“This has nothing to do with them. It’s about corporate interests and what I can say and what I cannot say.”
-Dave Chappelle
#freespeechmatters 29.10.2021

Greatest of all time comedian Dave Chappelle released a video to YouTube on Monday, Oct. 25, defending his Netflix special “The Closer” after an ear-splitting minority demanded the end to Chappelle’s career in comedy. Those who have watched his special already know it’s nothing more than one man joking around about the way he sees the world, similarly to how comedians used to carry out their jobs. Those who refuse to watch his special out of virtue, instead, read online reactions and adopted the outrage.
In fact, one of Chappelle’s three stipulations for sitting down with members from the LGBTQ community is that they have to watch his special from start to finish. Too often do people only watch clips taken out of context before they overwhelm themselves with anger. Chappelle is convinced that a complete viewing of his special may answer any lingering questions. Along with meeting on his time and at a place of his choosing, Chappelle also asked that the community admits social justice warrior Hannah Gadsby isn’t funny.
Chappelle went on to argue that it is not the LGBTQ community who is at fault for this level of outrage, but corporate interests that profit off of our divide. “Everyone I know from that community has been nothing but loving and supportive, so I don’t know what all this nonsense is about,” he told his audience. The nonsense, which I’m sure Chappelle already knows, is occurring because he refuses to be a voice box for the dictated script, and that’s a major threat to the national narrative.
Telling the truth is hard, especially in a society that prioritizes feelings over facts. Chappelle offered you a glimpse into the inner workings of his mind. You responded by wanting to teach him what think. No topic is off the table in comedy, but the rules to the game seem to be changing as cancel culture gains momentum. The comedian is already suffering mild blowback from cancel culture, as interest in his documentary “Untitled” diminished quickly after the arrival of “The Closer.”
Chappelle explained to his audience that the documentary he made about George Floyd’s murder was initially invited to every film festival across the nation. Since “The Closer,” the comedian said that, “Not a film company, not a movie studio, not a film festival, nobody will touch this film.” Does nobody see the irony in silencing a black man's voice on the topic of George Floyd's death because he offended the LGBTQ community? Refusing to be cancelled for doing what comedians do, Chappelle is hosting viewings for his documentary starting in San Francisco, California next month.
Comments