Comedian Netflix’s Actions Showed Profits Matter More Than Inclusion.
Comedian Marc Maron used a recent appearance on Pod Save America to take shots at fellow comic Bill Maher and streaming giant Netflix, accusing both of chasing relevance and profit at the expense of integrity, via Variety. Maron has been increasingly outspoken since announcing the end of his popular WTF podcast.
Maron described Maher as a host “desperate to remain relevant,” before shifting his focus to Netflix. He argued that the company’s handling of criticism over Dave Chappelle’s stand-up specials revealed how business interests outweigh community concerns.
“Fascism is good for business,” Maron said, according to The Daily Beast. “Netflix will just co-opt anybody that can take that algorithm. I used to do a joke about it — Netflix can become ‘Reichflix’ very quickly.”
The comedian called the platform’s continued relationship with Chappelle a “pivotal moment.” When the streamer faced backlash from the transgender community over Chappelle’s jokes, Maron said, the company quickly realized the criticism posed no financial threat. “And they cut ‘em loose. That is how fascism works in business,” he said.
When Pod Save America co-host Jon Lovett pointed out that Netflix carries a wide range of LGBTQ+ programming despite continuing to feature Chappelle, Maron countered that representation doesn’t address who receives the most lucrative deals or lasting visibility.
“Ultimately, who’s getting the big deals? Which shows stay on the air? What do they keep repeating?” Maron said. “That’s them saying, ‘We’ve got this other stuff and we know there’s a few of you, but we’re throwing you a bone. So, shut up.’”
