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Dave Chappelle fills Netflix special with jokes about trans and disabled people

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.

m13 ,

Dave Chapelle was never funny. I hope he does something actually funny like drive his car into a telegraph pole.

nickwitha_k ,

I watched both his and Gervais’ latest last night out of morbid curiosity. Both were profoundly unfunny. To be fair, Chappelle was marginally funnier than Gervais, whose act seemed like a barely-disguised checklist of right-wing talking points spouted off by a narcissistic man-baby who constantly laughs at his own “jokes” (and seemed like he had a laugh track or just poor audio editing) Chappelle, at least, elicited a few chuckles when he was willing to make himself or th, insanely wealthy (pretty lackluster running bit about the submarine implosion) the butt of the joke. His constant making “joking” about trans, gay, and bisexual people was just not funny.

I think that the root cause of their shifts is that they were always in life for themselves, looking up at the rich and powerful thinking “I want that”. So, when they were getting established, the underdog thing was useful. But, they never saw themselves as underdogs but the temporarily-embarrassed millionaires. Once the got their piece, they’re right there next to the boomers with the “fuck you, I got mine” attitude to court the favor of those that will reduce their need to give back to the society that they benefitted from. I’m pretty sure neither of them are actually discriminatory in their private lives (they both basically say as much); either they just absolutely lack scruples and are happy to play a shithead to make money and powerful friends or, their pride and ego doesn’t allow them to publicly acknowledge fault and not understanding that context and nuance matter (odd to think as they are professional wordsmiths).

Dkarma ,

I agree to some extent although both of their bits have long been about shock humor and I think they both think this kind of thing is just an extension of that. That doesn’t make it funny tho. Shock humor is stale at this point.

CertifiedBlackGuy ,

It’s not that it’s stale, it’s that they aren’t in the same spirit as his older specials.

I haven’t seen this one, the last I saw was was his first 2 specials. The jokes fell flat because it didn’t feel like they were trying to spread awareness of social issues the same way the older specials did about the police beating negros like hotcakes.

Gazumi ,

Cannot watch him now. For me he has even tainted my fun recollection of his early stuff that I’d liked.

Dkarma ,

Spot on. Dave wasn’t cancelled he just moved to Ohio and started doing conservative humor…he’s simply not funny anymore.

NewPhoneWhoDys ,

He’s still pretty funny. Netflix has been putting out some great content despite the vocal minority whining it is very popular

Akasazh ,
@Akasazh@feddit.nl avatar

He’s not the only comedian broken by transsexuality. Graham Linehan, who wrote father Ted, the it crowd and many other brilliant shows also went off kilter over trans issues.

I won’t let that tarnish the earlier work, though, it’s profoundly funny.

Daft_ish , (edited )

Think what you like about Dave Chappelle but he only had one joke about raping women. Come on people.

Edit: this comment is so perfectly controversial I can’t even guess which people are down voting and which are upvoting.

Illuminostro , (edited )

“HEY EVERYBODY! FUCK CHAPPELLE! AM I DOING IT RIGHT?! CAN I FIT IN, TOO?! PAY ATTENTION TO ME!!!”

FlyingSquid ,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

You figured it out. People don’t really hate bigots, they just want to conform.

White_Flight ,

yeah it’s called comedy

Sho ,

I knew this clown was on the decline since his first Netflix special where he has that bit about child molestation and how if its someone like Michael Jackson, it’s NBD. Talk about cringe inducing.

ReallyKinda , (edited )

His comedy has always been about making fun of essentialism in the way only comedy does (Men are like, Women are like, White people are like, etc).

His problem is that he got mad people were calling him mean and his bloated ego decided the solution was to double down and be mean on purpose. Then he decided he was smart enough to understand the entire project of personal identity (something humans have been concerned about since the beginning of writing and which likely isn’t getting much further without a solution to the mind-body problem) and did some internet research and, after generalizing the experience of two trans people and committing erroneously to the fact that most people would claim to be internally consistent in their beliefs, he decided he’s not even being vindictive anymore, he’s simply understood something true and so he’s allowed to use his (formerly anti-racist) platform to say it.

xc2215x ,

Loved his early stuff. This trans stuff not as much.

detalferous ,

He’s just out of material. It’s sad.

cmbabul ,

In one of Dave’s early Netflix specials he talks about Bill Cosby and how complicated his crimes were for a black standup who was both inspired and influenced by Cosby as regardless of how shitty he is as a person is a giant of that medium. I sort of feel that way about Dave now, his show and early standup sets were so fundamental to how my sense of humor formed that I can’t completely divorce myself from them, but who he’s become is shameful and i can’t ride with him anymore.

Like fuck him for being so shitty and bigoted in general, but an extra fuck him for letting down the people he inspired and influenced. He’s become the very thing he should have destroyed

hypnotoad__ ,
@hypnotoad__@lemmy.ml avatar

You summed up my thoughts well… fuck him

TommySalami ,

Yeah, I’m right there with you. He came up in a conversation over the holidays and I had to go through how in my opinion he had potential to be one of, if not the best, comic of his generation and he squandered it by needlessly punching down and taking oddly vindictive stances. Maybe this is always who he was, but I think the fame and frustration that came with how his career played out changed him.

I can’t reconcile the Dave from old interviews and shows with this one, and it’s kinda sad.

ReallyActuallyFrankenstein ,

Unlimited money lets people be who they truly want to be.

Chappelle may have moderated his views early on because he was still trying to “make it,” or he may have gotten worse over time, or both. But what reassures me that he’s actually just not a good person now is the fact that he can afford to be anyone he wants, and this is who he chose.

Buddahriffic ,

He didn’t need to moderate his views. The 90s were anti-gay, let alone trans. He just didn’t have material about it because it wouldn’t have generated controversy. People would have agreed and moved on, or disagreed but the media wouldn’t have cared or maybe would have put them on for extra laughs.

It’s hard to believe how different things were back then, looking at it from how things are now. Trans jokes would have been considered offensive, but because they referenced transexuals, not because they made fun of them.

nobleshift ,
@nobleshift@lemmy.world avatar

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    ersatz ,

    He’s gone around the bend. He does photo ops with people like Lauren Boebert. It’s the Kanye West and Elon Musk thing. They get criticism for their bad takes and instead of correcting themselves they double down because they can’t handle criticism. And then they find comfort in the right wing grifter sphere because those people kiss their ass. And then it’s just a downward spiral.

    FlyingSquid ,
    @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

    He does photo ops with people like Lauren Boebert.

    Wow. You weren’t joking. Not just photo ops, but photo ops specifically to pass on a bigoted message.

    https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/82d12b8c-7c0f-4d48-af2a-3169fd6c689a.png

    But sure, he’s an equal-opportunity offender and besides it’s just a joke, bro.

    givesomefucks ,

    Pretty sure she stopped them in a hallway for a pic. And after they saw the caption they asked her to take it down.

    Dave might legitimately not know who she was

    FlyingSquid ,
    @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

    Doesn’t sound like just a stop in the hallway, but it does look like he objected to the messaging.

    He said during his standup act at Capital One Arena in Washington that he granted the photo request by Boebert for a human moment to bridge the political divide but felt “blindsided” by her, according to a progressive influencers’ blog.

    yahoo.com/…/dave-chappelle-poses-lauren-boebert-1…

    Firstly, it’s not his job to “bridge the political divide,” nor does anyone expect him to be the one to do it, so he needs to turn his ego down about a thousand notches.

    Secondly, you do not “bridge the political divide” by posing with one of the craziest and stupidest people in congress. You tell her to fuck off and find a Republican who has a tiny shred of credibility (hard, I know, but you can do better the Boebert).

    jimbo ,

    What evidence do you have that he knew how this photo would be used? He doesn’t exactly look like he’s excited to be in the photo.

    ersatz ,

    But he’s excited to collect millions from netflix for his yearly “transphobe comedy hour”. He knows who the fans of that comedy are…

    FlyingSquid ,
    @FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

    He said during his standup act at Capital One Arena in Washington that he granted the photo request by Boebert for a human moment to bridge the political divide but felt “blindsided” by her, according to a progressive influencers’ blog.

    yahoo.com/…/dave-chappelle-poses-lauren-boebert-1…

    EnderMB ,

    I used to believe this, because I truly believe that we should be able to joke about everything and anything.

    But when you have photo ops with right-wing nutters, run exclusively in circles with conspiracy nuts, and placate the likes of Elon Musk at your shows, it shows that even the great Dave Chappelle isn’t beyond being sucked into the anti-woke brigade.

    When your act starts to focus almost solely on certain subjects, you become typecast, and that’s what’s happening to Chappelle and Gervais. When you’re putting out more material on trans people than what you were initially known for covering, something has changed in you. Most comedians that strike a nerve or hit gold on a specific topic don’t make their entire identity about it, like Jim Jeffries and the infamous gun routine. They reference the impact, and move on. IMO, Chappelle and co should have moved on maybe one or two specials ago…

    detalferous ,

    We should be able to home about everything and anything. But the more politically incorrect your humor is, the funnier (and more true) it needs to be. His new material just isn’t funny.

    paholg ,

    If it were truly about comedy, wouldn’t he at least try to be a bit funny while doing it?

    afraid_of_zombies ,

    Why is it all or nothing? I am not sure how that was established. What experiments were conducted to show that result?

    Pratai ,

    He’s a sellout. Nothing more. And it’s painfully obvious. He was barely relevant before this bullshit- now look at him.

    CaptnNMorgan ,

    He might be a sellout but to say he was “barely” relevant before he made trans jokes is just false. Before the trans jokes he was considered the GOAT stand up comedian and it was pretty much uncontested. If you aren’t a comedy fan then I get why you wouldn’t have heard much about him before the jokes but that’s just your little bubble, bud.

    Pratai ,

    ROFL! Comedy isn’t a competition. You’re either funny or you aren’t. And if you’re only funny because you are controversial, then you’re not funny- you’re just popular.

    He WAS funny. Then he became relevant. Now he’s just controversial.

    CaptnNMorgan ,

    Chappelle was never controversial before this though. He was just recognized by his peers as the FUNNIEST. SMH

    Pratai ,

    He was recognized by his peers as FUNNY. Because comedians are funny. Again, it’s not a competition. Grow the fuck up.

    CaptnNMorgan ,

    Lmao I like how you changed the argument. All I’m trying to express is that he was VERY relevant before the trans shit. You have a lot of unprocessed anger huh?

    Pratai ,

    No, he wasn’t:

    www.ranker.com/list/…/ranker-comedy

    He didn’t even make the list on a site that’s widely known for making lists.

    Even if we consider comedy to be a competition/ he still lost.

    CaptnNMorgan , (edited )

    I’ve never heard of that website but I’ve listened to a lot of different comedians having conversations and every time Chappelle got mentioned before COVID all of them would express how legendary he was. That legend is definitely gone now, he shouldn’t have come back. But back then him and Louis were the two living comedians that had absolutely everyones respect.

    Edit: Decent list but Carlin shouldn’t be on there because his funny specials were not in the 2000s him and Lewis black got significantly less funny later in their career. Whoever made the list is an idiot for not having Chappelle on there but it’s nice seeing Bryan Reagan get some respect.

    Edit edit: after looking up his specials Carlin did actually get a decent special in, in 2001. But he is by no means a “2000s comedian”

    Edit edit edit: my point being this article is irrelevant and you are still wrong.

    eatthecake ,

    What is the difference between ‘pushing buttons and boundaries’ and trolling? I don’t think i can tell. It all seems designed to generate emotional responses and controversy.

    LdyMeow ,

    Nothing. ‘Pushing buttons’ is a mother way to say trolling.

    littlebluespark ,
    @littlebluespark@lemmy.world avatar

    Ya know, even with the typo, it’s accurate. 🤪

    LdyMeow ,

    lol, oops. I’m going to leave it, because you’re right!

    Lonnie123 ,

    I would say pushing boundaries (and maybe to a lesser extent just pushing buttons) is categorically different than trolling.

    Trollings sole purpose is the reaction, to rile people up. You dont have any intention behind your words besides that. Or heck maybe you even lie to do it. “What if I post pictures of sad looking polar bears to Greta Thunbergs twitter account? Wouldnt that make her mad!? hahaha!” Thats a troll - Nothing is gained, nothing is learned, nothing is advanced.

    Pushing boundaries is something different. You can have intent, social movement, and a message with it. Star Trek pushed boundaries when they had an interracial kiss, it wasnt just for shock value or trolling white people. Ellen coming out on TV pushed boundaries without trolling people.

    Boundaries are generally placed by people for the purpose of holding certain groups back, and they deserved to be pushed and in fact broken. Trolling does none of that. Trolling is putting a flaming bag of shit on someones porch and ding-dong-ditching just to watch them get their shoe dirty. If they are old, fall over, and break their hip when they do it thats all the more fun to the troll.

    Pushing buttons… more on the trolling end of things, but probably done in a more playful way, maybe even to someone you know and hope to have a positive relationship with afterwards. But really its a more mild form of trolling

    garretble ,
    @garretble@lemmy.world avatar

    And then after every joke he does that thing where he slaps the mic on his leg to make a sound to indicate that it’s now time to laugh.

    markr ,

    Chapelle and Gervais seem stuck on hitting people who really can’t hit back. Fucking Chapelle brags about it, Gervais is now pretending its all an act. Fuck both of them.

    Waluigis_Talking_Buttplug ,

    deleted_by_author

    •
    markr ,

    Oh I understand who he is. He used to be funny. Now he is just another bad act.

    SnotFlickerman , (edited )
    @SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone avatar

    Did he used to be funny?

    Karl and Stephen were funny. Ricky was always kind of insufferable.

    Case in point: the number of times Karl’s musings turned out to be true, and Ricky had berated him for those musings. Such as Karl positing “most ants don’t do much,” turns out that is true.

    markr ,

    I was fine with his cringe when basically the joke was on him. He seems to have lost the thread of his humor.

    Batmancer ,

    Well that sucks. I like a lot of Dave Chappelle’s comedy and I remember in the special I had watched it a couple or few years ago he was talking about how members of the trans community expressed their thoughts to him as that he was punching down and he ended it with saying he would stop because the trans community is busy fighting for their rights to exist and until he was sure that “we are all laughing together”. I thought that was a very admirable thing to say and for him to see the effect his commentary can cause. I guess that was just him stringing words together that sound good for the product he sells.

    guacupado ,

    He isn’t even funny more. For someone who was at his height it’s kind of pathetic that the only way he stays in the news is to be edgy now.

    CaptnNMorgan ,

    They are fighting for their rights to exist which sucks that they have to do that. But they are also fighting for their right to alter children forever and that’s fucking crazy.

    SuddenDownpour ,

    Puberty changes you forever. Letting a kid who, out of their own initiative, says “I don’t want to be a man/woman” take hormone blockers in order to delay their puberty so that they can choose what they want to be once they’re an adult is not altering them, but enabling them to make their own choices once they’re capable.

    CaptnNMorgan , (edited )

    Enabling a child to make a life altering decision before they’re brain is fully developed is child abuse.

    SuddenDownpour ,

    Hormone blockers are the opposite of a ‘life altering decision’, because you can stop taking them and whatever would have happened earlier will take place right next. Letting puberty actually happen is ‘life altering’, far costlier to undo and never by a complete degree.

    CaptnNMorgan ,

    I just reread what you said and I’ve never heard that take. Your saying the drugs they’re giving them doesn’t actually alter them forever? I don’t see how missing puberty while your body is growing wouldn’t effect you forever. When boys go through puberty they get physically larger and stronger, when girls go through it, they’re body changes in physical ways as well. If they didn’t get puberty until they’re body stops growing wouldn’t that just keep them stuck with a child’s body for the rest of their life?

    SuddenDownpour ,

    If a person with female genetics starts taking hormone blockers since they’re 11 until they’re 20, then stops any kind of hormone treatment, they will still grow breasts. If a person with male genetics starts taking hormone blockers since they’re 11 until they’re 20, then stops any kind of hormone treatment, they will still develop more muscle mass than someone without testosterone (provided they do phisical exercise). Note that taking hormone blockers is not the same as taking testosterone or estrogen.

    CaptnNMorgan ,

    So you’re saying if we had a set of identical twins and only one of them was on hormone blockers until they were 20, their body would grow to look exactly the same as the twin who wasn’t on the blockers?

    SuddenDownpour ,

    Obviously not the same, but very close. And you’re still choosing to ignore the fact that you’re taking away the choice from the kid who’s telling you that they’re not or don’t want to be a girl or boy, therefore imposing your own choice on them.

    CaptnNMorgan ,

    Mainly because they’re a child. When I was a young kid I thought I was and acted like a dog. If my mom then got me a collar and only let me potty outside that would also be child abuse.

    That being said you have opened my mind more and I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as I initially thought. I still don’t think it’s great though. I also think choosing not to give your kid hormone blockers definitely isn’t imposing a choice on them. It’s literally just letting their body do what is was always going to do.

    CaptnNMorgan ,

    You’ve changed my opinion enough for me to believe that in rare circumstances hormone blockers could be okay. But I don’t think it should be the child or the parents decision. It should be a psychological professional that decides. If the kid goes to therapy every month/week from the time they decide they are in the wrong body until they would need the drugs and the medical professionals decides it’s more than consistent and not just a kid saying stupid shit then fine. But I’m just imagining me as a kid saying something like that then the adults in my life changing me forever even though I didn’t really understand what I was saying. I said/believed a lot of stupid shit as a kid so the idea of my body changing forever because I said something, really scares me.

    SuddenDownpour ,

    Keep in mind that hormone blockers are, obviously, gatekept by the requirement of a doctor actually prescribing them, most usually by requiring the kid to go through a psychological assessment that should help them get their ideas in order, so it is very difficult for a minor who doesn’t have a continued mismatch in their gender identity to actually receive any kind of hormone therapy they don’t need. Some data that points in the direction that these assessments can be done accurately is that the immense majority of kids who take hormone blockers go onto HRT as adults, so you can rest assured that the kids seeking these interventions are quite well aware of what they’re doing.

    Have a good day.

    CaptnNMorgan ,

    Thank you for educating me instead of getting mad. I appreciate it. You have successfully changed my opinion on the matter.

    sartalon ,

    The Independent knew what they were doing.

    They take a couple of his lines completely out of context, put it in a headline, and people can’t wait to post a comment about how much they hate him.

    I wonder how many of you have been given your opinion of him and never actually watched him?

    I will definitely admit this latest special was “meh”. But man, I’m pretty confident most of the commenters here have strong opinions of this special without ever watching it.

    This thread reads like a bunch of Boomers were given a headline that “Biden paid for coke that Hunter snorted off hookers butt, in the Whitehouse.”, and couldn’t wait to post how much they hate Biden and that he’s a criminal, or whatever.

    braxy29 ,

    okay, so you watched him and i didn’t (got rid of netflix a few years ago).

    did he make a bunch of jokes about trans people and people with disabilities? what’s the context you got that i need to more accurately understand this performance?

    edit a word

    sartalon ,

    I’m not going to defend or attack him.

    I would have to do half his routine for the context to work and I am not interested in doing that.

    But just think, for a moment, about all the stupid shit boomers say, believe, and respond to, from just a headline. When they do it, you get frustrated and angry for them going off, half cocked, over nonsense.

    Then realize, you are responding the same way. Not the same beliefs, mind you, but letting yourself get riled up about what someone else said about a third person.

    Crap like this article is written solely for people to have an emotional response to it. They are monetarily motivated to do it. Revenue is driven by Internet traffic and ad clicks.

    The reason data is so valuable is because they know what you react to. They see what generates that visceral response and then generate/tailor content because it drives viewers and clicks.

    Take it a step further and you can see how it is used to generate political support and sales.

    Don’t let yourself get manipulated by an online article.

    I am NOT telling you to like Dave Chappelle or that he’s a good guy. I am telling you that the responses here, on this post are exactly why it is being done. Both his standup AND the way the article is written.

    tocopherol ,
    @tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

    It’s not about getting ‘riled up about what someone else said about a third person’. You don’t need to see a whole special or context to know transphobic or bigoted language when it’s so prevalent. What he has said, whether he was joking or not, was already hurtful, and there is no quote or context that isn’t him doubling down further.

    I get what you are saying though and I agree, but I do think it’s tough to not have any kind of emotional response when people are encouraging things that question your humanity or right to live.

    sartalon ,

    The article itself doesn’t even elaborate on the headline. It doesn’t provide any real examples and just makes claims without allowing the reader any sort of useful information.

    tocopherol , (edited )
    @tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

    Tbh I didn’t look at the article because I figured someone would provide better context in the comments anyway, I don’t feel like watching his special. If his jokes were in anyway him rescinding or apologizing for anything that was offensive in an earnest way though that would have been news, so I’m sure the content is more of what I’ve already seen. I guess maybe if people haven’t been paying attention to transphobia or anti-wokism or whatever for the last decade his jokes could be interesting but it’s just so boring, same with Ricky Gervais stuff I’ve seen recently. It sounds like what is said by people that eventually embrace the moniker of white nationalist, or at the least just an old man from years ago talking about “political correctness run amok.” It’s played out, and isn’t that really the bigger sin in comedy?

    sartalon ,

    I watched the show and I can provide some context.

    He did make some jokes but they weren’t about trans so much but about his relationship with the community.

    The handicap jokes were about making fun of himself and his comedy and how he is viewed by the trans community. It was expressed for shock value too. Said in a way to show he doesn’t care who he makes fun of, that no people are safe from his humor. It fell kind of flat for me but it did not “fill his routine” as the article states.

    The punching down joke was clearly sarcasm.

    That being said, I found his standup to be as you described. Kind of tired and old.

    He told a story about meeting Jim Carrey, while he was filming Man in the Moon. Jim was immersed in his role and everyone was talking to him, as if he was Andy Kaufman, even off set. Dave compared that to trans. Like he knew he was talking to one gender but he had to pretend they were another gender. He didn’t explicitly say it that way, but that is what I inferred.

    I have been a huge Chappelle fan. I have seen him really highlight hypocrisy and double standards in a cutting, but hilarious and insightful way.

    But, I felt this latest standup was not particularly witty or insightful. At least when his set invloved LGBTQ. I felt he was just poking the bear to have the last word kind of thing.

    His Jim Carrey story just made me feel sad because it made me believe that he really doesn’t understand. Jim Carrey was trying to become someone he truly wasn’t. Someone, whom is trans, is trying to become the person they truly believe they are.

    He had some good insight, for me, about what it meant to him, when Wil Smith hit Chris Rock and he segued that into people’s dreams and the underlying theme of the show. But then he taked about them both being men and it just reminded me that toxic masculinity is a real thing, but his set did not address it.

    He talked about Lil Nas X and even though it was meant to come across as supportive, it felt forced.

    But overall, I felt the jokes that involved trans were low hanging at best, and baiting at worst.

    However, this “article” and the response to it, is exactly why he told those jokes the way he did. The Independent doesn’t care, they are just playing the game to get clicks.

    The most passionate response to Dave’s routine shouldn’t be more than, “That was it?”

    tocopherol ,
    @tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

    True, news platforms definitely know how to game these controversies, thank you for giving me an idea of what the thing actually is hah. I’m not surprised it wasn’t a hate-filled tirade, as people might be inclined to think with this headline.

    Like you said though I feel more sad than anything usually in relation to this sort of thing. Even if he is saying offensive things, I think you are right that he genuinely doesn’t understand what being trans really is and that ignorance can be hard to separate from more malicious bigotry. Even supportive people can come off as “oh what’s the harm, they can be a woman if they want to pretend” at times.

    If a person isn’t queer or trans, or good friends with people who are, it can probably be hard to understand how much hate still exists. A comedian might think these people just need tougher skin, not realizing the potential harm, so I don’t usually blame them much.

    zaphod ,
    @zaphod@lemmy.ca avatar

    His Jim Carrey story just made me feel sad because it made me believe that he really doesn’t understand. Jim Carrey was trying to become someone he truly wasn’t. Someone, whom is trans, is trying to become the person they truly believe they are.

    It made you sad because it’s anti-trans.

    Chapelle, in that cute little anecdote, is literally denying the existence of trans identity and claiming they’re just acting and it’s a choice. That is the way that the right is trying to erase trans identity, and it’s the same playbook they used when attacking the gay community (i.e by claiming it’s a lifestyle choice and not an issue of identity).

    As for him not “understanding”, bluntly, that is a choice. He’s not some misguided poor soul. He has access to all the information you and I do. He could educate himself. But he’s made a decision, and that decision is to deny the existence of trans people.

    Frankly, it seems to me your fondness for Chapelle is leading you to downplay his beliefs and his behaviour.

    tastysnacks ,

    Watch it. Stop getting your opinions from social media.

    braxy29 ,

    it’s not anything i’m interested in watching, honestly.

    Jomega ,

    I’m not going to watch every stand up special ever made just to keep up with the news. Either tell me what context allegedly changes things or don’t and shut up.

    SCB ,

    Or just don’t get into internet arguments about shit you don’t know anything about.

    Jomega ,

    I’m not even arguing. I’m stating that the fact that I don’t have enough hours in the day to watch everything that comes out. When the Ghostbusters reboot came out I said “Wow, that looks like shit!” and moved on. Some people tried to tell me I can’t trust a trailer, so I read the reviews and they confirmed what I suspected. Then people tried to tell me that I can’t trust reviews either, so I said “Fuck you!” and moved on, because by that logic I’d have to see everything that catches the eye of the media and I have neither the time, money, nor energy to do that. I’m not going to put myself through something I don’t think I’ll enjoy just because someone on the internet told me to.

    The fact that nobody in this thread is able to provide additional context tells me there isn’t any. This should be easy. Just do it.

    SCB ,

    See you’ll note I’m not arguing here because I don’t know shit about this special. I’ve been partying, because it’s new years, so I haven’t seen it.

    Imagine if you just didn’t get all pissed off about a thing you don’t understand completely.

    guacupado ,

    I mean, did he do it or not? If he did, then your argument is “You guys have to watch the jokes to see if you think it’s funny or not before judging whether it’s tasteless.”

    sartalon ,

    Your comment is laughably stupid.

    Your question implies that there is no such thing as nuance, sarcasm, provocation, etc…

    “Did or did not Romeo call Juliet a sun?”

    “Yes.”

    So from that “Yes”, what can you infer from Romeo’s speech? Absolutely nothing.

    Taking single lines out of context in order to generate outrage is such a simple and obvious form of manipulation, but you take it hook, line, and sinker.

    I am not defending Dave Chappelle, I am not his lawyer or public affairs manager. I thought his latest standup was “meh” at best.

    What I am, is dismayed at how easily so many of these commenters let themselves get manipulated. With something so obvious as this article. And then go on to wonder why “boomers believe the dumbest shit”.

    Go argue with a 4 year old because that is your level of critical thinking.

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