Netflix

Colin Kaepernick's new Netflix documentary starts out with a bang -- making a literal comparison of playing for the NFL ... to being bought and sold in slavery.

The former quarterback-turned-activist begins the film -- titled 'Colin in Black and White' -- with an explainer of how guys get into the league ... noting the first step is trying out for a team, which begins with a combine. The camera follows him to a reenacted scene where players are going through practice and different drills on the field ... while officials look on.

He says potential players are "paraded out" in front of coaches, scouts and owners -- who measure their physical talents and on-field abilities. CK goes on to say coaches will tell players they want their guys to be warriors, killers, beasts and animals on the gridiron.

What Colin's getting at ... this is coded language, which he thinks lends to a larger power dynamic of slave master and slave -- and he makes a visual juxtaposition to hit it home.

The screen then jumps to a new scene ... in which the mostly Black players that were just running up and down the field are now standing on an auction block, shirtless and in shackles. You see white masters bartering over who to buy, and make an exchange.

Colin says teams "poke, prod and examine you" and search for any "defect" -- without any dignity or respect for said player. His point is that kids getting into this sports biz might not see it this way -- but he firmly insists, they're being groomed into a slave system.

WARNING TO CERTAIN KIDS: LEAVE YOUR TRACK SUITS AND SLIP-ON VANS AT HOME THIS HALLOWEEN!!!

Three elementary schools near Syracuse are banning "Squid Game" costumes this week, because they say it sends a message of violence to impressionable students.

The principals justify the prohibition because of what they call "the potential violent message aligned with the costume."

Parents from the 3 schools received emails saying, "We have observed some students at recess have been playing a version of [Squid Games] ... which is intended for mature audiences ages 16 and older. Due to concerns about the potential violent nature of the game, it is inappropriate for recess play or discussion at school" ... this according to WSTM, which obtained the emails.

The Superintendent of the school district, Craig Tice, told the Washington Post, "Because of this activity our principals wanted to make sure our families are aware that it would be inappropriate for any student to wear to school a Halloween costume from this show."

BTW ... "Squid Game" costumes are topping the list of Halloween getups ... at least on Insta.

Nikita Dragun wants to take Dave Chappelle to school ... extending an olive branch of sorts, and offering him a chance to get an education on the transgender community.

We got the transgender influencer Wednesday at Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills and asked her about Dave's controversial LGBTQ+ jokes.

Nikita says both sides need more understanding and communication ... and she says one way to achieve that is through education.

She wants to help school Dave, sitting down with the comedian and coming at him in a non-threatening way.

As you know ... Dave's jokes are rubbing lots of folks the wrong way, including trans employees at Netflix, where his controversial special, "The Closer," streams.

There was even a walkout protest at Netflix HQ ... but as we've told you, Dave's saying he is down to meet with members of the transgender community to hear them out, with a few conditions.

Things are getting tenser than a lethal game of Red Light, Green Light -- "Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-hyuk heard LeBron James bashing the show's ending loud and clear ... and fired back by clowning his panned 'Space Jam' movie!!

James was heavily critical of the Netflix series' final scene ... discussing his dissatisfaction with Anthony Davis in front of reporters after a preseason game earlier this month (don't worry, we won't spoil it here ... but seriously, why haven't you watched yet?!?)

Hwang was asked about James' review in a recent interview with The Guardian ... and his response is clearly dissing the King's recent "Space Jam: A New Legacy" flick, which currently has a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Have you seen Space Jam 2?" Hwang asked in response to James' comments.

"LeBron James is cool and can say what he wants. I respect that. I'm very thankful he watched the whole series."

So, will Hwang roll out an alternate ending to appease James' critique??? Don't hold your breath.

"But I wouldn't change my ending," he added. "That's my ending. If he has his own ending that would satisfy him, maybe he could make his own sequel. I'll check it out and maybe send him a message saying, 'I liked your whole show, except the ending.'"

Dave Chappelle has finally spoken for himself on his ongoing Netflix controversy -- saying he is, indeed, down to meet with members of the transgender community and hear 'em out ... but he has a few conditions.

The comedian was in Nashville over the weekend for a new show ... where a ton of his comic buddies opened for him, including Jeff Ross, Donnell Rawlings, Tom Segura and Joe Rogan. Eventually, Dave himself came out and addressed the elephant in the room.

According to eyewitnesses, he started his set with a "statement" to those he'd offended with "The Closer," jokingly pulling out a piece of paper and reading ... "F*** y'all, n****s!"

The jokes kept flying from there, with DC saying he was in so much trouble that he couldn't even get DaBaby on the phone. He asked the audience, what do you call a Black trans person in the U.S.?

The response ... "A n***a!" Dave also joked his wife feared for his safety, and had bought him a handgun which had a pearl handle -- and he was worried that if he used it, someone's last words to him would be, "f****t!" So, he's hardly backing off any LGBTQ content.

On a more serious note, Dave said there'd been a lot of interest in his untitled documentary from film festivals -- which he recently screened at the Hollywood Bowl -- just as the swirling controversy over his new Netflix special, "The Closer" began. But now, he says he's being dropped from those same festivals. Dave shouted out Netflix for standing firm, and not taking down the special.

Dave went on to note that if he's canceled, there's a ton of people who clearly believe otherwise ... pointing out the sold-out show at Bridgestone Arena. Then, he laid out his terms for meeting with Netflix employees from the LGBTQ community who've been protesting.

One, he says whoever talks to him has to watch the special from start to finish; two, it has to be a time and place of his choosing; and three, they must admit Hannah Gadsby isn't funny.

That last condition is a clap back at the Australian comedian who jabbed at Dave's comedy a couple weeks ago, and ripped into Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos.

DC also says even though film festivals are abandoning him ... he's going to air his documentary film in 10 cities across America.

Bill Maher unsurprisingly leaned in hard Friday night, defending Dave Chappelle, saying embracing Dave's latest Netflix special does not make someone transphobic.

The "Real Time" host was jawboning with Andrew Yang and NYT opinion writer John McWhorter, and on this one, all 3 were in lockstep ... all saying they support the LGBTQ community but also standing firm on Dave's right of commentary.

Maher's central point -- there is not one true opinion about anything, and he referenced the view of one of those outraged by Chappelle ... someone who said there are not two sides to this controversy.

Maher didn't mention Chappelle said he's open to having a conversation with members of the trans community to hear them out. The reality is this ... some people in the trans community are not only hurt by Chappelle's "The Closer" ... they believe it engenders hatred and even violence.

Yang chimed in with this ... it's a comedian's job to entertain and to make us think, but goes on to suggest no one believes the role of a comedian is to tell us what and how to think. Some members of the trans community, however, say whether a comedian tells people what to think or not ... they still have an influence.

The centerpiece of the discussion is about people on both sides feeling like there's only one side to any argument. McWhorter, who wrote the book, 'Woke Racism,' suggests this type of thinking has become a religion of intolerance. He also says believing in the notion of absolute right or wrong is simplistic, childlike thinking.

The same thing that's hurt Kate Beckinsale's career is helping Ross Butler's take off in Hollywood, and that thing is ... brain power!!! Lots of it.

We got the "13 Reasons Why" and "Riverdale" star Thursday at LAX, and considering his collegiate history, he's the perfect person to address Kate's recent reveal about her high IQ.

ICYMI ... KB told Howard Stern her intelligence has hurt her career. She wasn't specific about why, but added that doctors have said she'd be much happier if she were less brilliant.

Well, Ross -- who studied biomolecular and chemical engineering -- says he's had a much different experience. Check out his explanation for why his smarts are making him a better actor. BTW, it's not like he's playing brilliant scientists on camera.

The heartthrob also opened up about another hot topic ... his dancing session with "Outer Banks" star Madelyn Cline! Y'know, the one that had everyone thinking she'd broken up with her costar Chase Stokes?

Dave Chappelle's camp says no one from Netflix has approached Chapelle or his team about setting up a meeting or conversation ... which is the opposite of what the woman who organized the Netflix walkout claims.

The comedian's rep tells TMZ ... Dave would be open to dialogue if folks from Netflix actually reach out to him for a discussion.

As we reported ... Ashlee Marie Preston says she invited Dave to come to the table to talk about the damage she and others believe he's inflicted on the LGBTQ+ community, but she said, "Dave chose not to show up."

Dave's camp tells us they're unsure why Ashlee is making those claims ... they say she NEVER reached out to him. He's not against open dialogue with any group, as he points out in his Netflix special jokes.

Dave also makes this point in his special ... empathy should go both ways and we should get away from cancel culture ... so a sit down would make sense.

Jon Stewart has a message for everyone pissed off at Dave Chappelle -- he's asking them to pay attention to what's in his friend's heart ... as much as what comes out of his mouth.

We got Jon as he was leaving Capitol Hill, and asked for his take on the beef between Chappelle and Netflix employees who staged a walkout Wednesday. Jon thinks there's clearly been a miscommunication, and seemed confident both sides will squash the feud ... once they start talking.

The reason he's confident? Well, Jon -- who, ICYMI, is a close friend of Dave's -- says, "I know his intention is never hurtful. He's not that kinda person."

TMZ broke the story ... Dave's team says he's ready and willing to sit down with Netflix employees who are protesting their company continuing to stream "The Closer," Dave's latest standup special. One of those employees, Ashlee Marie Preston, claimed Dave had rejected a meeting ... but Dave's camp says he's totally down for it.

Speaking of people with good intentions ... Jon was in D.C. to continue lobbying lawmakers to approve medical benefits for military veterans who were exposed to toxic burn pits.

Dave Chappelle's living it up, seemingly without a concern, 'cause here he is walking out of a packed London nightclub ... the same day Netflix employees walked out of work to protest him.

The comedian hit up the super exclusive Annabel's nightclub Wednesday night ... partying at the members-only spot while the controversy over his latest Netflix special kept swirling back home

Safe to say, Dave doesn't look like he's feeling the heat from across the pond.

As we reported, Netflix HQ was the scene of a mass protest Wednesday, when employees staged a walkout to show displeasure with the CEO's decision to keep streaming Dave's special, "The Closer."

There's been a ton of backlash over Dave's LGBTQ+ jokes, but so far, he doesn't seem bothered.

Ashlee Marie Preston, who helped organize the Netflix walkout, says she's invited Dave to have a conversation about the harm she and others believe he's inflicted onto the LGBTQ+ community, but claims he's ghosted them.

Leslie Jordan is visibly conflicted over the conflict raging at Netflix over Dave Chappelle's latest special.

We got Leslie Wednesday at Reagan National Airport in D.C., and he said right out of the gate he has conflicting loyalties ... he's both a comedian and a strong supporter of the LGBTQ+ community.

Leslie feels good comedy must have a subversive element, but at the same time, it shouldn't be designed to hurt people's feelings.

You see his mind at work as he navigates the controversy. He ultimately concludes Chappelle crossed the line because of the impact it had on the trans community ... a community that has been misunderstood and marginalized for decades.

As we reported, there was a walkout over at Netflix Wednesday to protest the CEO's decision to keep Chappelle's special on the menu.

Netflix's top dog is apologizing for how his words about the Dave Chappelle special may have come across to some employees -- but he's not changing his actual stance.

Ted Sarandos gave some new thoughts on the drama over at his company that's been brewing for 2 weeks now -- confessing he "screwed up" in his initial email to Netflix staffers (which leaked), where he defended "The Closer," while also downplaying transphobic concerns.

The guy says he should've led those emails with humanity first, and acknowledged that there were a group of people that were hurting over the sheer nature of Dave's stand-up.

As far as what Sarandos says he might change in hindsight, he says he probably would've mentioned that content can, in fact, have real-world impact ... be it bad or good, something he seemed to dismiss by analogizing Chappelle's special to first-person shooter games.

That said, he's standing firm on his main point -- namely, that this special, specifically, does NOT fall under hate speech, does NOT cause real-world harm ... and won't be taken down. So, essentially, Ted's apologizing for how he relayed that sentiment ... not the sentiment itself.

He noted their business has to appeal to a variety of customers with differing tastes and views than some of his employees -- and that's just something they'll have to accept.

Sarandos also said content that literally has a call to action to cause harm or remove protections from a certain protected group would cross the line -- but he simply feels Dave didn't cross that with 'Closer' ... even if some at Netflix feel differently.

There are certainly a group who are still riled up over this -- because there's an employee walkout happening Wednesday that's in direct protest to Netflix's decision to keep it up.

It was as inevitable as snow in winter ... "Saturday Night Live" did a sketch Saturday night on Netflix's hit show, "Squid Games."

Pete Davidson and guest host Rami Malek did the honors, with a country-type song about the phenomenon.

The song was a takeoff on Branchez & Big Wet's hit, "Turn Up On the Weekend," and it was pretty hilarious. It went like this ... the 2 guys were in a deep financial hole, so they signed up for the game.

They played the usual kids games, like Red Light Green Light, and the results were fatal for some.

One of the lyrics ... “There’s a robot girl who caught me running, better duck behind the nearest guy.” At one point Pete's face is splattered with blood as he keeps singing.

There's a really funny reference to the confusion over Korean cash and the prize money.

Davidson boasts in song how he killed all of his friends to make a killing in the game. Pete returns to the U.S. triumphant and flush with cash ... which he loses on a really bad bet.  Sorry NY Jets, but it was super funny!

Pete goes back to Korea for more, but this time things don't work out as well.

Jeff Lowe is taking his show on the road, but not voluntarily -- he's being evicted from his "Tiger King" Park, and now has to set up shop in a new location.

According to new legal docs obtained by TMZ ... the owner of the park went after Jeff claiming he owes more than $10,000 in unpaid rent and other damages. Court documents show the judge ruled Jeff had to fork over $10,000 and vacate the premises by Oct. 22 at noon.

Our sources tell us Jeff's wife, Lauren, showed up to court and said Jeff was taking care of their sick child ... so she asked for an additional 30 days before the eviction, but that request was denied.

Jeff tells TMZ ... he is going to move the zoo to a new, still to be determined, location.

Hannah Gadsby just went scorched Earth on Netflix's honcho and Dave Chappelle over "The Closer," his controversial stand-up special.

The Australian comedian teed off on Ted Sarandos, the streaming giant's co-CEO, after he brought her name into the conversation about how Netflix is "working hard to ensure marginalized communities aren't defined by a single story."

Sarandos said, "So we have 'Sex Education,' 'Orange Is The New Black,' 'Control Z,' Hannah Gadsby and Dave Chappelle all on Netflix. Key to this is increasing diversity on the content team itself."

Hannah's reaction to Ted is basically ... keep my name outta your mouth, and she's hurling a few jabs at Dave too. Hannah says, "Hey Ted Sarandos! Just a quick note to let you know that I would prefer if you didn’t drag my name into your mess. Now I have to deal with even more of the hate and anger that Dave Chappelle’s fans like to unleash on me every time Dave gets 20 million dollars to process his emotionally stunted partial world view."

Hannah gained a lot of popularity following her 2018 Netflix specials, "Nanette" and "Douglas" ... but clearly didn't get Chappelle dough.

Hannah adds, "You didn’t pay me nearly enough to deal with the real world consequences of the hate speech dog whistling you refuse to acknowledge, Ted. F**k you and your amoral algorithm cult…I do s**ts with more back bone than you. That’s just a joke! I definitely didn’t cross a line because you just told the world there isn’t one."

Hannah also noted -- for Chappelle fans, we presume -- that she's watched all of "The Closer" and added, "Leave me alone."

The scathing criticism comes after Sarandos said Netflix wasn't pulling Chappelle's special from the platform because its transphobic shots, don't "directly translate to real-world harm."

A UFC champ is no match for Halle Berry -- at least that's how it looks in the trailer for the actress' new UFC flick, where she goes head-to-head against Valentina Shevchenko ... and beats her face in!!

The Academy Award winner has been working on her Netflix project, "Bruised," for years -- teaming up with big fighters like Brian Ortega and training at Cris Cyborg's gym in Huntington Beach to prepare for the role.

Now, the first glimpse of the movie has been released -- and it's pretty badass.

FYI -- Berry plays a fighter aiming to make a comeback in the sport while battling her own demons ... all while raising her young son.

Shevchenko plays Berry's rival fighter in the movie ... and the trailer shows their characters facing off in the Octagon for a bout.

Berry looks like the real deal in the clip ... and remember, she claimed she broke several bones after taking shots from "Bullet" while filming the flick.

"She had to throw some real kicks and I had to really take them and that really broke some bones," Berry said on "The Tonight Show."

"She’s a beast but I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher, a better scene mate, a better fight partner."