Dave Chappelle
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Dave Chappelle’s Saturday Night Live monologue caused a stir when he revealed that producers had told him he couldn’t talk about two hot-button topics: Gaza and transgender issues. For over 15 minutes, Chappelle delivered his usual edgy humor but hinted at the censorship behind the scenes. Known for his fearless approach to comedy, Chappelle’s never been one to hold back, but on SNL, there were limits.
When it comes to Gaza, Chappelle had already called the situation a “genocide,” a term that’s been super controversial, especially with mainstream media trying to avoid the heat. With so much tension around the issue, producers didn’t want to risk opening that can of worms on live TV.
In ‘The Closer’ (2021), Dave Chappelle got mad heat for his jokes about trans folks, which many saw as straight-up “punching down.” He talked about a trans woman friend of his, but the way he framed it rubbed people the wrong way. His comedy sparked a lot of noise, with folks calling him out for disrespecting a marginalized group. That drama made waves all over, even having shows like SNL hesitant. With all the backlash, the legendary comedian had to tone down his jokes, especially around trans and Gaza topics, just to avoid catching heat.
Dave Chappelle’s comedy is known for hitting hard and not caring who it offends. He tackles tough topics like race, gender, and social issues with no filter, often crossing lines that others wouldn’t dare. Some folks see it as crossing the line, but Chappelle argues his goal isn’t to hurt—it’s to make people think and start conversations.
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Dave Chappelle will receive the President’s Award at the upcoming NAACP Image Awards, which will be held later this month.
On Tuesday (February 11), the NAACP announced that the iconic comedian Dave Chappelle will be the recipient of their lauded President’s Award at the 56th NAACP Image Awards ceremony, which will be held on February 22. The award, which is bestowed “in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service”, has been given to such luminaries as Usher, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Dwyane Wade, Rihanna, LeBron James, Kerry Washington, Spike Lee, Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, and Ms. Lauryn Hill. The honor comes at a keen moment for Chappelle, as he’s preparing to embark on another tour this year, and was the host of Saturday Night Live after the 2024 presidential election last November. He’s slated to take part in the variety show’s 50th anniversary special which will be aired on February 16.
“The President’s Award honors an unwavering dedication to community, and throughout his distinguished career, Dave Chappelle has consistently been recognized as a powerful voice of social consciousness,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson in the press release announcing the honor. “Through his unique ability to transform complex political issues into thought-provoking humor, Dave has solidified his place as one of the most impactful voices of our time. His work sparks conversations that compel people to examine their own beliefs, proving that in an age where open dialogue is increasingly rare, comedy can be both a powerful truth-teller and a driver of progress.”
The 56th NAACP Image Awards will be held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California on February 22 at 8 P.M. EST, and aired live on BET and CBS. This year, the event will be extended to run for 2.5 hours and honor the Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and Pasadena communities who have been affected by the recent wildfires. The ceremony will also provide support for the Altadena Community Preservation Fund, which was created to preserve the area’s cultural heritage and to defend homeowners from being displaced. The fund was created through a partnership between BET Media Group, NAACP, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole (JSSK), and WME with LA County. The fund collaborated with and received feedback from several local community organizations, including Community Aid Dena, Altadena Heritage, and WalkGood LA,
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Another election, that didn’t go the way of progressives, means another Dave Chappelle appearance on Saturday Night Live. During the comedian’s latest appearance, he used his monologue to not only make jokes about Diddy and the California wildfires, but to send a message to Donald Trump before his inauguration, too.
With a lit cigarettes in his hand, Chappelle hit the stage to a round of applause and quickly got down to his business of cracking, sometimes painfully too soon, but still funny. That meant jokes about the wildfire (poor people don’t like rich people) and not being invited to Diddy parties due to his “snitch energy.”
Oh, and we have to mention that Glorilla was the musical guest.
Near the end of his set, Chappelle shared a story about President Jimmy Carter, who recently passed away, which inevitably led to some advice for the next president.
“Here’s the thing, on Monday, Donald Trump is coming back. He’ll be the 47th president. He’s done it again,” Chappelle said, before going into a story about being in the Middle East shortly after he infamously, abruptly quit Chappelle’s Show, while Carter visited Israel.
“While he [Carter] was in Israel, a book of his was released whose title was very controversial in Israel. The title of the book was, ‘Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,’” he said.
Chappelle detailed Carter visiting Palestine, despite protest that it wouldn’t be safe and with little security, and receiving immense praise from the Palestinian people. “It brought tears to my eyes,” recalled Chappelle. “I said, ‘I don’t know if that was a good president, but that right there is a great man.’ It made me feel very proud.”
He then added, “The presidency is no place for petty people. So, Donald Trump, I know you watch the show… Man, remember, people, whether they voted for you or not, they are all counting on you. Whether they like you or not, they are all counting on you. The whole world is counting on you.”
Good luck with that, sincerely.
Chappelle then added, “I mean this when I say this, good luck. Please, do better next time. Please, all of us, do better next time. Do not forget your humanity, and please have empathy for displaced people, whether they are in the Palisades or Palestine.”
It was Dave Chappelle’s fourth time hosting Saturday Night Live. Watch his full monologue below.
Dave Chappelle is set to host Saturday Night Live for the fourth time this weekend (Jan. 18), with GloRilla making her musical guest debut.
In a promotional clip for the upcoming episode posted on Thursday (Jan. 16), SNL fan-favorite cast member Marcello Hernández says, “Man, what a chaotic time in the world. I’m so glad that you’re here to bring us together and remind us of what makes us human.”
When Chappelle goes to thank him, Hernández hilariously clarifies, “I was actually talking to GloRilla.” An immediately flattered Glo then tells the comedian, “Thanks, BB!”
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Elsewhere in the promo, Hernández tells GloRilla how much he loves her 2024 hit, “Yeah, Glo!,” explaining to the rapper that “if it was in Spanish, it would be like ‘Si, Glo!’”
“Oh, I like that. You gonna keep going?” Glo asks, wondering if he’ll deliver the expletive-filled hook in Spanish as well. “I don’t know, I gotta translate,” a flustered Hernández replies with a laugh.
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GloRilla’s SNL debut comes three months after the release of the Memphis rapper’s debut solo album, Glorious, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. The project spawned the single “TGIF,” which peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, Glo’s highest-reaching unaccompanied entry on the chart.
Watch the promo below, and catch the full episode of Saturday Night Live on Jan. 18 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC, before it begins streaming on Peacock.
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Looks like Dave Chappelle is about to hit the road again, but this time he won’t be doing so alone and interestingly enough he won’t be joined by another comedian but rather a Grammy Award-winning rap artist in Killer Mike.
On Wednesday (Oct. 23), it was announced that Dave Chappelle and Killer Mike with the Mighty Midnight Revival would be taking an impromptu show on the road this coming November dubbed Still Talking That Sh*t!. Unfortunately, for fans, it’ll only hit a handful of cities in the span of nine days. While details about the show are yet to be released, what we do know is that attendees will have to comply with the rules and regulations that include securing their mobile devices upon entering the arena.
This event will be a phone-free experience. Use of phones, smart watches, and accessories will not be permitted in the performance space. Upon arrival at the venue, all phones, smart watches, and accessories will be secured in individual Yondr pouches that will be opened at the end of the event. Guests maintain possession of their devices at all times and can access them throughout the event only in designated Phone Use Areas within the venue. All devices will be re-secured in Yondr pouches before returning to the performance space. Anyone seen using a device (phone, smart watch, or accessories) during the performance will be escorted out of the venue by security. We appreciate your cooperation in creating a phone-free experience.
Man, if y’all can’t stay off your phone for a little while to witness the greatness of Dave Chappelle and Killer Mike then keep it moving, and let the real fans have a crack at the show. Y’all already know tickets are going to be hard to get.
Tickets for the event go on sale Friday (Oct. 25), at noon and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.
Will you be trying to get some tickets for the event? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Jerrod Carmichael recently expressed his regret over criticizing Dave Chappelle publicly in an interview on The Breakfast Club.
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael is walking back his public criticism of Dave Chappelle over his recent comedy specials and his focus on trans people, based on remarks he made during his appearance on The Breakfast Club. “I deeply regret saying anything about Dave Chappelle to the press. I want to say that I’m sorry for that,” Carmichael said during the episode which aired Tuesday (April 16).
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Carmichael took time to express that he’s a fan of Chappelle, calling him a “bright light in a dying industry,” and claiming that he’s “more important than ever before” because of today’s crop of comedians “just posting clips of them doing crowd work online and calling it art, and it’s not art.” He also elaborated on his critique: “The criticism I had was that of a fan, someone who respects him so much, that I want him to focus his genius on a wide range of topics. It started really being focused on one thing. I’m a big fan of Jay-Z. If Jay-Z made three albums about trans people, I’d be like, ‘What’s going on with Jay-Z?’”
The comedian, who is on a press tour for his HBO documentary series, Jarrod Carmichael Reality Show, had raised eyebrows with his comments on Chappelle in a GQ interview in 2022. “Chappelle, do you know what comes up when you Google your name, bro? That’s the legacy? Your legacy is a bunch of opinions on trans shit? It’s an odd hill to die on.” He also spoke further about Chappelle’s thoughts in an Esquire interview last month: “He took it as ‘F–k Dave Chappelle,’ because he’s an egomaniac,” Carmichael said. “He wanted me to apologize to him publicly or some s–t.”
When asked if he and Chappelle had spoken since his earlier comments, Carmichael said simply: “Yeah, I know Dave. And I’ll tell you, honestly, from now on, any thoughts I have for Dave will be directed in a phone call to Dave. I’ll never do it again. I do apologize for that… I don’t need it, I don’t want the attention, it’s gone on too long.”
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Dylan Dilinjah had his initial brushes with fame as a member of the MTV reality show series, Making The Band. Dylan Dilinjah recently released a video stating that Dave Chappelle spoofed him on his popular sketch show thus halting the rising rapper’s career arc.
Dylan Dilinjah, who is now stylizing his name as Dylan Dili, was a guest on the We Are Flatbush documentary series that highlights individuals from the Brooklyn neighborhood. Dili sat with We Are Flatbush for a five-part chat that covered his early beginnings, and his musical influences, and also discussed his time on Making The Band.
In regards to Chappelle, Dili shared in a clip that being spoofed by the comedian via a skit on his hit Chappelle’s Show on Comedy Central put a huge dent in his career momentum. Dili said that after the skit went wide, people in the industry began writing him off as a joke. While he later crossed paths with Chappelle, it appears that Dili had to contend with the aftermath.
Check out the clips below.
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Photo: Getty
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Dave Chappelle isn’t happy with how Katt Williams bashed other Black comedians, voicing his opinion about it at a recent show in Hollywood.
Katt Williams’ recent podcast interview with Shannon Sharpe blasting other comedians like Cedric the Entertainer and Steve Harvey has sparked a lot of conversation and some dismay. It has rubbed Dave Chappelle the wrong way, and he spoke about it while appearing at MonDeRays, an event at the Hollywood Improv hosted by fellow comic DeRay Davis. “What part of the game is this? He ethered n**gas. He didn’t say anything about any of these white boys. None of these white boys function like that,” Chappelle said at the event Friday (Jan. 19).
“Katt is one of the best painters in the game. So why are you drawing ugly pictures of us? Stop. Hurt people hurt people, but I am a hurt person that never hurt people, and he does it all the time,” Chappelle said before going into an impression of Williams during the Club Shay Shay interview. “‘F**k this one, and f**k that one, and f**k this one,’” then adding in, “But, n**ga, I didn’t hear anything that you did wrong. He didn’t do nothin’ wrong? Katt didn’t do nothin’ wrong?… Katt was talking about s**t that n**gas did to other n**gas, but not about anything that n**gas did to him.”
The comedian questioned why Williams would air his grievances like that when “all of us are trying to be in a better situation.” Later adding: “If I told my story, it would break your heart… I lost everything and never, ever told on anybody, and this n**ga’s the arbiter of truth.” Davis attempted to interject to defend Williams by stating it was good for comedy (similar to a claim made by Marlon Wayans), but Chappelle would brush it aside.
“You know why I disagree? Because I put a special out the same day. It was fine. And this n***a came out [and said], ‘I read 6,000 books … what the f—k is you talking about?” Chappelle’s latest Netflix special, The Dreamer, premiered Dec. 31, 2023. It was notable that Chappelle’s words were captured by someone in the audience – the comedian has often employed a “no smartphones” policy at his performances in recent years. The Club Shay Shay interview with Katt Williams, which premiered Jan. 3, has 52 million viewers to date.
Lil Nas X is over the “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” controversy. It’s been nearly three years since the star unveiled his devilish music video for his 2021 single, in which he’s seen slipping from Garden of Eden to ancient Greece before pole-dancing down a stripper pole into hell, where he gives Satan a […]
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Dave Chappelle is back. Actually, he never left, considering the comedian seems to always be in the news, but he does have a new Netflix on special premiering just before the end of the year.
Details are scarce, but Netlfix dropped a teaser trailer with applause, Chappelle’s voice and his now iconic C logo announcing the special’s global premiere will be December 31.
Recently, Chappelle made headlines when he was spotted in a selfie with controversial Rep. Lauren Boebert. However, he insists that he was duped.
This story is developing.