“We all want to live in a polite society, we just kind of have to work on the levels of coming to an agreement of what that actually looks like.”
-Dave Chappelle
#freespeechmatters 12.10.2021
Greatest of all time comedian Dave Chappelle is currently on the left’s chopping block after the release of his final Netflix special, “The Closer.” The comedian, who has never been a stranger to controversial content, touched on topics many find too sensitive to discuss. His crowd was visually confused as the comedian dived into his views on the LGBTQ community, the media’s portrayal of his work as “transphobic,” and the struggles of being black in America.
Chappelle’s honesty is a breath of fresh air in an environment polluted with reputation. He’s not a voice box for the national narrative, and he makes that known very early on. While the comedian identifies with leftist politics and was largely against President Donald Trump’s administration, he recognizes that there are leftist views that he has not adopted. While I certainly don’t agree with everything Chappelle said in his special, I respect his right to speak his truth and I really appreciate his honesty.
Authenticity is a dying breed, and the left is tasking themselves with canceling an endangered species. Chappelle is not afraid of his audience. While it’s obvious throughout “The Closer” that public perception weighs on him, he has never allowed that to impact how he interacts with us. He’s aware how his work is perceived. Instead of making adjustments, he argues that we as an audience need to listen to what he’s saying.
Chappelle has never been a hate-filled entertainer; he allots us the opportunity to laugh at all of us. He doesn’t target any one group specifically. He brings attention to absurdities in society for the sake of comedy. The idea that an offended few are going to bring down the king of comedy is absolutely ridiculous. If anything, Netflix should be working around the clock to get him to sign another contract for more specials.
We don’t need less Chappelle; we need more authenticity. If more of us felt as freely to express our beliefs as Chappelle does, we would make much more progress addressing our national issues. When we put chilling effects on ideas or censor them completely, we create confusion. We cannot continue this culture where people are afraid to ask questions. Without answers, people are blindly following leaders who won’t let them speak. I encourage you to check out “The Closer” on Netflix before it’s too late. While his honesty may shock you, you may also find it liberating.
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