Dave Chappelle Is Still One of the All-Time Greats

A man holds a sign in support of a popular Dave Chappelle comedy special airing on Netflix in front of Netflix's Vine Street offices in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 20, 2021. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Commentary

I recently saw Dave Chappelle perform his newest show, which evidently will be his next Netflix special, and yes, it will generate more “bad press” as he would call it, perhaps similar to his last special.

It’s amazing to me, quite frankly, how many so-called culture writers (and whatever is passing for journalists now) at many major publications had quite negative interpretations of Chappelle’s recent comedy acts. It’s as if they: A, haven’t seen his show; B, believe he actually means his jokes; or C, think that his jokes somehow bring down the positives of progressive 21st-century society.

If anyone has been paying attention to Chappelle (or comedy for that matter) in the past decade, they would see that comedians are still doing comedy pretty much the same, but the culture and feel of what is or isn’t accepted has changed almost as if censorship is, strangely, the answer.

It used to be that the conservative religious types were the ones to want to censor things. So, for those on the left to believe comedians such as Chappelle should be taken off Netflix (or destroyed), it’s bonkers, because hate speech regulations should definitely not apply when it comes to those who professionally tell jokes for a living.

Chappelle still doesn’t hold back.

He acknowledges the reaction from the LGBT political types and, interestingly enough, differentiates this group from those who are actually LGBT in real life. At the beginning of his act, he specifically stated that the reactions he got from LGBT folks “in real life” were all that of love and positivity, so whoever was behind the bad press certainly isn’t a fair representation of the community. In his joke, he then blames the Jews for this, which is, of course, a ruthlessly absurd punchline to his point.

Obviously, we know he doesn’t hate Jews just as much as anyone with half a brain and a capacity for rational thought understands he has had nothing but love for the LGBT community—in real life.

The bubble that is the mainstream media doesn’t think this through, certainly not as much as Chappelle has.

Dave Chappelle speaks onstage in Cleveland, Ohio, on Oct. 30, 2021. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

So here I am, watching him perform in a huge arena with thousands of other people—a diverse crowd in Dallas, Texas, which could have been any city in any state, to be honest. People enjoyed laughing at jokes, no matter how inappropriate they were, and there were quite a few racial stereotype- and slippery slope-type subjects, which even in 2023, can still be hilarious. To give an example, he made fun of disabled people. On paper, as you read this, this may sound utterly not funny, but Chappelle is a seasoned professional, and let me tell you, some of his most “oh that was wrong” jokes got the biggest laughs.

I should give a sidenote and argue that any subject is fair game for comedy. I have seen comedians do jokes about some of the worst things and/or types of people on Earth. One of the great talents of Louis CK, as an example, is his ability to make light of terrible things. A quick search on YouTube and you can probably find him doing a bit about “what if murder was legal” or different ways of looking at sexual behavior.

So, when I see Chappelle do jokes about race (and I mean any race), sexual orientation, or whatever else we might not be allowed to talk about in the culture of modern times, I say this is a huge breath of fresh air. Is he against trans rights? Does Chappelle hate Jews? Clearly not. And if anyone looks to a comic for wisdom on how we should view others or treat people of non-mainstream lifestyles, then that person is who’s at fault, not the comedian.

Perhaps some people should look to a wisdom giver (whatever reasonable source that may be) for their direction in how to approach life’s issues as opposed to a person who has been doing genital jokes (and other crass but possibly funny versions of humor) for 30-something years. Chappelle is a source of entertainment, by definition, so when people get all worried about people like him or Joe Rogan or Ricky Gervais and so forth, despite knowing full well that they’re people who say silly things for money, I say those people aren’t good candidates for consuming comedy.

Chappelle is fantastic at his job, undoubtedly one of the best. He might be the GOAT. I’d say when he passes away, he will forever be up there with the likes of George Carlin, Lenny Bruce, Bill Hicks, Robin Williams, and Richard Pryor. The top 10 comics of all time will include Dave Chappelle, without question.

I’m an avid fan of comedy, and I teach public speaking at the university level. Seeing Chappelle do his latest show was the first time I had seen him do a full set live, and I hope it won’t be my last. The art of telling jokes, whether rated G or R, should be viewed not through the lens of culture so much as through the lens of what actually makes people laugh. Current culture, while indicative of some aspects of society, doesn’t tell the full story of the beauty of human nature. Stand-up comedy, for all its observations, variations, and nuances, just might be the most honest window into what makes us tick—and more importantly, what makes us laugh.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.