Comedian Dave Chappelle in his controversial Netflix special “The Closer.”
(Mathieu Bitton / Netflix)
Lawrence, 8 October 2022 - Welcome back to another Sergio’s Weekly Blog and today I will be writing about the representation of black people in mainstream media and about a certain personality that has been on the talks of many due to some controversies behind his works. So, let’s get started… *Plays ‘I Want It That Way’ by the Backstreets Boys Chorus*.
The Chicago Defender on July 9. The newspaper, founded in 1905 to serve Chicago’s black community, published its final print edition the following day. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Representation of black people on mainstream media
We use all major media to store and deliver information. But more specifically, we use cinema and television to entertain ourselves as a way of escaping and reflecting on life. These media do more than just entertain, they open an opportunity to provide better social coexistence, cultural and racial diversity. Also, and what I think it's more important is the artistic expression because without the artist there will be no art. For years black people have tried to break through and support themselves in the film and television industry on their own account despite it being an unwelcome work environment. Clearly this has changed over time and more diverse talent is seen on screen. Even so, there is a lot to work on when it comes to diversity. Especially the public in being more acceptable to the changes and diversity that it is about presenting on screens.
Dave Chappelle Wins Best Comedy Album For 'Equanimity & The Bird Revelation' | 2019 GRAMMYs PHOTO BY STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE
Dave Chappelle Bio and Milestones
Now I would like to talk about a black personality who has generated a lot of conversation in the past years due to his way of expressing himself in his comedy work. That personality is Dave Chappelle born in Washington DC., United States August 24, 1973; currently being 49 years old. Dave is a comedian, screenwriter, television and film producer, actor, and artist. Chapelle gained popular recognition in 2003 for his sketch comedy television series 'Chappelle's Show'. Dave has received several awards and distinctions for his work, for example he received the Emmy Award for Best Guest Actor- Comedy Series on Saturday Night Live (2017), Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for 3 consecutive years (2018, 2019 and 2020) Mark Twain to American humor (2019), among others.
His works cover topics on American politics, African, American culture, pop culture, racism, race relations, recreational drug use, current events, human sexuality; this by using satire, absurd and black humor. Topics that clearly in one way or another are to generate great controversy. Chappelle has been open with his activism and advocacy on the issues mentioned.
A man holds a placard as he attends a rally in support of the Netflix transgender employee walkout "Stand Up in Solidarity" to protest the streaming of comedian Dave Chappelle's new comedy special, in Los Angeles, California, U.S. October 20 2021. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Chappelle’s controversies
Dave has been active since 1990, that’s a 32-year career. Chapelle isn’t a stranger to creating controversies and pushing boundaries, like from his early works from the ‘Chappelle’s Show’ a skit named ‘Clayton Bigsby’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLNDqxrUUwQ) where he plays as a Blind Ku Klux Klan member to ‘The Racial Draft’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z3wUD3AZg4) where he plays with whiteface. But it wasn’t until his Netflix special ‘The Closer’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1UEj_6T1RE) that caught everybody’s attention and literally people went ballistic against saying that his jokes crossed the line as they were transphobic and dangerous; they are trying to cancel everything that involved his person. In the Special he talks about: Vaccines, Feminism, LGBTQ+ and more. Here he literally goes all out on sharing whatever he wants, the thing is Chappelle’s work has always been like that (it’s not new). People What he talks about in his standups has truth to it and people are trying to over look at what his addressing and taking it from a single standpoint. People are criticism him because he is pitying two minority groups against each other but in reality, Americas media has been doing it, and even us. And all that Dave is saying its true the black community and LGBTQ+ are group minorities and there are people that are from both, so they cross one another.
An artist can make art for many different reasons may it be to release all the creativity captivated in their being. It opens up the opportunity to be able to express ALL that may feel and/or convey a message. But Dave also wants it to be a statement with everything that he does. Sometimes people forget that art sometimes is made to make uncomfortable, and art is an act of freedom of speech. Chapelle says that jokes are meant to tell the truth and I believe that’s what he has been doing. One comment that really struck me was: “In our country you can shoot and kill but You better not hurt a gays person's feelings, and this is precisely the disparity that I wish to discuss” In a way it completely makes sense what he is saying. I don’t agree with the insult comedy, but people need to start paying attention to the issues that he is addressing which are affecting us as society and the world right now. Criticizing Dave and making him disappear from media is just a distraction from the real problems and important things. We can say that the controversy is not because of Dave Chappelle it’s because of the media and critics. Those are the ones that are driving and dragging out the controversy just because Dave pointed out the reality of things.
Thanks for reading and see ya’ on the next one!
Resources:
“Here Are the Controversial Issues Dave Chappelle Talks About in His New Special,” Published on BuzzFeed on Oct 5, 2021, https://www.buzzfeed.com/karltonjahmal/dave-chappelle-nails-american-social-issues-the-closer
“Mixing It Up: Enacting Whiteness in the Comedic World of Dave Chappelle,” by Faedra Chatard Carpenter in Coloring Whiteness, Acts of Critique in Black Performance, Published by University of Michigan Press, 2014.
Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 7). Dave Chappelle. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dave_Chappelle&oldid=1114705071
Sergio, I think one of the important things you brought to the conversation was art. Often, people forget that mainstream media, although certainly commercial, is art. I think in the conversation around Chappelle revolves around the commercial success and the profitting of his discourses, which many think are harmful, but even commercial art, is art. And when we think of art, we often lend more nuance and understanding around navigating ethics than we do to what is deemed commercial.