After a cadre of Netflix’s employees walked out in protest over the media company’s temerity to stream Dave Chappelle’s latest comedy special, the free speech culture war has reemerged in the cultural spotlight.
Chappelle’s latest comedic offering, The Closer, was met with either praise or indignant scorn. This stark divide was especially reflected in its Rotten Tomatoes reviews. Rotten Tomatoes separates critics’ scores from those of its audiences. Commentators such as Saagar Enjeti have recently pointed out this disconnect on Rotten Tomatoes, bringing to question the influence and credibility of esteemed media critics. On the popular review site, The Closer has received a whopping 96% audience approval score, with more than 5,000 ratings. The critics (all nine of them) conversely gave the comedian’s latest outing a paltry 44% rating.
