What's your thoughts on Dave Chappelle's Netflix Specials, including the latest, Sticks & Stones?

Yes let's normalize people by continuing to other them. Great idea. 100% success rate.

@blackichigo: you pondered if the LGBTQ community didn’t want to be treated like everyone else. I put into context some of the things they have to deal with in addition to a very popular comedian on a big stage with global reach making questionable jokes about their sexuality which he has routinely done throughout his career.

It’s not that the LGBTQ community has had it rough, they still have it rough. Additionally, even though they happened in the past hardly any comic is going to make jokes about jews and the holocaust or blacks and slavery, especially if the comedian isn’t part of that group. The ramifications of those atrocities can still be felt today.

As for people being “terrified” to even talk about the LGBTQ community...what? If you’re that worried about walking on eggshells then just read up, google, etc so you have some foundational perspective to go on before wading in. That’s a good rule of thumb for any topic actually.

Finally, I don’t think a big public figure constantly making fun of a group is the best way to normalize, integrate, or make said group feel comfortable and safe.

@shorap: Did you watch the special or the epilogue?

@blackichigo: I'm not a member of the LGBTQ+ community, so I cannot speak for that community.. But I think this is generally true across many different communities: it's more about the context of who says it and how they say it. Sort of a, "I can make fun of my own because we're all in on the joke," thing. To use a personal example, I don't like people making jokes about IEDs, unless they know what it's like to see one go off in person.

@shorap: I do mind actually, given this isn't the place to be having a political debate of this nature and the fact that the comment in question was a joke. A joke in a thread about people being overly defensive about...jokes. Every group on the face of the planet have their bad eggs. There's always some pocket of idiots driving shit down for others and yes, your team is no different. I'm not sitting here doing fantasy math (with or without an embroidered labcoat) to determine which side spews the most hate, when it's not gonna make me any less annoyed by the stupidity and vitriol both sides contribute to our society on a daily basis.

@blackichigo: I watched the parts being criticized.

@shiftygism: wait, was it a joke? Because you sure seem to be doubling down on this “both sides are equally bad” which I’m sorry but if you think that then you’re the one doing fantasy math.

@shorap: You should give the epilogue a look. It goes more into how he built the material for the special. He goes on to say even he was a little uncomfortable with some of the things he was saying because he knew that at any moment someone might try and "cancel" him. Apparently at one of his shows it was a transgender person that encouraged him to say what was on his mind. That isn't to say that this one transgender person speaks for the whole group, but it does kind of support my point is that transgender people have thicker skin than people give them credit.

I'm not encouraging you to watch the whole thing, but you should watch it and make up your own mind with the whole context. Everybody got a swing on them. If you don't want to support Dave that's fine. He's a millionaire. Pirate the thing.

By only picking out those particular bits,you only ate the brussel sprouts and not the rest of the meal on the plate that's pretty damn good.

@shorap: This type of ultra defensive team mentality is also a large contributor to my annoyance with both sides. It's a shame you couldn't just take such a clear-cut non-partisan crack as a draw, but you continue to reach.

It was okay. Nice to see him again, but didn't really... I dunno, it was just kinda safe. I know it still courted controversy, and I'm not saying it should've had more edgeeee mannnnnn lol, but some of the jokes felt very mechanical and expected.

Epilogue was cool though.

It was my least favorite of his Netflix specials. Bird Revelation was my favorite (maybe the more intimate club setting). I don't mind he or any comedian being controversial at all, I just didn't find the controversies this time that funny or informative. It's as if just saying these things were the joke without actually crafting funny or clever joke around it. I didn't stick around for the epilogue so maybe he explains why its all funny there?

@not_a_bumblebee: Oh yes. The alt-right loved the "school shootings is a white kids game", with "I can't think of a peaceful way of disarming White America" then proceeding to tell the audience that as a black American they need to do what's right for the country because it's their country too.

Do people bother watching this stuff or just inform themselves via HOTTAKES from shit sites like Vox?

@dashibuya: I almost replied about the trespassing white meth-heads with guns segment, but I really don’t care to get into some heated debate on a website...about video games!

He’s a funny dude who takes aim wherever the joke may lay, That’s alright by me.

@nutter: The trespassing story and his comments on the Ohio drug culture was maybe the peak of the special for me.

I thought it was good. I actually prefer his current comedy to his older stuff. His newer stuff has way more nuance to me. Most of his jokes are him highlighting how different groups of people are actually similar. For example, his joke about how the opioid crisis is showing how white people are like black people in the crack epidemic, and he feels just like white people probably felt, because he doesn't care either. His jokes about guns did a similar thing. His past material and Chappelle Show relied heavily on "the difference between white folks and black folks is..." His newer stuff adds another level.

@dashibuya: Yeah, it was a high point comically and as a commentary.

“Now I know how white people felt during the crack epidemic, I DON’T CARE EITHER!!!” was both hard hitting and thought provoking.

You could tell he spent some time on that whole bit. It was super sharp and on-point.

I've never been a big fan of Chapelle's humour. The Chapelle show I couldn't even get through 5mins. His stand up I've never liked much either. For some reason though I managed to watch all of sticks and stones. There's some good bits in there.

I read this thread a few days ago, so I'm not sure if I'm on topic here but I disagree with the notion that you have to be "x" to make jokes about "x", if that makes sense.

I'm just going by this article https://verysmartbrothas.theroot.com/all-the-worst-white-people-love-dave-chappelles-sticks-1837747273 They aren't all alt-right guys but it is all guys who generally have terrible takes.

If you liked the special that's cool I'm not telling you what you can like or dislike. I gave it like 20 minutes to see what all the fuss was about got bored then put on Train to Busan, which is a great Korean zombie movie I highly recommend for what it is worth. I think the last stand-up special I saw and enjoyed was either John Mulaney or Patton Oswalt whichever one was more recent.

George Carlin rollin' in his grave.

Also, imagine being an actually funny comedian in this environment. Chapelle has certainly lost something with age, but a young Chapelle *couldn't* exist in today's world.

I couldn’t really get myself to watch his initial Netflix specials for the same reason. I’ve heard the same and have no desire to watch his latest one.

Pretty sure his jumpsuit is a throwback to oscar winning documentary half baked.

The alt-right people you see talking about this shit on youtube and twitter like Tim Pool for example, they only like the Chappelle special because it ”triggers the libs.” They don't give a shit about anything else. They are transparent as fuck grifters, plain and simple.

I mean maybe he would, and maybe he would not. Plenty of people find Chappelle to be funny still, and plenty of people still consider his older work to be amazing.

Also don't pretend that there's some dial set either to Is Funny or Is Not Funny either. Comedy is ever dependent on the time it exists in and comedians can recognize and adapt to that or fade away while grumbling about how you can't say this or that anymore.

@efesell: 100%

One of the best stand up specials in recent years. Chappelle still has it and has never lost it. Hope he does many more.

@efesell: Who passes the test today? Like, a funny comedian to you that you actually like.

@bonelessspirit: I mean, why give a good goddamn what someone you hold in such contempt thinks anyhow?

Why give them that power?

Seems like a waste of time and energy to care about the entertainment opinions of someone you find...detestable, irredeemable, whatever.

I’ve learned to stay positive about stuff, and I’ve frankly never really looked down on people for their political opinions, but if I find a certain talking head, or better yet some who-cares on Youtube or fucking Twitter, irritating, I’ll tune them out.

Like what you like. Don’t worry about those who would bring you down. They usually can’t unless you choose to let them.

This isn’t really directed at you, by the way, more the point you made about idiots glomming onto things for schadenfreude. Don’t engage with it. Defang it. Live and let live.

@bonelessspirit: tim pool is not alt right lol.

hey guys i enjoyed the comedy special and thats about it.

@envane: Even if you didn’t know who Tim Pool was, one simple google search results in appearances (almost all on alt right shows) and titles of his podcast and YouTube channel talking about the same crap as a Dave Rubin. Hell he even utilizes a similar bs political moniker similar to Rubin’s “classical liberal.”

Also there’s that pic with a bunch of alt righters at a dinner party “owning the libs” by doing the Richard Spencer “ok” while totally-not-alt-right Tim Pool tries to fade into the scenery.

@north6: You didn't ask me, but John Mulaney, Patton Oswalt, Ali Wong, Colin Quinn, Maria Bamford, Jim Gaffigan, Chelsea Peretti, and Tig Notaro are examples right off of the top of my head of great comedians that have adapted well to modern comedy who rarely, if ever, punch down and are successful and widely considered very funny. This seems like an odd point that you're trying to make.

@shorap: weird ... a literal simple google search for his name shows none of that , unless you count joe rogans podcast as alt right which i know some people do , i dont want to argue but isnt his 'bs politcal moniker' just a centrist? not that i agree with the fence sitting position of centrism but i think youre being too harsh

Also i think this is good proof of google search results radicalizing people (and getting it wrong to boot) .. i am actually interersted in comparing results , i get literally none of what you mentioned when just googling his name , also on video and images.. i scrolled through a lot of pictures of tims mug and couldnt find one with people making the ok hand gesture , except one with joe rogan doing it lol.

again im not trying to start shit here , this is really off topic so i apolgize for that

I messed up and wrote google search when I recently changed over to duck duck go. I searched: tim pool alt right.

Here is the “ok” pic. You’ll have to copy and paste it. It’s been so long that I’ve forgotten how to post links/vids/pics properly on the boards: https://m.imgur.com/JbQBbAK

One look at Pool’s podcast and YouTube topics also reveal that he’s not a centrist. You can’t be a centrist if you’re consistently on one side.

He’s just like Rubin, trying to appear neutral but really is just a right wing grifter. Which is fine if they would just be honest about where they’re coming from and why they’re pushing their agendas. Btw, that “classical liberal” Rubin is now on The Blaze.

@envane: When your audience consists of 90% alt-righters who spout anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in your comment section and discord because you spew alt-right talking points back to them, you're alt-right.

I have personally watched Tim Pool transform into what he is now. I knew of him when he barely had any subscribers and was only known for covering the Wall Street protest as an independent journalist. His turning point began around the time he went to Sweden to investigate the nonexistent ”no go zones” and completely embarrassed himself on camera, but he saw the attention it got, and since then he has been entirely on that train. He's not fooling anyone. Well, I guess he is, and that's the problem.

Sargon of Akkad likes to think of himself as a liberal, doesn't mean he is.

Hey thanks for the recommendations, agree on Wong, Oswalt. I enjoy watching Quinn bomb anyway, he does it well. I've heard good things about Red State Blue State.

My point was mostly what I honestly considered a tired one that people constantly make about pryor, carlin, bruce say out loud that wouldn't be possible today. Old Dave was absolutely in that tier of comedian, someone who could make racial comedy funny. His new stuff, not as much. It feels like he's more courting controversy than anything else. Still a lot of good stuff with new dave, but he's for sure lost something.

@bonelessspirit: didn’t Sargon finally lose the facade when he embarrassed himself running for parliament? If he’s still trying to say he’s a liberal that’s hilariously insane. I still remember Michael Brooks dismantling him in a debate from a couple years ago like it was yesterday.

@shorap: I mean he ran UKIP right? My grasp of political parties over there is not great but my understanding is that it would be a hard claim to make if that's the case.

No idea what Tim Pool or Sargon have to do with Chapelle. I'm assuming this is just the new version of Godwin's law though. The internet was a mistake.

@north6: I mean... no it's kind of drifted here fairly step by step but you're right it is wildly off-topic by this point.