His latest Netflix special, The Closer, is drawing a lot of attention. After being widely criticised for previous specials that he disparaged trans people and gay people as well as those who suffer from sexual violence, Chappelle's new 72-minute piece is a clear attempt to correct the record. This is what he said from the beginning. We should believe him. He accomplished exactly what he set out for, despite it being controversial.
This accomplishment shows that he is funny, not that he isn't funny. He is not only punching down (he is), or his jokes aren't as funny (they haven't). This latest special proves that Chappelle wasn't the progressive darling he was made out to be. Jon Stewart referred to Chappelle as the Black Bourdain when he won the Mark Twain Prize in American Humor in 2019, a reference to the well-loved chef and documentarian who explored the complexity of human nature.
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This is a somewhat understandable characterization. The beauty and eventual demise of Chappelles Show was his ability to deftly and publicly explore the trials and tribulations that Black life. His comedy was innovative, provocative, and even revelatory at the time. It is understandable that we expected the same nuance in regard to other oppressed group. We were merely projecting onto him something which wasn't in his actual work. We had hoped for an intersectional analysis, but none was available.
All of Chappelles comedy follows the same line: anti-Blackness is what makes oppression possible. The suffering and pain of everyone else isn't as terrible, so it doesn't get the attention and outrage that progressive circles give it. Take a look at one of his opening lines in The Closer. He smiles and says, "I would like to address the LGBTQ community directly." Chappelle says that DaBaby made a terrible mistake in making disparaging remarks about HIV/AIDS patients while on stage at a Miami concert in July. The joke turns around.
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He shot and killed a n***a once, then killed him in Walmart. This is true. You can Google it. DaBaby killed a n***a at Walmart in North Carolina, and his career did not suffer. Can you see where this is leading? You can kill and shoot a n***a in this country but you should not hurt the feelings of a gay person. This is exactly the issue I want to address. It's easy to think that I hate gay people. But what you really see is that I envy gay people. Oh Im jealous. This is not a feeling shared by all Blacks. Blacks look at the gay community, and say, "Goddamit, look at how well that movement's going." We have been in this same predicament for hundreds upon years. Look at how you are doing. Is that really possible?
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Since years, this so-called disparity has been the core of Chappelles' work. He is now making this unmistakably clear. One side is the Black community, which has to deal with the daily trauma, exploitation and indignity that comes with living under white supremacy. On the other hand, Chappelles sees the LGBTQ community as having overcome the worst aspects of oppression in record-breaking time. These two camps exist in a world where they are distinct and opposing each other, and there is no overlap. (LGBTQ Black people might disagree.
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Chappelle says that overcoming oppression can be described as a race. It is a competition that causes jealousy and in which one group's progress is at the expense of another. Gay opression is not a distant memory. It is still being debated whether conservative Christians should bake cakes for gay-sex marriages. Trans people are still being excluded from sports and bathrooms. Four times more LGBT teens than their hetero peers are likely to attempt suicide. Trans people of color are at risk of extreme violence, unemployment, and housing insecurity. What are my options?
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However, I understand Chappelle's point of view. It's true that anti-Black racism can be brutal and pervasive. Just over a year has passed since millions marched in the streets protesting state-sanctioned violence towards Black people. This is the same violence that we have been protesting for decades. Black people are treated worse than any other racial group in this country, and it's evident in a variety of ways. When I stop to think about the source of Chappelle's jealousy, I hear him say: If this country really cared for Black people, then we would be outraged, and on the streets every day.
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I am not writing this to make Dave Chappelle look bad for making these comparisons. This is to admit that Chappelle has always been focused on Black pain. When he speaks about the Black community, he mostly refers to Black men. He is referring to the experience that he has had, his own. He fails to notice other marginalized groups, and he does so again and again. He admits that he is not indifferent to suffering of others, while acknowledging the absurdity of North Carolina's bathroom bill. This moment of clarity is fleeting. He'll be making crude jokes about trans people in the next breath.
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Chappelle has had to deal with real victimhood throughout his career. He has created lasting art out of it (he describes his work in The Closer as art). Many of his admirers and fans find it disturbing that his understanding of the world and the pain it brings has not led him to be more compassionate and generous towards others. In other words, Chappelle wasn't really on the side of anyone. This is not a betrayal. It can only be dismissed as misguided thoughts of an old comedian out-of-touch. They were actually the ones who got him all wrong.
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One sketch from Chappelles Show 2003, a spoof on a R. Kelly music video where Chappelle mocks Kellys victims. The song was called Piss on You. Or the Ask A Gay Dude segment, in which straight men asked obnoxious and offensive questions to gay actor Mario Catone. Ay yo, I have one question for fruity pants: What's the rainbow about? One man asks, "I don't feel the rainbow." We have forgotten how many of his sketches featured women. Helen Lewis in The Atlantic writes, "Did any critics of The Closer not notice that Chappelle always spoke about bitchessorry, women?"
His early work didn't attract the same attention as his latest specials. This is partly due to the cultural advancement Chappelle so jealously points out. It is evident that he is bitter about the progress made for others and the backlash he continues to get from his jokes. He is openly dismissive of the criticisms he is receiving. He clearly views himself as a misunderstood victim. He says that the transgenders want me to die.
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What does this mean for us? Is Chappelle a bully? Is he a victim? Is he a victim? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. He is unknowingly and clumsily inviting us to think about how much work remains in the pursuit for equality. He is reminding us, however, that intersectionality can be difficult and complex. Many of his attempts to describe power relations within and between marginalized groups fail.
The Closer's top screen features Chappelle explaining his mission. He is nodding his head at the controversy surrounding his comedy. He said that he came to this place tonight because of the work I have done on Netflix. I'm going to answer all your questions about the jokes that I've made over the years.
These questions are now answered. Although Chappelle has not grown from past criticisms, he has made no mistake with The Closer. We must believe him.
