his 2019 Netflix special, ''Sticks and Stones,'' and in last year's ''The Closer.''

''We value our trans colleagues and allies, and understand the deep hurt that's been caused,'' Netflix said in response to the Chappelle backlash. ''We respect the decision of any employee who chooses to walk out, and recognize we have much more work to do both within Netflix and in our content.''

In a recent memo, Netflix said that employees may have to work on content they disagree with or ''perceive to be harmful.''

''If you'd find it hard to support our content breadth, Netflix may not be the best place for you,'' the memo read.

According to the New York Post, Gervais' name was trending Tuesday on Twitter as the LGBTQ community called for a boycott of the special and some people threatened to cancel their Netflix subscriptions.

''I love the new women,'' Gervais says in the special, which had been out for only a few hours as of Tuesday morning. ''They're great, aren't they? The new ones we've been seeing lately. The ones with beards and c****. They're as good as gold, I love them.''

Referencing the transgender bathroom controversy, Gervais continued: ''And now the old-fashioned ones say, 'Oh, they want to use our toilets.' 'Why shouldn't they use your toilets?' 'For ladies!'

'''They are ladies — look at their pronouns! What about this person isn't a lady?''' he added. '''Well, his penis.' 'Her penis, you [expletive] bigot!' 'What if he rapes me?'''

''What if she rapes you, you [expletive] TERF w****?'' Gervais jokes, using the acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist, which is used to refer to people who do not believe that trans women are real women.

Despite his inflammatory material, Gervais maintains that he supports the trans community.

''Full disclosure: In real life, of course I support trans rights,'' the British comic said in the special. ''I support all human rights, and trans rights are human rights. Live your best life. Use your preferred pronouns. Be the gender that you feel you are. But meet me halfway, ladies. Lose the c***. That's all I'm saying.''

On social media, users let loose on both Netflix and Gervais over the allegedly transphobic jokes.

Former Netflix employee Terra Field, who organized the protest over Chappelle's comedy special, urged followers to cancel Netflix and ''co-CEO Ted Sarandos – a man who cares less about our humanity than he does who will give him a photo op.''

''In honor of Ricky Gervais and his 2-4-1 rant on trans people and cancel culture, I am in fact, canceling,'' one critic fumed about the streaming service, which recently lost scores of subscribers. ''Thanks @netflix #TransRightsAreHumanRights.''

The LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD also sounded off Tuesday, tweeting in a thread that the special was ''full of graphic, dangerous, anti-trans rants masquerading as jokes. He also spouts anti-gay rhetoric and spreads inaccurate information about HIV.''

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Newsfront
Netflix is under fire again over jokes in comedian Ricky Gervais' just-released special, ''SuperNature,'' that some perceive as transphobic.
netflix, transgender, ricky gervais, comedy
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2022-42-24
Tuesday, 24 May 2022 05:42 PM
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