What Are Your Thoughts on Dave Chappelle?

[Kooky]

Comedians push at our boundaries. It's how we know where those boundaries are.

In my experience, most comedians just reinforce existing power relations of the status quo for their own individual financial and social gains. There are times and places where comedy can be a weapon of resistance or push innovation, but I haven't seen a lot of that under capitalism. Most of the time, the more immediately beneficial route seems to be to give people what they want to hear.

 

[Kooky]

I think shedding light on things people take too seriously has a positive effect.

For example, comedians take cancel culture way too seriously, almost as if they were performing meta comedy for our own benefit.

 

[PureX]

In my experience, most comedians just reinforce existing power relations of the status quo for their own individual financial and social gains.

I disagree. The essence of humor is absurdity. Particularly the absurdity within what we all accept as "normal" or status quo. To illuminate the absurdity within the status quo is basically what comedians do. That doesn't reinforce existing social power structures, it threatens them by exposing the absurdity of them. It also unites us by giving us cause to laugh at them, and ourselves in relation to them.

There are times and places where comedy can be a weapon of resistance or push innovation, but I haven't seen a lot of that under capitalism. Most of the time, the more immediately beneficial route seems to be to give people what they want to hear.

You're confusing the cultural controls with the artists. Of course the "kings" don't want any jesters around exposing their absurd 'invisible clothes'. And they'll do whatever they can to stifle them. But people like to laugh. And they laugh hard at the kings their 'invisible clothes', and even at themselves for pretending the king is wearing them. So, sooner or later the jesters will find the people, and the people will find the jesters, and everyone will have a good laugh at the king's expense, in spite of his efforts to stop it.

God bless the comedians among us.

 

[Kooky]

I disagree. The essence of humor is absurdity.

That's one kind of humor. There are several others, many of which play on familiarity of well-known stereotypes. Dave Chapelle himself used to base a lot of his humor around well-known stereotypes of Black people (or perhaps he still does, it's honestly been almost a decade since I watched any of his stuff).

You're confusing the cultural controls with the artists.

I am not confusing anything. Many professional entertainers earn their keep by pandering to audiences.
You may not like this or be ignorant of it, but it is what it is.

 

[Stevicus]

You're confusing the cultural controls with the artists. Of course the "kings" don't want any jesters around exposing their absurd 'invisible clothes'. And they'll do whatever they can to stifle them. But people like to laugh. And they laugh hard at the kings their 'invisible clothes', and even at themselves for pretending the king is wearing them. So, sooner or later the jesters will find the people, and the people will find the jesters, and everyone will have a good laugh at the king's expense, in spite of his efforts to stop it.

God bless the comedians among us.

Some comedians may not have escaped the King's wrath.

And of course, some satirists made fun of religion, only to find that God has no sense of humor.

 

[Revoltingest]

What are the thoughts of people here on Dave Chappelle? More specifically, I'm mainly thinking of his work in the last few years, since that's where a lot of his jokes about LGBT people, Me Too, and sexual assault allegations are.

I personally think he's a good comedian who has significantly polluted his comedy with thoughtless and irresponsible material. Sometimes there's a fine line between funny, insightful bluntness and dismissive, harmful tastelessness, and I think some of Chappelle's material falls within the latter category.

I can't say anything about the quality of this comedy routine.
Never found him funny, so I haven't watched this one.
A question...
A straight guy has a bit that attacks trans folk. (Yes, I see
TERF views as an attack.) Trans women aren't real women.
Gender is a "fact". That sort of stuff. He complains of cancel
culture. Would he be as tolerant of a white comic who attacked
blacks, eg, not as intelligent, more violent, lazier?

 

[PureX]

That's one kind of humor. There are several others, many of which play on familiarity of well-known stereotypes. Dave Chapelle himself used to base a lot of his humor around well-known stereotypes of Black people (or perhaps he still does, it's honestly been almost a decade since I watched any of his stuff).

But what makes it funny is the combination of truth and absurdity involved in those stereotypes. It's the essence of humor.

I am not confusing anything. Many professional entertainers earn their keep by pandering to audiences.
You may not like this or be ignorant of it, but it is what it is.

All any comedian anywhere "panders to" is whatever makes people laugh. They're just trying to find and present whatever jokes make people laugh.

Entertainment is a whole different subject, I think. There may be "comedians" out there that aren't particularly funny, but that are nevertheless entertaining. Entertainment is a commodity that can sell for a lot of money even when it's not especially good. That's where that mediocrity of the status quo comes into play, that I think you're referring to.

 

[PureX]

Some comedians may not have escaped the King's wrath.

I expect many of them have not. Sadly.

 

[Kooky]

All any comedian anywhere "panders to" is whatever makes people laugh. They're just trying to find and present whatever jokes make people laugh.

Now you're finally getting it!

 

[Yerda]

Saw his latest special. Not funny.

 

[Kooky]

Saw his latest special. Not funny.

Probably the fault of Cancel Culture, or possibly Political Correctness Gone Mad.

 

[Revoltingest]

In the news...
Netflix workers stage walk-out over Chappelle transgender comments

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Saw his latest special. Not funny.

I liked it.

 

[Jose Fly]

What are the thoughts of people here on Dave Chappelle? More specifically, I'm mainly thinking of his work in the last few years, since that's where a lot of his jokes about LGBT people, Me Too, and sexual assault allegations are.

I personally think he's a good comedian who has significantly polluted his comedy with thoughtless and irresponsible material. Sometimes there's a fine line between funny, insightful bluntness and dismissive, harmful tastelessness, and I think some of Chappelle's material falls within the latter category.

I agree. I generally think he's funny, but his anti-LGBTQ stuff really pushes the line into just plain bigotry. It's like someone I knew used to say, "Racist jokes may be funny, but they're still racist".

I've also got a story about Dave C. The town in Ohio where he currently lives is pretty close to where I grew up (literally a bike ride away). A few years ago when my mom still lived in the area, she was shopping in that town while wearing a shirt that said "God is Good" on the front. While she was in a shop, Dave C. saw her and her shirt, walked up to her, and asked "You really believe that?" My mom proudly answered "Yes I do". He laughed at her and walked out, shaking his head in disbelief.

 

[Twilight Hue]

What are the thoughts of people here on Dave Chappelle? More specifically, I'm mainly thinking of his work in the last few years, since that's where a lot of his jokes about LGBT people, Me Too, and sexual assault allegations are.

I personally think he's a good comedian who has significantly polluted his comedy with thoughtless and irresponsible material. Sometimes there's a fine line between funny, insightful bluntness and dismissive, harmful tastelessness, and I think some of Chappelle's material falls within the latter category.

I think Chappelle is a genius in finding comedy and tackling serious subjects in the same go.

Present exhibit A.... (click link on unavailable video to watch on YT)

 

[Yerda]

I liked it.

I've never been so bored watching his stand up. My girlfriend normally howls like a mental person when we watch his shows and she barely chuckled.

 

[ElishaElijah]

I don't see any reason to believe that a comedian necessarily has to downplay or dismiss something like sexual assault allegations as part of their job. There are many ways to joke about serious topics without making the jokes at the expense of others' trauma.

A good comedian should be sensitive to serious issues but a good comedian should have the ability to make fun of and offend everyone with their humor.

 

[Kooky]

A good comedian should be sensitive to serious issues but a good comedian should have the ability to make fun of and offend everyone with their humor.

Yes, it's widely known that fundamentalist conservatives really enjoy paying people to make fun of them.

 

[ElishaElijah]

Yes, it's widely known that fundamentalist conservatives really enjoy paying people to make fun of them.

Good comedians make fun of everyone and their quirks, especially the hypocritical, nonsensical things, people should be able to laugh at themselves for these things. And…you throw in a policial comment

 

[Kooky]

Good comedians make fun of everyone and their quirks, especially the hypocritical, nonsensical things, people should be able to laugh at themselves for these things. And…you throw in a policial comment

So which comedians do you find funny that make fun of you and the things you hold profound and sacred?
Would you recommend any in particular?