In a new Netflix comedy special, Billy Eichner comes for Dave Chappelle and doesn’t hold back: “Come at me! I don’t have Jamie Foxx to defend me, but I do have Rosie O’Donnell and the entire Gay Men’s Chorus!”
Despite outrage, Netflix has continuously created a space for comics like Ricky Gervais and Chappelle to proliferate anti-trans hate speech disguised as (shameful excuses for) jokes. And while it doesn’t make up for the hurt, we’re at least relieved to see the streaming giant has also created a platform where a whole army of queer comics can snap back.
Related: 5 queer male comedians making stand-up a more accepting (and hilarious) place
In the brand-new special, Stand Out: An LGBTQ Celebration—filmed in Los Angeles last month as part of the Netflix Is A Joke comedy festival—Eichner plays emcee to a gaggle of gays, touted as the “largest-ever gathering of LGBTQ+ comics.” As the night’s host, the Bros writer set a precedent that there’d be no tip-toeing around the transphobic elephant in the room, using his opening monologue to roast Chappelle—and the streamer itself.
“We all know how backwards and dangerous the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ laws are,” shared the Billy On The Street star. “Queer people, and especially trans people, are under legislative attack in this country. Trans people are being demeaned. They’re trying to dehumanize trans people. They’re trying to erase trans people. And I’m not even talking about Florida. I’m talking about Dave Chappelle’s latest Netflix special!”
And Eichner wasn’t the only performer to directly call out Chappelle by name. Feel Good and The Flight Attendant star Mae Martin took the opportunity to denounce the controversial stand-up—and others—for punching down. After using Beauty And The Beast‘s Belle, Gaston, and “the candlestick” Lumiere as a metaphor for the gender spectrum (“I really relate to the candlestick… the more you empower Lumiere, the more fun Belle and Gaston are going to have!”), they went on to paint a different picture:
“I have this fantasy that Chappelle and Louis C.K. and Ricky Gervais—any kind of multimillionaire who uses their massive platform to punch down—they’re eating a hog roast,” joked Martin. “They’re ripping off the meat. They’re drinking goblets of that medieval drink, mead. They turn on the TV, and they see me doing my little Beauty And The Beast joke, and suddenly they’re like, ‘Oh my god. We’re wrong.’ And they gently cradle each other. They kiss each other.”
Though the pointed Chappelle reads stop there, the rest of the special brims with a sense of defiance and joy in the face of increased anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. Tig Notaro, Margaret Cho, Wanda Sykes, Eddie Izzard, Bob The Drag Queen, Guy Branum, Patti Harrison, Joel Kim Booster—and more—all take the stage, and the final triumphant stand-up set from the legendary Sandra Bernhard gets the crowd on their feet.
View this post on Instagram
Stand Out caps things off with a celebratory musical performance of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” from O’Donnell, Trixie Mattel, Fortune Feimster, and the rest of the special’s impressive line-up. We’ve got to imagine Chapelle wouldn’t be a fan, and you know what? Good!
Stand Out: An LGBTQ Celebration is streaming now, exclusively on Netflix.
monty clift
It’s interesting how the minute someone criticizes Chappelle or Gervais for being bigoted/unfunny how quickly they go running to their victimhood narratives.
johncp56
can’t wait, at the most part I do not believe in fighting fire with fire, I like really edgy jokes but in these times we are being attacked in every direction, but let us shock them, dear god forbid we go after str8 blk men and there low hanging fruit, but! i like that Netflix is airing everyone, is good,
Me2
I doubt Dave will care. He can probably teach the trans community how to develop thicker skin. I’ll check out this comedy special, and if the anti Dave C jokes are funny, I’m gonna laugh. But I’m definitely not getting caught up in the media driven him vs them “controversy”.
Apolodorus
Having the privilege to be detached is such a flex, isn’t it?
mastik8
@Apolodorus – Flexing while detached is a privilege too, isn’t it? You punched down but retained a higher ground victim status. Clever.
monty clift
@Me2, Dave Chappelle screamed at high school kids for not finding him funny. He’s got skin thinner than litmus paper.
Terrycloth
Billy Eichner ? I’m already out.
I’ll pass.
Sqwoah
remember when being gay used to be cool?
moretruth
Ricky Gervais’ special was hilarious.
humble charlie
If you don’t like what Dave Chappelle has to say, just ignore him (“turn the channel”). The more you attack Chappelle the more he will stick to his guns and you only give him more publicity. He’s a comedian, NOT a politician. Get angry at the Log Cabin Republicans (if they actually exist) or any other people who have political power such as Trump etc. Chappelle and Gervais are rich and, like all rich people, don’t really care about you.
Apolodorus
We can do both.
monty clift
How about you stop pretending that rich comedians have no power.
cc423
There sure are a lot of right wing nut jobs on this site…
Winsocki
and namby pambies…. Fight the Power by not just hissy fitting. Kill everyone now… Babs Johnson.
BigJohnSF
“anti-trans hate speech disguised as (shameful excuses for) jokes” – clearly this writer did not watch the Dave Chappelle special in question. And far from cancelling trans people, Chappell has given them more publicity than anyone since Caitlyn Jenner.
kish
Fck off.
Me2
@Apolodorus.. I’d say you’re detached from reality if you actually watched Dave’s comedy show and think he’s transphobic.
BLAKENOW
Billy is juts a snarky not funny look at me look at me I am gay , talentless and I deserve everything goddammit!!
smittoons
And yet he worked really hard for well over a decade and had the appreciation of comedy legends from Amy Poehler to Conan O’Brien to David Letterman along the way. Quite a feat for a talentless person who doesn’t deserve success.
Winsocki
Hurt people…. just don’t watch it. Netflix good showing 2 sides of attitude. Vote with your Dollars. That is not cancel culture. Making comedy about dumb vile Trumpsters is OK? Yes, I can’t abide with conservatives and GOP cowards. …. But as I always said….. I am a Catholic but let the Atheists sing. Be aware of all sides so you can pick your battles. There is an over sensativity about and lack of humor. Yes, I admit vile humans like Tucker the F…cker. But, I remembe the Free Speach Movement and that was not about censorship. We are talking comedy not ‘yelling fire in a theater’.
”
sonofmann
Can someone be specific on what he said that is spreading hate