Dave Chappelle’s Emmy nominations show that TV Academy isn’t obsessed with social media

In his fiery Netflix Emmy-nominated comedy nearDave Chappelle reminds audiences that Twitter can be a powerful force, but it often reflects a distorted version of real life. During the special, where everything from pandemics to police shootings is fair game, he plays with the backlash he’s received from the LGBTQ community and its allies after a previous special where he discussed anti-trans violence. As Chappell makes it very clear near, he doesn’t care if trans people or other naysayers use social media to bring him down. “Twitter is not a real place,” he says. And the Television Academy seems to agree.

near He received two Emmy nominations, one for directing and one for a pre-recorded variety. For the latter, Chappelle faces some pretty healthy competition, including an Adele show, a Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga double show, a Harry Potter cast reunion, and the recent Norm Macdonald comedy special and memorial. Chappelle’s nominations have shocked those who feel that his outspoken attitude and forceful response to trans concerns should not be celebrated with the highest honor on television. especially since then near it became more famous for the controversy it caused than any of Chappelle’s actual auctions.

In fact, when Netflix launched near In October, the company was immediately involved in the cultural fire. Many commentators called for the special to be removed from the platform entirely, and some Netflix employees took a walkout after several employees who spoke out against the streaming giant claimed they were suspended due to online criticism of the show. (Netflix denies reprimanding any employee for their personal beliefs.) As the comedian’s fans flooded the online comment sections criticizing the censorship, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has repeatedly defended his cash cow Chappelle, taking a tough stance on regarding freedom of expression and artistic expression.

What am I doing with all this? Frankly, Chappelle’s Emmy nominations lead me to one conclusion: I have no idea what my fellow viewers like to watch. And that’s a downside. The yellow stone Despite their discomfort, Emmy voters are perhaps more in tune with the tastes of most Americans than I am. Social media may not be a real place, but the voices in my feeds are sometimes loud enough to fool me into thinking they represent the majority of pop culture’s followers.

Sociologists refer to this phenomenon as the “filter bubble”, defined as a state of intellectual isolation that can be caused by personalized algorithms that increasingly isolate us from those with whom we are aware and protect us from the information that we do not he likes. For example, the filter bubble is, for example, a lot of my friends were convinced that Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 election, or they didn’t realize it. CODA May the best image win. Platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok may look like a town square, but they only serve to impose our own echo chambers. They are simply fragments of others; They do not represent a whole person, a dynamic conversation, or a tangible experience.

Historically, I’ve found Amy’s preferences to be weak. Less than a decade ago, the Television Academy was still in the shower a modern family After the nominations, the comedy felt fresh and exciting. The rise of streaming has changed the landscape for Emmy nominees, as subscription-based services have managed to invest in a diverse range of innovative authorial TV creators. But the same tunnel vision trends exist: ted’s bow Some acting categories have a separation of their own, and I wonder if they don’t. am A coward who just doesn’t understand why so many people love this sticky drama.

I recently got into an argument with a friend who, after looking at the hype surrounding the Discovery+ and HBO Max merger, wasn’t convinced that “a lot of people actually watch property brothers Or Chip and Joanna Gaines.” I should have reminded him that it’s the number one comedy on television. young sheldon. My friend and I just hear people talking about the Kardashians; We rarely cling to those who made them billionaires. As the streaming bubble continues to burst, more and more Hollywood executives realize that networks and cable are still big moneymakers. Old school might not be considered sexy, but it does move desks.

So is Dave Chappelle old school? His take-no-prisoners style is certainly on point these days. I may not always be in touch with the mainstream per se, but I am observant enough to recognize that transphobia, and in particular the casual suspicion of trans people, remains mainstream. I wonder if many Emmy voters chose Chappelle’s specialty during voting season precisely because of its memorable controversies, not despite them. Twitter may be a distorted representation of reality, but the Oscars are likely betting on the clicks Chappelle’s win can generate.

This story first appeared in the separate August issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.