It’s always helpful to remember that it’s not how someone treats their equals that tells you who they are. It’s how they treat those who are weaker than them. Bragging about how he loves punching down is like bragging about being a bully: Chappelle might think it makes him look cool, but it simply makes him look pathetic.
The real sad story here is what’s not spelled out. Chappelle keeps ‘punching down’ at trans people, and Netflix keeps throwing buckets of money at him. Why? Because people, lots of people, love to watch Dave Chappelle mock the trans community. Netflix does not do anything that doesn’t comply with their algorithm and statistics. It is a cold blooded, by the numbers company. Which means that they have the receipts to prove that their continued support of the very expensive Dave Chappele is worth it. That’s the sad truth and it bums me out.
Definitely a cold-blooded number company/decision. As much as there are a gross number of people that want to watch him make fun of his impressions of trans people, I’m sure there are more “accident rubber-neckers” watching to see if the show is as terrible/great as promoted. Unfortunately, they’re all views that lead to the same thing, cha-ching.
Edit: impressions 🥲
It’s been my experience that bigoted companies don’t do it for the money, they do it for ideological reasons. Hate loses you more than it gains. It’s hard to come to grips with if you have even the littlest bit of faith in humanity, but the megarich universally support this kind of thing.
while you seem to believe dave chappelle is solely to blame for his jokes about the trans community, you must understand the complexities surrounding this issue. before we begin discussing whether or not it’s fair for him to “punch down,” let us first acknowledge the fact that as a black comedian, he cannot possibly perpetuate discrimination due to being part of an underrepresented minority himself.
the reality is that chappelle, like any other stand-up comic, relies on material that resonates with audiences. since he began exploring this topic, it has evidently been a crowd favorite, resulting in netflix supporting his actions. despite feeling disheartened by this, one must respect freedom of speech and artistic expression.
additionally, it’s crucial to recognize that black individuals, including chappelle, face systemic racism, oppression, and injustice daily. many argue that humor is a tool used by marginalized communities to cope with adversity. while the subject matter may appear insensitive to some, context and history should be considered when judging the appropriateness of these jokes.
in conclusion, while your intentions to expose the underlying reasons behind netflix’s support may have been noble, the notion that black people can discriminate is steeped in ignorance. rather than labeling someone as a villain in this situation, perhaps the focus should shift towards encouraging open discussions surrounding race, gender identity, and comedy.
Kinda sad seeing him and Ricky go down this path. Part of what makes good comedy is being unapologetic, but when their takes are off-colour enough that they need to explain them and spend whole specials explaining themselves I think they’ve lost it, what a strange hill to die on (I say this being a huge fan of them both prior to their most recent specials, I guess as we all are)
Chappelle has been a hack since the end of Chappelle’s show IMO. He got way too full of himself and basically thought he was the greatest shit since sliced bread. And then he resorted to being a piece of shit edgelord to try and claw back any standing he had through shock humor and it’s just sad. Then of course he played the victim and said he was being cancelled. Nah Dave, you’re just an unfunny piece of shit.
ricky’s success at legitimate entertainment was all due to stephen merchant, which is why he’s stuck being a bigot on netflix “comedy” specials.
and chappelle was always rubbish
Personal taste is valid, but in 2002/2003, Dave Chappelle was untouchable in comedy. He was doing sketch comedy different, and it contextualized and lampooned race relations in North America. It was eye opening for a lot of white people to watch, and immensely validating for the black community. Maybe it doesn’t all land these days, but it was cutting edge comedy in the early 00s.
His early stand up is awesome too. While deployed in the military, my buddies and I watched For What It’s Worth and Killin’ Them Softly so many times. We just repeated jokes to each other most of the day. It really helped kill the time with all the waiting.
I just don’t understand his obsession to die on this hill.
Poor boy doesn’t know how to be relevant! Just go away already, what a waste.
Why is Netflix still making specials with this guy? Are they contractually obligated or something? Had they already paid him anyway? WTF?
