Some Words on Dave Chappelle recent Netflix comedy special, the Closer. Trans employees and their allies at Netflix walked out of their jobs in protest and issued a list of demands for their return, which included acknowledgment of Netflix’s responsibility in the harm that was created for streaming transphobic content… strong words. Chappelle says that the controversy has impacted his career like nothing else before it, and interest in his unreleased documentary film has completely dried up from all of the major studios.
I
have been a fan of Dave Chappelle for years. His standup comedy is among the smartest and most provocative in a generation. Last year, I blogged about the brilliance of 8:46, the show he created during the pandemic about the George Floyd murder. One of the memorable parts of that routine was when he told the story of Christopher Dorner, the former member of the LAPD who went on a killing spree of law enforcement officers after he was fired from his job, and how over 400 police officers responded in solidarity to the call when Dorner was cornered and ultimately killed in a Big Bear Lake cabin. Chappelle was 26 l
making a point on how people tend to react when one of their own is attacked and why nobody should have been surprised when thousands of Black people took to the streets over Floyd. Throughout his career, Chappelle has been one of the clearest voices on race and social justice. I love that about him, but more than anything, I’m a fan because the guy is one of the funniest people in the world. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past month, you probably know that Dave Chappelle has been under fire for his comments about the trans community in his most
When an icon of social justice is called a bigot, it’s a big deal, and regardless of where I stand on this particular issue, I can’t deny it bothers me because I feel like it plays into the hands of actual racists and the formidable adversaries to equity and inclusion in America. I know those losers are enjoying this and I can actually hear them laughing in my head. That said, I’m not going to avoid directly addressing the Chappelle controversy, and providing an honest opinion on the subject. One of Chappelle’s most compelling statements in the show is when he says his problems aren’t with trans people, they are, and always have been with the “Whites” … as he calls them. He explains how he believes that White women screwed up the #MeToo movement, and suggests they are at the root of his quarrel with the trans community. He supports his opinion by asking
THE POWER IS NOW MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2021
