Dave Chappelle is an American comedian. Considered one of the greatest standups of all time, his late career has been marked by a series of transphobic incidents.
Background
David Khari Webber Chappelle was born August 24, 1973 in Washington, DC. His parents were politically active academics. He graduated from Duke Ellington School of the Arts in 1991. He moved to New York City and began honing his act, quickly becoming a regular at comedy clubs and in late night guest spots. He began appearing on televisions shows and t=developing pilots. His first starring role was in the 1998 film Half Baked. He recorded his first comedy special in 2000. In 2003 he starred in the sketch comedy program Chappelle’s Show, then left abruptly in 2005 at the height of the show’s popularity. He made sporadic appearances until 2013, when he started touring full-time again. In 2017, Netflix released the first of five comedy specials starring Chappelle. In 2019 he won the Mark Twain Prize.
Chappelle and his wife have three children.
Anti-transgender statements
Chappelle’s 2021 Netflix special The Closer included transphobic jokes and a defense of transphobic author JK Rowling, during which he declared “I’m team TERF.” In his defense, Chappelle said some of his best friends were trans, citing trans comedian Daphne Dorman.
Netflix employees organized a walkout and demanded that The Closer be taken off of Netflix. CEO Ted Sarandos refused to take down the special, stating that he “does not believe it falls into hate speech.” Chappelle’s alma mater Duke Ellington School decided not to name its theater after him.
Chappelle continued to troll the trans community with jokes and play the victim. In 2022, Chappelle brought transphobe Elon Musk onstage at a San Francisco show, and Musk was booed off stage.
References
Chapman, Wilson (May 21, 2022). John Mulaney Draws Criticism for Having Dave Chappelle Open, Tell ‘Transphobic Jokes’ at Ohio Show. Variety. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
Yang, Maya (October 7, 2021). ‘I’m team Terf’: Dave Chappelle under fire over pro-JK Rowling trans stance. The Guardian. [archive]
After Dave Chappelle Visit, Some Duke Ellington Students And Parents Speak Out. WAMU.
Blistein, Jon (July 12, 2022). Emmys Ready to Honor Another Dave Chappelle Special Filled With Transphobic Jokes. Rolling Stone.
Gerstmann, Evan. Dave Chappelle, Transphobia And Anti-Semitism. Forbes. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
Carras, Christi (October 20, 2021). Protesters demand accountability from Netflix after Chappelle backlash spurs walkout. Los Angeles Times.
Carras, Christi (October 20, 2021). Fed up with Chappelle fallout, Netflix employees are leading a walkout today in L.A. Los Angeles Times.
Donnelly, Matt (October 20, 2021). ‘I Screwed Up’: Netflix’s Ted Sarandos Addresses Dave Chappelle Fallout. [archive]
Weekend Update: House Passes Build Back Better Bill – SNL, retrieved July 18, 2022
Dave Chappelle declines having Duke Ellington School theater named for him”. The Washington Post
AJ Willingham (June 21, 2022). Dave Chappelle says his former high school theater will no longer be named after him. CNN
Dave Chappelle Name Won’t Go On Duke Ellington Theater In DC. DCist. [archive]
Kearns, Madeleine (June 22, 2022). Dave Chappelle’s Plot Twist. National Review.
Resources
IMDb (imdb.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Luminary Podcasts (luminarypodcasts.com)
Chappelle Radio City (chappelleradiocity.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)