Dave Chappelle just released a new Netflix comedy special and–surprise!–he’s once again cracking passé jokes about the LGBTQ community. Just like he did in his last comedy special. And the one before that. And the one before that. Because, evidently, being gay is hilarious.
In his new special Sticks & Stones, Chappelle says there’s an “unwritten and unspoken rule” in Hollywood that states “you are never, ever allowed to upset the ‘alphabet people,’” meaning LGBTQ people, during a defense of comedian Kevin Hart. (Yes, Chappelle is still talking about Kevin Hart.)
He also talks about how trans people “hate my f*cking guts, and I don’t blame them” because “I can’t stop writing jokes” about them.
Some of Chappelle’s past “jokes” about trans people include dead-naming Bruce Jenner, being outraged over having to refer to a trans woman as “she,” and comparing gender reassignment surgery to him and his friend going to the hospital and “having our dicks cut off.”
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In Sticks & Stones, he compares being trans to a Chinese person trapped inside a Black man’s body, which naturally includes a racist impression of a Chinese person.
Other “jokes” Chappelle cracks include calling a rape survivor a “bitch” and accusing children molested by Michael Jackson of being liars then saying they should be grateful their first time was with the King of Pop.
As usual, many on Twitter don’t find Chappelle’s outdated brand of comedy very funny…
little depressing watching dave chapelle going from one of the funniest motherfuckers on the planet to 'waaah why can't i be transphobic everyone's so sensitive'
— the rap guy (@entrebanddahm) August 27, 2019
Dave Chapelle is my favorite comedian. He's the whole reason why I smoke weed and started thinking about race critically. BUT he is also incredibly trans/homophobic and refuses to think about how comedy is changing and becoming more inclusive.
— smellgood (@smellguud) August 28, 2019
It's time to stop supporting Dave Chapelle. He's transphobic. He's sexist. He blames victims. He still feels bad for Louis CK and he thinks that Michael Jackson was innocent and laughs at the concept of Jackson abusing children.
— Jess Beaulieu (@msjessbeaulieu) August 27, 2019
It's really upsetting to see, over and over, how rich and powerful and popular men like Louis CK, Ricky Gervais, and Dave Chapelle just say transphobic shit on popular platforms, get rewarded by getting access to those platforms again, where they just say more transphobic shit
— Robin Savannah Carver (@RobinSCarver) August 27, 2019
That new Dave Chapelle special on @Netflix?
It's mean-spirited and grossly transphobic. In so many words, he blames the trans community for holding back gay/lesbian rights because they are "weird".
But hey, it's okay because "everyone loves me and I love everyone"No you don't.
— A Friendly Skull (@ShellRPG) August 28, 2019
And then there are those who don’t see anything wrong with it…
Dave Chapelle referring to LGBT as "the alphabet people" is amazing
— Ben McDonald (@Bmac0507) August 28, 2019
Sensitive people while watching this amazing new Dave Chapelle special pic.twitter.com/NunLLuiucT
— BrokenGamezHDR (@BrokenGamezHDR) August 27, 2019
Dave Chapelle got y’all pissed and I love him for it. ????
— Trevo (@TrevRichHD) August 27, 2019
#DaveChapelle
Same Energy pic.twitter.com/taW5wsr2Ni— Raman Handa (@RamanHa44127628) August 27, 2019
Dave Chapelle officially has zero fucks left in his tank and I’m 100% in for every second of it. #sticksandstones
— Leif Olson (@_leifolson) August 26, 2019
In a scathing review titled “You Can Definitely Skip Dave Chappelle’s New Netflix Special” and published by Vice, Taylor Hosking writes: “His approach comes off like a defiant rejection of change at any cost.”
“As he keeps going down this path, drawing attention to the worst aspects of his important career, the biggest cost will be tarnishing his own legacy,” Hosking says.
What do you think? Is it time for Chappelle to evolve his brand of comedy? Or are homophobic and transphobic jokes still funny in 2019? Share your opinions in the comments section below…
Brian
God bless Dave Chappelle. Commentary on the insanity of today’s cancel culture, that doesn’t have a political angle, is sorely needed. Of course Queerty wouldn’t get it, they are big perpetuators of it.
Hdtex
Poor Brian….your self-loathing is sad.
DrakeWhite1654
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Donston
The problem is- the shit ain’t funny. Unlike most of his sketch series what he’s delivering now is just basic bitterness. There is definitely comedy to mine from “cancel culture” and identity obsessions. But it’s hard to do so if you live completely outside of that and is driven by resentment rather than experience and insight.
Brian
Yawn, you really need to try harder than just calling everyone you disagree with “self loathing”.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
At the very end of Pink Flamingo’s didn’t Divine, the character your idolizing, pick up dog mess and eat it to prove she was the filthiest person in the world? And wasn’t that movie more about scat and had numerous scenes throughout referencing it too? Lord help this child.
Brian
You’ve obviously never seen the movie.
DarkZephyr
I agree that cancel culture is rotten to the core. The recent fiasco with Karamo Brown that Queerty absolutely did take part in was very demoralizing and horrific in my opinion. But…why do homophobic and transphobic jokes seem to bring you such delight? We’ve been the butt of jokes for countless decades. How do they help put a stopper on cancel culture or twitter rage? They certainly never did before.
niles
Being a quisling must get kind of boring if you practice it 24/7. We all know your little act, dear, and like Chappelle, you need to get some new material.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
It safe to say that you didn’t either. Thats what she picks up and eats off of the gritty street. And not only that she also goes up into the bushes and does her business and is shown cleaning herself afterwards. You didn’t see that either, did you?
jasentylar
He’s always said outrageous things. If you don’t like it, then don’t watch it. He doesn’t have to change because most of everyone else has.
Crawjord
They have as much a right to criticize as him. What’s wrong, afraid that not everyone agrees with your baby daddy Chapelle?
Cancel culture? B*tch please, if you hate being booed at then get off the stage or win your target audience. Internet platforms, like podiums, are privileges, not rights.
karl schroeder
What is left to say about a disgusting trans/homophobic ‘comedian’ who is enraged when told he cannot behave in this way – is it not his right to offend? Many comedians like him and Gervais are always claiming that it is their right to push the limits of speech through comedy. Firstly, their interpretation of ‘comedian’ and mine is very different. Secondly, they have no power to make claims about their ‘right’ to offend – there are plenty of much funnier comedians who do not offend any group of people. As a person of color I am surprised that Chapelle thinks it is fine to marginalize and discriminate – he would be the first to complain if he was the victim. Racism. homo/transphobia, sexism is not any more acceptable just because it is done by a so-called comedian.
Brian
I don’t think you understand the concept of rights. Everyone has the right to say whatever they want, even if it offends. That’s one of the core ideas out country was founded upon.
Cam
@Brian
And you don’t seem to understand that people ALSO have the right to be offended and give consequences, i.e. to not patronize a business or download a Netflix special.
Brian
What does that have to do with my comment? I never said otherwise, unlike the comment I was responding to that said “who is enraged when told he cannot behave in this way – is it not his right to offend?”
Cam
@Brian
You presented one side, I pointed out the other and that seems to have upset you.
Brian
Because I responded that means I’m upset? Is that another one of your ShareBlue talking points? You must really need that 2 cents.
Kangol2
Dave Chappelle, you used to be hilarious, but now you’re turning gag-worthy, and not in a good way! Your creepy male buds need to own their crap! And stop slagging off on gay and trans people. Are you hankering for one or both yourself?
mr guy
Passé? lol nope. Extremely timely. Hopefully the beginning of a much needed course correction. Despite what extremists say comedy isn’t about punching up or down; it isn’t about “punching” at all (only extremists are obsessed with PUNCHING people they disagree with)— god comedy is about fearlessly exploring taboos, an honest prodding at human nature, sticking tongues out at scared cows. INSTEAD OF VIOLENCE. Or if you want insist on punching analogies: it should punch up AND down, left AND right indiscriminately without fear or favour for the great and the good or any and all stultifying ideologies. It’s about freedom. The court jester. The holy fool. They get a pass. Civilisation is much worse if they don’t. Frighteningly worse.
mr guy
Good* and interesting comedy is about…
DarkZephyr
So homophobia = “fearless” and “much needed”? 60+ years and counting of homphobia hasn’t been enough? And what exactly is so “fearless” about homophobia?
Brian
It’s not homophobia, it’s stand up comedy. Context matters.
DarkZephyr
“It’s not homophobia, it’s stand up comedy. Context matters.”
Well, LGBT people have been the brunt of “comedy” for decades untold, so what is so “fearless” about such “comedy”?
Brian
Everyone has been the brunt of comedy since the first was told among cavemen. Gay people are not sacred cows that should be excluded.
And the existence of this article should tell you exactly why it’s fearless. How many people in showbiz have the balls to call out the perpetually offended in 2019? To make jokes about pedophilia and homosexuals? Usually they’re tripping over themselves to apologize for any perceived transgression that was blown hugely out of proportion.
Whether you think it’s funny or not is completely subjective. Whether it’s fearless or not isn’t. It is.
DarkZephyr
@Brian
“Whether it’s fearless or not isn’t. It is.”
Bull. There is nothing “fearless” about telling the same old tired crap that’s been circulating forever. Sorry. That isn’t brave. Its just tired.
You only want anti-LGBT people to have a voice, you always attack and criticize when LGBT people try to exercise their own voices.
You know, I have been assuming, based in your apparent reverence for the great Divine, that you are an older guy, but maybe not. There is no way you were aware of Divine while she was still alive and think “everyone has been the brunt of jokes” equally. You can’t possibly be old enough to have known of Divine before she died and not know that some groups, including LGBT people, have been the brunt of jokes to a much greater degree than other groups. Give me a break, Brian.
I don’t even understand you. The “perpetually offended”. Really Dude? Do you think we would have made the progress we have, if we hadn’t started standing up for ourselves? Standing up for ourselves at all times is absolutely mandatory. Its actually kind of suspicious to me that you are turning that into some kind of bad thing.
If he had actually been telling jokes in good fun, I could have laughed at them, provided they were any good. But this is him wagging his finger at us and basically trying to give us a spanking for standing up for ourselves. %$#@ that bull%$#@. And here you are, praising him for it. Pretty typical of you, Brian.
“To make jokes about pedophilia and homosexuals?”
And then you had to go there. Pulling out that old canard lumping gay men in with pedophiles, apparently utterly delighted by it as you praise it. Why am I not surprised? But that tells me all I need to know about his true motives.
Plus its usually straight right wing trolls who call us “homosexuals”. We don’t usually refer to ourselves that way…yet interestingly enough, YOU did. Hmmmm.
Brian
Or maybe it’s because most of the controversy is around his jokes about Michael Jackson, R Kelly, and the alphabet people (is that a better choice of words than “homosexuals”?)
Also, the character of Divine was created to make fun of serious, traditional drag queens. I can guarantee you that he and John Waters would have no problem with Dave Chappelle.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
Have you noticed he never makes jokes about crack addiction? The reason he doesn’t is because he himself is a crackhead (or is a former crackhead by Hollywood standards) who came close to blowing his career after he hit it big. Soon after he got his show (The Dave Chappelle Show) no one knew where the hell he was. He up and disappeared but it was revealed he slipped back into his “old ways”. Fellow actor and comedian Paul Mooney publicly told him to contact some one because he needed help. He signed a multimillion dollar contract and just up and disappeared while taping a show? I wonder how much he paid the drag queen with the monster credentials to shut up about his addiction and fantasies.
Brian
He literally had a crackhead as one of the recurring characters on Chappelle’s Show.
supernaut
I loved the special and if you stick around through the credits you’re treated to an extra 22 minutes, where he talks about a trans woman coming to four of his Punchline shows in Atlanta and laughing her ass off, including at the trans jokes. He’s the same Dave Chappelle he’s always been.
Donston
I saw the special. It’s very easy to find a token who will give you a green-light. Just like it’s not difficult to find black people who support will an unabashed racist. I just didn’t think the special was particularly funny or offered anything new. Most of it felt hollow and bitter. Then again, I’ve never found Chappelle that funny outside of his sketch work. He’s not a joke teller. He loses a lot of his charisma and verve when he’s doing straight-forward stand-up. His observations are best in sketch format. Just like Chris Rock often falls flat and comes off misguided outside of the stand-up format.
NotShawn
A week ago a black man committed suicide after being viciously bullied for being in a relationship with a trans woman. I saw no mention of that tragedy on this site or LGBTQ nation. It’s starting to look like queerty only attacks or objectifies the black community. No community support or mention of the staggering black trans murder rate, but as soon as you get a chance to attack a black man all of a sudden We’re pro-trans rights..
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
Did you try emailing the link to that story to Queerty? If not just post it and to hell with those who have a problem with people posting links with their comments. It sounds tragic and I would love to know where it happened.
TheMarc
Honestly, you’re not wrong. I’ve seen black “homophobes” receive non-stop coverage while others escape without a story on this site at.all. With even a cursory glance, the bias is inescapably obvious.
youarederanged
Hit the nail right on the head. I’ve noticed the same trend, but it doesn’t surprise me. Liberals love to attack blacks who don’t follow their rules. Racism shows itself in many forms.
IlhanOmarDC
I think this is unacceptable. Soon he will be making jokes about women who marry the brother.
Brian
So how long do you plan to beat this one joke, that’s not even funny to begin with, into the ground?
rustyiam
It’s freeing not to be perpetually offended, some of you really ought to try it out!
Brian
Gay men like a stick up the butt more than your average person.
Cam
What a shock, two accounts that defend bigots are mad that somebody pointed out homophobia.
pavelvega
Love the guy and I am gay and Latino. The gay mafia should stop being the police.
MISTERJETT
THUMBS DOWN TO DAVE CHAPELLE, BUT I TOO THINK MICHAEL JACKSON IS INNOCENT AND I HAVE A RIGHT TO MY OPINION. HOWEVER, MICHAEL IS NO LONGER WITH US. WHATEVER HE DID AND DIDN’T DO IS BETWEEN HIM AND GOD NOW. IT DOESN’T CONCERN US AT ALL. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS APPRECIATE THE THINGS THAT HE LEFT BEHIND – HIS ART. GOD BLESS YOU MICHAEL JACKSON AND THANKS FOR ALL THAT YOU GAVE US!!!
Brian
Why does Michael Jackson like twenty eight year olds?
Because there are twenty of them.
IlhanOmarDC
I think Michale should have married his sister Janet. Marrying you sister or brother can be good thing.
shakes_head
Get a job, mouthbreather…
Creamsicle
The special was really hit or miss with the jokes. There were some that were decent, but a lot that missed the mark, even disregarding the language he chose.
Dave was great in the early and mid aughts, but his fame has outgrown his talent. Peacing out at the height of his fame created a myth around him, and I’m sorry to say that he does not live up to the myth, which is only disappointing because his last two Netflix specials were pretty damn solid.
But like Kathy Griffin says, they can’t all be gold. This might just be a bad special. Maybe he’ll bring his A-game to the next one. I certainly hope so.
But yeah, nothing will bring Cancel Culture to your door like trying to call out Cancel Culture. I’m sure Graham isn’t the only one writing self-righteous screeds since watching the special.
TheMarc
Loved this special! I laughed my ass off! So much of it was so spot on. Comedians aren’t meant to be politicians. They’re meant to be funny. There is a stark difference between someone doing a cruel bit that is just plain unfunny and someone killing it while being offensive. In fact, I don’t think anyone escaped unscathed from his very funny set. Can’t wait for his next one! I hope he brings back the Chapelle Show!
radiooutmike
I have not seen the special yet. I did see his past few, even though they were problematic at times, I did enjoy him.
The basic problem he/we have is in the greater picture. Whatever -isms society has to get over so that we all can prosper and live life as we choose, needs to come from evolved thinking. Part of the way to do is to call shit out. It does not matter if you find it funny and are personally okay with whatever humor.
DC’s “humor” does not pass the sniff test. John Mulaney could not make racist jokes about black people. Ali Wong could not do racist Jewish jokes. I mean they could, but it would be bad for their careers. John Mulaney is not Dave Chapelle and Ali Wong is not Jackie Mason.
It would be wise for Chapelle not to make gay or trans jokes. It’s low hanging fruit and it’s lazy. He has not lived that life. It goes the same for white people making jokes about blacks.
PoetDaddy
This sad Brian person is a big reason I don’t pay much attention to Queerty. He has an opinion on almost everything, which is always quick to share, and it’s almost invariably divisive and bilious. He needs a shrink, not a comments forum.
Brian
Is not being part of the Queerty hive mind supposed to be an insult?
Brian
Has anyone noticed the conspicuous lack of calls to boycott Netflix over this special? Suddenly everyone is for individual responsibility, instead of blaming the parent company, when it’s a product we all use.
MHaumesser
I’ve watched his other comedy specials before and thought they were extremely funny and well thought out. However this one was none of those things. I actually didn’t even finish watching it.
djmcgamester
I feel like people don’t understand comedy. It’s supposed to be offensive. The guy made a skit on his own show about how a blind black man was raised to be a white supremacist! He’s not looking to be PC. If you take everything so personally you’ll never have any fun. I don’t know about you, but with my friends we talk crap about everyone, including each other (to our faces). Outrage culture is truly boring.
pavel20
I find there to be something very disturbing about comedy that targets a group of people for who they are. i mean are we still at a place where we think this type of humor actually is a positive aspect of our society? is there a person on here who would defend a comedian who makes jokes of this type about “the jews” or “the blacks”? why does it make a person hyper-sensitive to think this kind of humor is inappropriate and damaging?
StudioTodd
That’s the problem though–he didn’t “target a group of people for who they are.” He joked about the culture of cancel-ism that is so predominant today. And, unfortunately, our community has established a reputation for being one of the leaders of that culture. If you cannot see beyond the surface and understand the actual point he was making, then stop watching him. But don’t pretend to speak for all of us in calling what he says “offensive” to anyone but yourself, calling for boycotts and promoting the concept of language and thought policing.
It’s comedy. Comedy, when done correctly, will almost always offend someone. Usually the person or group offended needs to hear the message most, but won’t, because being offended gets them more attention. Inoffensive comedy is useless and more boring than watching CSPAN. Are you really so thin-skinned that you cannot take someone making jokes at your expense? Do you really want bland, completely PC entertainment that has no possibility of offending anyone? I can think of nothing more excruciating.
His message is clear for anyone who pays attention–and it’s not about hating gay or trans people. It’s just not. I have little doubt that you or many of the others who are so stubbornly convinced of Chapelle’s homophobia will ever understand or accept that truth, but know this: your vehemence and misplaced outrage over non-issues like this undermines your credibility with regard to actual issues that actually matter.
michael_bates
We have gone so far to the left we have become the right. We want to sensor, ban, fire, and abolish anything that upsets today’s millennial. We forget twenty or thirty years ago we protested at incidents or people whom we felt burnt or humiliated by. We fought hard to get to where we are today. We also fought for freedom of speech, against the banning of books, the defunding of the NEA (National Endowment of the Arts) … now we want to destroy individuals careers over words or comedy routines, or performances they did over decades ago. This is hypocrisy at its defining moment. When are we going to stop and realize that we have become our worst enemy.
Johnny
Um who is he?