Dave Chappelle just "punched down" the LGBTQ community...hard

[Behind the Aegis]

Comedian Dave Chappelle has sparked outrage over a number of queer-themed jokes in his new Netflix special The Closer. In his set, Chappelle criticizes the backlash to rapper DaBaby’s attack on gay people, and makes several ignorant jokes about the anatomy of transgender people.

Chappelle’s targeting of transgender people has invited the most criticism. In the special, he rants that “Gender is a fact. Every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on earth. That is a fact.”

“Now, I am not saying that to say trans women aren’t women,” he continues, “I am just saying that those p*ssies that they got… you know what I mean? I’m not saying it’s not p*ssy, but it’s Beyond P*ssy or Impossible P*ssy. It tastes like p*ssy, but that’s not quite what it is, is it? That’s not blood. That’s beet juice.”

“I’m team TERF!” he adds at one point.

more...

Sad. I find him very funny, shame he is such a homophobic/transphobic bigot.

[LisaM]

1. Ummmm...

He needs a fact check. Many babies are born Caesarian.

It's unfortunate. Sounds like J.K. Rowling. I don't get it.

[leftieNanner]

2. There is Zero excuse for this crap

Go away Dave!

[Hugh_Lebowski]

3. What certainly doesn't HELP ...

Is that this BS ain't even remotely funny in the first place.

Sometimes there can be a minor redemption on crap like this if it's legit funny (if you put away your standards, lets just say), but here?

Not even that ... it's mean, classless, and unfunny

[tishaLA]

4. He doesn't even know the difference between sex and gender

But strong opinions typically work better when the speaker has no idea what he or she is talking about, I guess.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

5. I didn't find him funny before...

Now I really don't find him funny.

No thank you on your bigotry, Chappelle. I'll pass on you abusing some of the more vulnerable people in our society. The only thing more disgusting than your "humor" is your insight on the subject.

Give me fewer "comedians" like Chappelle, and more like Craig Ferguson, who said (on the subject of Britney Spears) that "punching up is what comedy is but punching down is what bullies do." Exactly right. Punching up can be funny. Punching down is just abuse and bullying.

You're not a comedian. You're just a bully.

[FreeState]

6. There is another thread on DU

Basically tons of his fans think that because they find him funny we shouldn’t be offended. The more things change the more things stay the same here.

[Duncan Grant]

8. Deja vu...

👋

[IngridsLittleAngel]

10. I left for several days over that very thread...

It was either that or risk getting myself into trouble.

I thought the posts there were absolutely insensitive, thoughtless and nasty. The kind of shit I'd expect to see in the comments on Yahoo or YouTube, but, nope. They were here. Post after post of telling us all to STFU so they could enjoy their comedy. It's always something, isn't it? Chicken sandwiches... Harry Potter... Now Chappelle.

"The more things change...", indeed. One step forward, three steps back.

[Duncan Grant]

7. A response to Chappelle from a black trans woman (TikTok)

”I have thoughts…” - @hopegiselle1

I’ll leave this here for your consideration. It’s worth your time, imho — unless you’re offering the standard “you’re missing his real meaning/he’s a genius” defense.

[Behind the Aegis]

9. Thank you!!

Honestly, I know plenty of white and other transpeople who didn't find his jokes funny, as well as many a cis-gay and lesbian who also found his "jokes" to be offensive and, frankly, dangerous. I would say I am shocked at the responses in the main forum, but I am not. I am not surprised by those who defend him and his jokes at the expense of another marginalized community; I am not surprised by those who defend his jokes by telling us (supporters of the trans community) and trans people, they need to "chill out" and "get the hell over it"; and, I am not surprised there are those from our community who'd rather defend those people then their own. If someone wants to find his jokes funny, that is their opinion, and they are free to express it, as free as you and I are to express our disgust at those "jokes", the difference is, we aren't telling them to "chill" and "shut the fuck up"!

I am glad you posted this here, less noise of "oh, just chill out" here and people are more likely to see this, and perhaps, see there is another point of view, and maybe even re-think their view, maybe even to the point of no longer finding the humor in the "jokes" Chappelle told.

[IngridsLittleAngel]

11. I'm probably piling on at this point. I'll take that chance...

Melissa Dahn shared some thoughts from the roommate of the late Daphne Dorman on Twitter the other day - urging people to boycott Chappelle's "special", saying Netflix needs to yank it, and making it clear Chappelle was not a friend (or a pretty poor one) who seemed to repeatedly tell people what a "shit" comedienne Daphne was, how angry they are over Chappelle trying to blame the transgender community for Daphne's suicide, and is absolutely irate over Chappelle saying "I knew your father and he was a wonderful woman."

The last part of that is what really sticks out. People all over the internet - including DU - have been trying to defend Chappelle and tell the LGBTQ community to "stifle ourselves", that his latest special of punching-down is so magical and funny, and the end "had them in tears." Well, congratulations to them. They fell for it. They bought Chappelle's "my one trans friend" story - hook, line and sinker. And even then, Chappelle still punched down on his "friend" by calling her "he" and "father". Some friend - he used Daphne as a human shield to protect himself from criticism while attacking hers, attacking others like her, and even misgendering her.

This wasn't comedy. This was abuse. Robin Williams and George Carlin were funny because they punched up. There's nothing "edgy" about punching down, especially on people already hurting enough. Shame on Chappelle, shame on anyone defending this shit.

Melissa's Twitter post:

Link to tweet

[WillParkinson]

12. It's okay....

Their CEO said people found it funny, so it's all good.