Dave Chappelle has released a new Netflix special, The Dreamer, which is full of jokes about the trans community and disabled people.
“I love punching down!” he tells the audience, in a one-hour show that landed on the streaming service today (31 December).
It’s his seventh special for Netflix and comes two years after his last one, the highly controversial release The Closer.
That programme was criticised for its relentless jokes about the trans community, and Chappelle revisits the topic in his new show.
He tells jokes about trans women in prison, and about trans people “pretending” to be somebody they are not.
Does that mean Anthony Jeselnik is a literal Nazi because he wrote jokes about the Holocaust and being the grandson of a Nazi? Or that Don Rickles was really an asshole for being an insult comic?
I do think Dave is bigoted, but I don’t agree with this particular argument since insult comics and offensive comics don’t have to believe the dark shit they write for the sake of humor. It’s what Dave says and does off stage that shows he actually believes the shit he says.
I haven’t heard Jesselnik’s routine, but the Rickles comparison is not apt because Rickles was an insult comic, which is a form of doing a character, and Chapelle is a topical comedian in the vein of Pryor and Carlin. Much like Pryor and Carlin, his comedy is also a platform to express his actual views. Unlike Pryor and Carlin, he is using that platform to specifically express bigoted views. I don’t think anyone would expect you to divorce Carlin’s or Pryor’s jokes from their politics. They make absolutely profound statements with their jokes. Listen to Pryor talk about why he won’t say the N-word anymore. It’s funny, and at the same time it will make you want to cry because it’s so insightful.
So I think you absolutely can associate the character of a topical comedian with the content of their comedy. Because the best topical comedians out there make their comedy about their personality and opinions.
I wouldn’t call him a literal Nazi but I can still get an idea of who he is as a person by the jokes he chooses to tell
You couldn’t possibly be more wrong about Jeselnik or the style of black humor that he does so well.
This is boomer-tier missing the plot.
I have always found him to be obnoxious even at the height of his fame. It’s bro “aren’t I so edgy?” humor. Those kind of jokes just became boring for me after freshman year
I’m not missing the plot at all - I get what he’s doing. I’m just not his target demographic because I matured past high school
I don’t believe you.
If you had, you’d be able to recognize that his style of humor isn’t yours and that’s ok. You wouldn’t think “man this guy must really be a Nazi.”
Are you replying to the right person? My comment - that you replied to - said the following:
I’m not sure how you could have possibly read that and thought, “this guy thinks jezelnik is a Nazi!”
“I’m not saying it, but I sure am thinking it loudly.”