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How to Get Fired for ‘Cultural Insensitivity’ By Netflix

A white showrunner working with Ava Duvernay hired a diverse writers room for a Matilda animated series. Then the staff turned on her, becoming the latest flashpoint in Hollywood’s culture war.

Ava Duvernay
Photo by John Lamparski/Getty
Matthew Belloni
April 4, 2022

It’s no secret that a quiet culture war is raging in Hollywood. The forces of inclusion and greater accountability are squaring off against those who believe the pendulum has swung so far that otherwise good people are being marginalized and, in some cases, purged. Check out this cautionary tale of a TV showrunner who was fired after an investigation into “cultural insensitivity” in a Netflix writers room. Your reaction will probably depend on your side in the battle.