Dave Chappelle mocks Kanye’s antisemitic remarks while ignoring anti-trans jokes
The host of this week’s “Saturday Night Live,” comedian Dave Chappelle, took the stage at NBC’s Studio 8H on Saturday night and spoke for 15 minutes on current events. He chose not to address any of the uproar surrounding the anti-trans jokes he made, though.
After the publication of “The Closer” in October of last year, which featured offensive remarks from the 49-year-old comic concerning the transgender community and elicited an immediate response from Netflix personnel, Chappelle sparked outrage.
The chief content officer of the streaming service, Ted Sarandos, defended Chappelle’s offensive remarks as artistic expression, backing his “creative freedom,” which resulted in a staged walkout by transgender Netflix staff members and sympathizers.
Instead, Chappelle spent the majority of his monologue criticizing rapper Kanye West for his recent antisemitic comments. He began by saying, “Before I start tonight, I wanted to read a brief statement that I prepared:
‘I renounce antisemitism in all its forms, and stand with my friends in the Jewish community.'” And that, Kanye, is how you buy some time for yourself. He continued by making jokes about Kyrie Irving’s most recent antisemitic remark and apology, Kanye’s antisemitism problem, and both.
A number of Chappelle’s gags also caused gasps from the audience, such as, “I’ve gone to Hollywood and this is just what I saw: There are a lot of Jews, like a lot. However, that is meaningless. In Ferguson, Missouri, there are a lot of Black people, but it doesn’t mean we control it.
“I appreciate you for your support and I hope they don’t take anything away from me – whoever they are,” he said as he concluded his act.
West and Chappelle have previously collaborated on projects, most notably in the early 2000s when West made a musical guest appearance on the Comedy Central series “Chappelle’s Show.” Additionally, West had a performance at a 2004 party that Chappelle hosted in New York and which later became the subject of the documentary “Dave Chappelle’s Block Party.”
This was Chappelle’s third time hosting “Saturday Night Live,” and all three appearances coincided with a divisive presidential election. The series creator and showrunner Lorne Michaels seem to have carved out the comedian as “SNL’s” post-election presenter for significant occasions in the nation’s political history.
Chappelle took over as host of the program for the first time since Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. The stand-monologue up’s highlighted his concern for the country’s future while also pleading with viewers to give Trump’s presidency a chance.
Following a presidential election in which current President Joe Biden ousted former President Donald Trump from the presidency four years later, during the show’s COVID-affected season, Chappelle presented for the second time.
Chappelle made fun of the “End of the Trump Era,” Herschel Walker, and this year’s election.
More jokes about West, Walker, the election, and popular culture obsessions like “Yellowstone” and Netflix’s “Dahmer” limited series were included in a later sketch with a barbershop theme that also addressed current events.
