Chappelle focused more on Anti-Jewish sentiment and Kanye West as subjects of discussion. Despite the earlier announcement that Democrats had surprisingly maintained control of the Senate, Chappelle did not dedicate a significant portion of his monologue to the midterm elections. It has become somewhat of a tradition for him to host the show following important electoral events, and while watching his highly anticipated appearance last night, I couldn’t help but feel impressed by how skillfully Dave Chappelle navigates controversial topics.
“‘The’ and ‘Jews.’ I’ve never encountered someone who spoke those words and then proceeded to do something positive,” observed Chappelle in his introductory speech. “In the early stages of my career, I discovered that there are two words you should never utter in conjunction.”
Race appears to take precedence over everything to him. As mentioned in my critique, Chappelle seems to believe that he is immune to criticism; he did not express any remorse. Reviewers, myself included, heavily criticized his 2021 Netflix special The Closer for its derogatory and offensive jokes targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Chappelle was already a contentious figure as a guest.
Of his was met with mixed reactions. Some applauded Chappelle for addressing the controversial statements made by Ye, while others criticized him for perpetuating harmful stereotypes. Nevertheless, Chappelle’s ability to navigate this delicate subject matter demonstrated his skill as a comedian and his willingness to tackle challenging topics.
Chappelle remarked that Black a- was far from being associated with the Holocaust. Additionally, Chappelle made jests about Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn Nets basketball player, who received a suspension for sharing a hyperlink to a film with antisemitic content titled Hebrew to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, which promotes the denial of the Holocaust.
African Americans cannot attribute that to the Jewish community, however, I am aware that the Jewish population has endured numerous distressing experiences across the globe. The spectators appeared to be taken aback, followed by sporadic applause, especially for one specific remark.
What should we do with an athlete who has posted a link to an antisemitic film without any explanation or disavowal of its content? Several days have passed since the incident, and there has been no action taken. I know that this athlete is known for their bold and incisive comedy, but they have also expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party. Their monologue seemed filled with minimization and justification of antisemitism, instead of offering insight into the long struggle of Black Americans. We should not overlook these allegations, as they raise important questions about the values and beliefs of this comedian.
During the course of this, disappointing us all, he opted for an alternative route, causing me to lose my footing due to the unexpected manner in which the artist, whom fans greatly admire for shedding light on various issues, presented Chappelle’s monologue. Additionally, he cleverly incorporated a reference to the historical hiding places enslaved individuals created to safeguard their most prized belongings from plantation owners, until he revealed the title of his album “Potato Hole,” playfully interacting with a Black blues artist and including white anchors in another segment.