The set is a 72-minute display of the comedian’s own brittleness. Chappelle spends much of “The Closer,” his latest comedy special for Netflix, cleverly deflecting criticism. Chappelle explains that he didn’t in fact threaten the woman: “I felt that way, but that’s not what I said. Ain’t nobody around here.” The audience cheers, before Mr. “Before I kill you and put you in the trunk. “Shut up,” Dave Chappelle recalls telling a woman who had the gall to challenge his comedy, using a sexist slur and laughing at how witty he is, as if he’s the first man to ever deliver such an original, funny line.
You’re the one who’s narrow-minded or “brittle” or humorless. All criticism is forestalled with this setup, in which when you object to anything a comedian says, you’re the problem. Comedians, in particular, are going to punch up and down and side-to-side.Īlso true: Comedy is not above criticism, even if the most famous, wildly wealthy comedians will keep insulting those who question them. Sometimes good art should make us uncomfortable, and sometimes bad people can make good art. Let’s address those upfront: Art should be made without restriction. We generally have the same debates about comedy over and over.
