Dave Chappelle's "The Closer": My Thoughts on Comedy, Being Offended, Woke Fragility, Freedom of Speech, and the Art of Agreeing to Disagree

It is no secret that comedian Dave Chappelle has a mix of observational humor, black humor, insult comedy, and satire that he enjoys using to get under people's skin. He gets off on offending people by being blunt and crass. In his latest Netflix special, The Closer, he takes it to a whole different level. He talks about discrimination against the African-American community relative to the LGBT community. He jokes about getting COVID-19. He explores the textbook definition of feminism and realizes that he is a feminist after he refers to women as "bitches." What got him the most flak was his comments about transgender individuals. 

There was considerable anger from the trans activist community, ranging from angry Tweets to threats to boycott Netflix and pleas to pull the special from Netflix. How did Netflix respond? They did not cave into pressure. Instead, Netflix co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Reed Hastings defended Chappelle in internal communications: "In his special, Chappelle makes harsh jokes about many groups, which is his style and a reason his fans love his comedy and commentary. Stand-up comedians often expose issues that are uncomfortable because the art by nature is highly provocative. As a leadership team, we do not believe that 'The Closer' is intended to incite hatred or violence against anyone." 

My Criticisms of "The Closer"

There is a lot I would like to cover today, but I want to start off this analysis by saying there were parts of Chappelle's sketch that I found distasteful. I say this as someone who has a high threshold when it comes to humor. I appreciate black humor. When done correctly, it can be great because laughing at some of the darkest aspects of human existence can be therapeutic. If we don't laugh at those dark moments, they will bring us down...or at least that is how I view it. I find raunchy or crude humor funny. South Park's mix of the crude and political satire had me laughing out loud on multiple occasions. I also think a number of controversial comedians are funny, including George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Tracy Morgan, and Lenny Bruce. What I am about to say has nothing to do with a low tolerance for controversial or "inappropriate" material.

But within the first ten minutes of his stand-up, Chappelle does a bit that I thought went too far. Chappelle thought of an idea of a movie: There is a discovery of a group of aliens that are originally from Earth. They come from an ancient group of people that achieved interstellar travel and left Earth thousands of years ago. They go to another planet and things go bad. They decide they come back to Earth and reclaim it as their own." What does Chappelle call this movie idea? Space Jews. 

Why should the Space Jews bit be offensive? After all, at the end of The History of the World, Part I, Mel Brooks does a bit called Jews in Space (see below). I agree that no group of people should be exempt from being the butt of a joke. As Mel Brooks shows, you can make Jew jokes while still being tasteful and spot-on. Dave Chappelle crosses that line from a good joke to a bad one. I don't say that simply as a Jew. I say that since part of Chappelle's style is based on observational humor. Content and delivery are the two main ingredients for good comedy. In the case of observational humor, part of that content is making sure that it at least remotely resembles reality. 

 

Chappelle's joke takes on multiple anti-Semitic tropes that are categorically untrue, including that Jews are "other," Jews want to take over the world, and that Jews are oppressors. If Chappelle were to base the joke in historical fact, he would have known that the Romans came into Judea and Samaria, took over the land, oppressed the Jewish populace, and ultimately expelled the majority of the Jews. The Jews were subsequently exiled and oppressed by various governments for nearly the next two millennia. Jokes, especially ones that are based in observational humor, are funnier when they are at least somewhat based on historical accuracy. So to recap this part of the analysis: Jews in Space is funny, Space Jews is anti-Semitic. 

There were some other parts of Chappelle's special I took issue with because of a lack of accuracy. One is that Chappelle treats oppression like a zero-sum game. This is especially pronounced when he jokes about discrimination against African-Americans in comparison to discrimination against LGBT individuals. He oversimplifies it by assuming that all gay people are white (i.e., Chappelle said that "gay people are minorities until they need to be white again"), and frames it in a way as if the African-American and LGBT communities were two separate entities without any overlap. 

He also implies that the only discrimination that really matters is that against African-Americans. On the one hand, I am not here to say that African-Americans historically have had it easy. On the contrary! As recent as last June, I brought up how African-Americans have dealt with more than their fair share of discrimination in the United States. Plus, I understand that Chappelle is speaking from his personal experience. On the other hand, Chappelle asked the LGBT community to not "punch down" at him, after he spent a decent part of his show minimizing the discrimination of LGBT individuals. It is disingenuous to ask something of someone that you yourself cannot do, much like it is disingenuous for a millionaire with a large fan base trying to play the victim. Plus, there have been multiple minority groups that have been oppressed, including Jews, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, Muslims, gays, Gypsies, and the disabled. As the Left-leaning Slate brings up, Chappelle narrowly has focused on Black pain, but "fails again and again when his attention turns toward other marginalized groups." 

The Funnier Parts of "The Closer"

For all that I found faulty with his special there were parts that I agreed with or at least found funny and/or to be good social commentary. Here are a few of those highlights from Chappelle's special:

• "Is it possible that a gay person can be racist?" To Chappelle, I respond that it is possible. I think it is possible for anyone, whether they are gay or straight, black or white, religious or not, to be racist. Humans from all backgrounds have the potential and ability to discriminate against others.   
• "Of course it's possible [that a gay person can be racist]. Look at Mike Pence." Aside from the rumors that the former Vice President is gay, what makes this funny is that Chappelle calls Pence "a sad gay...one of those gays that prays about it." What makes this bit funny is that being gay is not a choice although there are people that still believe it is, conversion therapy is a bunch of bullocks, and it's sad that it's 2021 and people are still in the closet. Again, black humor!
• "I'm jealous of gay people." After talking about "how well that movement is going," Chappelle proceeds to say that "I don't hate gay people at all. I respect the shit out of you." If Chappelle were an actual homophobe, he would not revere or laud gay people. I'm not here to say that every one of Chappelle's remarks on the gay community are accurate, but a bona fide homophobe would have a different take on gay people than one of respect. 
• Describing an altercation he had with a lesbian, Chappelle ended with the punch line of "I whooped the toxic masculinity out of that bitch." That punchline is a jab at the woke Left's take on how all masculinity is toxic, as opposed to distinguishing between toxic and healthy masculinity. 
• DaBaby is a rapper that made homophobic comments at a concert in Miami, implying that all gay people have HIV or AIDS. While that is wrong, a point that Chappelle brought up is that DaBaby also shot a fellow black man in a Wal-Mart in North Carolina. His self-defense argument was good enough to get him a misdemeanor, but that doesn't change the fact that DaBaby still shot a guy and that got less flak than his homophobic remarks. Chappelle is criticizing an assumption on the Far Left that incendiary words are just as bad as physical assault or murder. We'll talk about this topic more later. 
• Chappelle was perplexed as to why women think he's misogynisitic, asking "what could I possibly be saying that would make these bitches think that I hate women? I couldn't figure it out." Non-rhetorically, using a derogatory term to describe women might be why, but I digress. Chappelle then said he Googled the dictionary definition of feminist to make sure that he wasn't misogynist. Webster's defines feminism as "the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities." Chappelle then declared that by that definition, he was indeed a feminist.
• When trans activists were criticizing him on Twitter, Chappelle's response was "I don't give a fuck because Twitter is not a real place." I found that to be interesting commentary on how we view social media in our society. 

Chappelle and Transgenderism

He spent much of the second half of "The Closer" on transgender issues. He started that part of the sketch by asking "What is a woman?" He then said that as much as women, gay men, or lesbians have a problem with him, transgender individuals want him dead because "I went too far, I said too much." He jokingly (or possibly half-jokingly) called himself transphobic multiple times in the sketch. He relays a story in which he allegedly was tricked into calling a transgender woman beautiful. He also compared transgender women to white people wearing blackface. He also said that "I'm not saying that to say that trans women aren't women," followed by comparing the genitalia of transgender individuals to such plant-based "meats" as Impossible Burger. His take on it was "that it's close, but not quite there." Those were some of the cruder parts of his coverage on transgender issues. 

Chappelle made a statement that was not crude, but nevertheless controversial when he stood up for J.K. Rowling when she said that biological sex was a thing. He made fun of how certain transgender activists called Rowling a trans-exclusionary radical feminist, or TERF for short. Chappelle said that TERFs feel about transgender women how black people feel about blackface. Chappelle says he is "Team TERF," saying that gender is a fact. If you are looking for analysis on what Rowling said in 2020 and a nuanced take on transgenderism and biological sex, you can read what I wrote in 2020.

Then there were some of the more endearing moments he had when it came to transgender issues. Chappelle also said that "I am not indifferent to the suffering of someone else." He reflects on when was first called transphobic sixteen years ago and how he evolved since then. Chappelle made fun of transgender bathroom bans. At the end, he conveyed a story about a trans woman named Daphne Dorman. He asked Dorman to open up a sketch for him. During this opening, Chappelle and Dorman were having a conversation. Chappelle said, "I have no idea what you're talking about," to which Dorman responded, "I don't need you to understand me. I just need you to believe I'm having a human experience." For Chappelle, he believed it because "it takes one [a human] to know one." Sadly, Dorman committed suicide shortly thereafter. Chappelle set up a trust fund for Dorman's daughter. When Chappelle met the daughter, he said, "I knew your father, and he was a wonderful woman." What is noteworthy is that Dorman's family is standing up for Chappelle and calling him an ally to the LGBT community.

Does Chappelle make off-color jokes? Yes. Are his jokes offensive? That matters on personal taste, to be sure, but I can at least understand why some people would take offense. Do I think he is being transphobic? I do not. I watched the special twice to make sure I got a grasp of the content of the special. Yes, Chappelle made jokes about transgender individuals. However, the thing is that Chappelle is an equal-opportunity offender. In that special, not only did Chappelle make fun of trans individuals, but he made fun of Jews, white people, the Chinese by blaming China for COVID-19, gay men, lesbians, and women, not to mention his constant usage of the n-word. His content oscillates between the irreverent and the humane. That is what Chappelle does. With regards to trans individuals, what I think Chappelle is trying to say in his own way was "I respect you as human beings, but I disagree with this definition of gender." 

The Value of Comedy and Free Speech

Going through Chappelle's comments in detail reminds me of the complexities of comedy. There were parts I liked about Chappelle's special and there were parts that I truly did not care for. Does that mean I am going to join the trans activists and ask that Chappelle's special be pulled? Of course not! I brought this up back in March when giving my take on the Dr. Seuss controversy in which some of his books got pulled from publication. Just because something is offensive does not mean we should discontinue it or censor it. 

The last thing we need if we are to have a free society is to have a small minority of prudes decide what content is acceptable for the rest of us. Frederick Douglass, the famous abolitionist who was once a slave, said that "Liberty is meaningless when the right to utter one's thoughts and opinions has ceased to exist. That, of all rights, is the dread of tyrants. It is the right which they first of all strike down." Or to quote comedian John Cleese, "Laughter is a force for democracy." 

We do not have the right to not be offended. If anything, freedom of speech implicitly involves the right to offend. People are bound to hold different beliefs on a multitude of topics, whether that be religion, politics, or philosophy. This is especially true when talking about comedy. Comedy is an art form that is meant to be edgy and push boundaries. The good comedy often holds up a mirror to us and to society and asks us to look at who we are. Comedy is meant to provoke. There are times it will insult your sensibilities, especially if you have a thin skin. 

The Art of Agreeing to Disagree Versus Woke Fragility

I have learned to get less offended as time passes. I have realized that not everyone is like me. Not everyone thinks like me, observes religion like me, or has the same tastes or preferences as me. I don't expect people to conform to my way of life. For the vast majority of people, I can agree to disagree, sometimes vehemently. I have found that those on the Far Left or those who identify as woke are incapable of doing that. Why am I pointing out the woke crowd specifically? Because it is most relevant to this discussion. I agree that there are closed-minded and authoritarian individuals on the Right. In U.S. history, much of the prudishness and censorship came from the Religious Right. However, the ones that are most gung-ho in our society to cancel comedic work because it offends their nature is coming from woke individuals on the Left. This is not a criticism of everyone on the Left because not everyone on the Left is woke. This criticism, much like previous criticisms I have made on this blog, are of a woke subset on the Left.

As I detailed in July 2020, the woke mindset is a fundamentalist mindset reminiscent of those on the Religious Right. For the woke or the social justice crowd (whatever you prefer to call them), the Dave Chappelle controversy (or any controversy) is more than mere disagreement; it is a moral deficiency to disagree and not see things exactly the way they do. It does not matter that Chappelle criticized transgender bathroom bans or recognized the human experience of being trans. If Chappelle (or anyone, for that matter) doesn't agree with the woke on everything, the proper punishment is labelling said individual a transphobe and attempting to strip them of a livelihood. This woke mindset, especially when it comes to comedy, manifests itself in a few problematic ways. 

1. The first is that those who are different, those who are not part of the "in-group," are viewed on an adversarial level. At the very least, it leads to more divisiveness, much like we see with Critical Race Theory. How are we supposed to have comedy, never mind a pluralistic democracy built on tolerance and diversity, when differences are not acceptable by this vocal minority? Also, is it realistic to expect to change their minds if you treat them as an adversary? When was the last time you were convinced of something because someone yelled at you and berated you?
2. The woke like to argue that "words are violence." Forget that Webster's Dictionary defines violence as "the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy." While certain words can inflict emotional or psychological damage, harsh words are not bullets, knives, fists, or fires set to property. If the woke Left were concerned about the impact of words, they would be concerned about how it impacts everyone, and not just certain individuals that are part of the woke in-group. If it is not about legitimate harm caused by words, why use the argument? As I brought up in 2017 when discussing political correctness, political correctness is not a synonym for "politeness." It is thought and speech control under the guise of brotherhood and unity. When someone says "words are violence," what they are really doing is deflecting criticism while attempting to control language. 
3. If you shield yourself from criticism, how do you grow intellectually or spiritually? When I talk with people I disagree with, not only do I learn about their arguments and perspective, but I learn about myself. By shutting down conversations, those on the woke Left are missing on a true growth opportunity not only for themselves, but for people that they might have otherwise persuaded. 
4. I'm not saying nothing should offend us ever because that would make us a society of sociopaths. But I will say that U.S. society has taken the concepts of fragility and victimhood to a whole different level, and not in a good way. If Stoic philosopher Epictetus was right in saying "It's not what happens to you, but how you react," then that would mean people can exert greater control over their response to how something such as The Closer makes them feel. If that is the case, then people choose the story and narrative that they hear when listening to comedy, which means that in many instances, they choose to be offended by such comedians as Dave Chappelle. When talking with woke people over the years, I get the sense that they are on the lookout for things that are offensive. In this mindset, everything is a slight, regardless of intentions. 

Those who complain about "white fragility" basically have no threshold for a comedian telling jokes that are outside their worldview. If they don't like something, they try to tear it down or censor it. There is no attempt to converse with, empathize with, or even understand someone who is different. If the tolerance for those who are different is so low in the woke crowd, how can you ever expect woke people to understand comedy? To channel comedian John Cleese: "A good sense of humor is a sign of a healthy perspective, which is why people who are uncomfortable around humor are either pompous (inflated) or neurotic (oversensitive)." Hear, hear!

Concluding Thoughts

Even with my gripes about some of Chappelle's content, I think that his special represents the importance of freedom of speech generally, but also about the value of comedy specifically. Chappelle's special reminds us that good comedy means that no topic or no group of people is off limits. We recall the fact that life is the opposite of a safe space, not to mention much more complex than a series of talking points. Chappelle has the right to offend, much like we can respond with our freedom of speech by calling him out on inaccuracies or problematic statements. I believe that Chappelle can improve both on his content and delivery while still keeping within the overall comedic style he has developed over time.

But trying to prohibit comedians from having a platform or censoring content because it does not agree with your sense of right and wrong? How un-American, how undemocratic, how authoritarian! If you don't like Chappelle's comedic style, don't watch Chappelle's specials. Netflix provides plenty of LGBT movies and TV series for you to watch. I'm glad that Chappelle was able to withstand the naysayers. To see a comedian with notoriety with content on a famous platform as Netflix is encouraging because it means the Thought Police are less likely to win the cultural battle, that "we, the people" will have enough of the politically correct overreach in our lives. We shouldn't be reenforcing values of fragility or victimhood. Rather than making people emotionally "safe," we should make people emotionally strong. I hope that this victory is the first step towards reinforcing the values of anti-fragility, emotional resilience, freedom of speech, and the art of agreeing to disagree.