For the first time in years, streaming giant Netflix has updated its corporate culture memo to include some new guidelines surrounding artistic expression that are sure to anger leftists within the company who think their fragile sensibilities ought to determine what the rest of the world is allowed to consume.
Specifically, the memo explains that because Netflix serves a diverse subscriber base, the select few who work on projects aren't allowed to let their own ideology deprive others of the opportunity to enjoy it. And it all seems to be in response to the continued dust-up over the woke's typical unhinged reaction to comedy specials from the irreverent but hilarious Dave Chappelle.
As Variety reported of an update to the memo's "Artistic Expression" section, Netflix's position is a repudiation of the left's censor-happy ways:
"Entertaining the world is an amazing opportunity and also a challenge because viewers have very different tastes and points of view. So we offer a wide variety of TV shows and movies, some of which can be provocative," the new section reads. "To help members make informed choices about what to watch, we offer ratings, content warnings and easy to use parental controls.
"Not everyone will like — or agree with — everything on our service," the Artistic Expression section continues. "While every title is different, we approach them based on the same set of principles: we support the artistic expression of the creators we choose to work with; we program for a diversity of audiences and tastes; and we let viewers decide what’s appropriate for them, versus having Netflix censor specific artists or voices."
The section concludes, "As employees we support the principle that Netflix offers a diversity of stories, even if we find some titles counter to our own personal values. Depending on your role, you may need to work on titles you 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 is a not-so-subtle warning to employees that, if they think they'll need to run shrieking to a safe space because a show or movie they're working on espouses views different from their own, they should just keep running all the way to the unemployment office.
What's more, it's not like Netflix is committed to solely appealing-to-conservatives content — they already have what most would consider to be woke content throughout their TV and movie offerings. As written in the memo — and it remains to be seen if they stick to what's stated in the update — Netflix looks to be more of a platform for people to find content through than an editorial force. And that's a good thing.
The memo is also an admission that free market principles supersede the ever-changing woke standards for what ought to be censored when it comes to making money. On the financial front, Netflix also seems to be taking the Q1 loss of some 200,000 subscribers seriously. In the "Valued Behaviors" portion of the corporate culture memo, Netflix reminds employees in a "judgment" section that "you spend our members' money wisely." The report that showed the Q1 subscriber drop also revealed that Netflix expects to lose two million more in the second quarter — which makes its decision on freedom of expression all the more interesting.
In a way, it's an acknowledgement of what conservatives already know to be true: the woke do not outnumber the sane, nor are the woke more powerful a force than everyday Americans who plop down in front of their TV after a long day of work to find some diversion in the catalog of Netflix shows and movies. If the inverse were true, Netflix would be saying the opposite of what they declared in their memo update — but they didn't. They're not pandering to the woke to try and boost subscriber numbers, they're making their offerings appealing to as many customers as possible. They know the small but loud minority of woke Americans aren't worth pandering to. Their demands always change, their numbers are small by comparison, and they will always find something objectionable to rage over.