Dave Chappelle — "Everybody gets mad because I say these jokes, but you gotta understand that this…"
Everybody gets mad because I say these jokes, but you gotta understand that this is the best time to say them. More now than ever, (...) you have a responsibility to speak recklessly. Otherwise, my kids may never know what reckless talk sounds like. The joys of being wrong. I didn't come here to be right.
Click any product to generate a realistic preview. Up to 3 at a time. * Initial load can take up to 90 seconds — revising the preview in another color is nearly instant.
American comedian whose Chappelle's Show (2003-2006) reshaped 21st-century comedy and whose 2010s-2020s Netflix specials triggered debates over comedy and offense.
Closely associated with
Richard Pryor (predecessor in race-and-language American stand-up) and Eddie Murphy (1980s SNL trailblazer).
For an intellectual contrast, see
Hannah Gadsby, Australian comedian and Nanette creator — Nanette (2018) explicitly attacks the stand-up tradition Chappelle works within and treats traditional punchline comedy as a structure of power. Nanette and Chappelle's Sticks & Stones are the two most-discussed comedy specials of the late-2010s, taking opposite positions on whether stand-up structurally enables or excuses harm.
Details
Controversial stance on comedy, free speech, and pushing boundaries.