*contains spoilers
If you knew the lyrics and the history of the artists and songs chosen for this show, then you would know Mr. Chappelle doesn’t care what you think. If you know these lyrics you know the mindset; if you don’t everything else will confuse you. Kendrick voice, “tell me something, you muh fuggers cant tell me nothing!” Mr. Chappelle continues to serenade the audience with Prince, the royal purple one’s, 1999’s ominous, defiant, and yet carefree lines, “tryin to run from the destruction, and you know I didn’t even care” as well as extra ignant or fly words from Shawn Carter as he is referenced. But the real kicker is the line referenced in the title of this article.
If you know, you know, but if you do not, let me explain. That line about the RBG is from the seminal Black Nationalist Hip Hop group from the late 80s early 90s, known as X Clan. Black Nationalist Hip Hop. That is not a typo. If you were born in the 70s or 80s and were a specifically but not necessarily Black Hip Hop head from the East you probably got some knowledge and culture from X Clan. If you ended up studying Black/Africana Studies in college in the 90s/00s you probably listened to X Clan and watched, The Education of Sonny Carson. If you haven’t do so now. I modeled myself on Isis/Linque, an artist associated with X Clan and wanted to learn what she knew and rock and ankh too, before I even knew what an ankh was!!
To have your comedy show begin with quotes from Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z and Prince and end with XClan!? That is a clue for us in the know that this comedy show is not for white approval; this comedy show does not care about, as ancestors Toni Morrison and James Baldwin taught us, the gaze of whites.
(The champ is here!!!) Mr. Chappelle is coming in Black AF. Yet don’t worry, Black AF is also Human AF.
He stands on his square, or in his case his C, at the crossroads, with the Red, Black and Green colors of Marcus Garvey’s Black Liberation flag solidly grounding him. He could have said nary a word and I would’ve been floored just by the musical references. Can one of these think pieces acknowledge the flyness of that alone??! Maybe I will at a later date because you can write whole pieces on just the musical choices, even the outro.
In Dave Chappelle’s, “Sticks and Stones” he says eff your feelings I came to tell jokes. Taking shots at the Ls, the Gs, Bs and the Ts in addition to a few others, in what, if you make it through to the end, you may see for what it is, a necessary moment of clarity and reflection through humor.
He is in rare form, with none of the pauses in delivery he had in his previous shows (I still blame the crowd) and is firing shot after shot on everyone (people jumping to talk about his homophobia and transphobia, missed the joke about 36yr old pu&&y!!! Sheesh I was hurt, Im wayyyyy passed 36! In addition to the alphabet people (as he refers to them), the main target of his ire is the metoo movement (not the original one by Tarana Burke, a Black woman but the one dominated by white Hollywood starlets). Uncomfortable jokes and commentary pour out about Michael Jackson, Louis CK, Kevin Hart and RKelly but let’s be clear, uncomfortable is not illegal yet and it’s jokes. Would I want to hear racist jokes from a white man? No, but I wouldn’t have clicked that face either, and it’s all jokes until he mentions how in his last show he warned us, women of the push back from the metoo movement that has now materialized in states passing anti-abortion laws.
We cannot have a conversation about anything that matters with everyone raging and/or crying on either side. In all his efforts to show his darkest parts, he reveals some of his softer moments. The why’s almost behind the harsh jokes. Behind the wisecracking cynic is a family man, living on his farm in the Midwest trying to stay safe and get high (it’s Dave we know he’s getting high on that farm). Behind the jokes is someone who wants us to live and be well….so that there are more jokes to tell! Behind the jokes is someone who wants us to at least laugh as it all goes to hell….2000 zero zero party over oops out of time…..
Dave Chappelle shows he is passionate about:
Family…do we ever stop to think collectively about school shooting drills and their impact on the mental health of our children and educators for that matter?!
Equity…why can they say the n-word on tv but not anything homophobic? and why is it ok to make fun of some and not others?
Existence…if we cannot joke about the Ts are they even real humans? and I. Am. Not. A. Nigga.
The jokes sting at times like the birdshot pellets he speaks of. Yet West Indian mothers like to say, “who don’t hear must feel”, meaning if you can’t comprehend, respond and move when I’m speaking to you I may have to put my hands on you.
We are at a critical point when we as human beings cannot civilly converse with one another to solve life-threatening problems. I say again. Life. Threatening. Problems.
So we must feel.
If the sting of jokes is the worst of it we’ll all be lucky.
Can we really cancel talented people? Don’t their gifts supersede “us” (whatever us you claim)? Should we cancel talented people? Who are we to curse and block what God has blessed? Can we, should we hold them accountable for their actions? Is their a statute of limitations?
Is he an example of toxic masculinity? I dont think so. Just because someone teases you does not mean they dont love you and care about. Quite the contrary in the Black community, playing the dozens is done across class and complexion lines. Does he say horribly cringe worthy things? Yes! Does that make them any less true or at least thought provoking? No.
Things are scary out here. Dave Chappelle is here to help us laugh to keep from crying in the tradition of many comedians before him.
Watch it, or dont watch it. Yet, watch who you speak of cancelling. In the infamous words of another rapper, you can cancel, “deez nuts”(that’s probably trauma from my toxic Hip Hop upbringing I discussed in another post) It seems everyone has a little fascist in them nowadays; its all cool until they come for you.
Me?!, I write what I like. I learned that from Steve Biko.
Peace and Love from your #1 Soul Force Worker,
Lola Fulani