Dave Chappelle Says He's Not Crazy (Yay!) wants to hear his "own" voice

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

By Associated Press
2 hours ago

NEW YORK - Comedian Dave Chappelle wants to set things straight: "I'm not crazy, I'm not smoking crack," he tells Time magazine in an interview more than a week after his hit Comedy Central show was suspended and the rumors started to fly.

"I'm definitely stressed out," said Chappelle, who took off last month to South Africa for a "spiritual retreat," leaving his fans - and even his agent and publicist - wondering where he went.

"You hear so many voices jockeying for position in your mind that you want to make sure that you hear your own voice," he said. "So I figured, let me just cut myself off from everybody, take a minute and pull a Flintstone - stop a speeding car by using my bare feet as the brakes."

After Comedy Central announced that the planned May 31 debut of the third season of "Chappelle's Show" had been postponed, the magazine Entertainment Weekly reported that Chappelle had checked himself into a mental health facility in South Africa.

>great news!!!

I'm so glad he is trying to keep his head on straight.
Edited to add: a rare thing for anyone with the fame and fortune he's come into.

MKJ
http://www.comcast.net/entertainment/index.jsp?cat=ENTERTAINMENT&fn=/2005/05/15/133024.html

[dolo amber]

1. Excellent news!

It's great he's being sensible about this and doing what he needs to do to stay balanced. Be well Dave, we'll be here when you get back. ;)

[Up2Late]

2. That's excellent

Sounds like he just told the Corporate Machine to go F*ck it self (Like Dick the Vice-President) and took off.

Sounds so typical, the Corporate type hand you $50 Million and then they expect you to do everything they want you to do, that is just wrong when you are talking creativity and Comedy.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

3. I'm so impressed he's wanting to maintain the integrity of his art rather

than cave to the superficial whims and directives of the media machine.

I'm also glad he got completely out of the country. Smart man. MKJ

[0007]

4. I need a good laugh Dave, please get back to work if you're

well & happy.

[cruadin]

5. I hope he finds the balance he's looking for and gets back ...

to making his show. He is one of the most on-target comedians/social critics working today, and the reason is that he doesn't kow-tow to ANYBODY. His 'nothing-is-sacred' brand of comedy is refreshing in this stifling social atmosphere created by 'heightened security concerns' on one hand and 'political correctness' on the other.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

9. He takes no prisoners when it comes to comic observations re current

government. He's spot on regarding cultural issues as well. After reading this, I'm reassured that he recognizes the work he does must be kept as unpolluted by fame and success as possible. MKJ

[mark414]

6. glad to hear it

we'll be ready for you when you come back dave

[Baclava]

7. He's a comic genius.

Richard Pryor took a few bad turns, too, as I remember...

[knowbody0]

8. see? our prayers worked!

[JohnKleeb]

10. Funny this gets brought up

Was discussing this whole thing with my brother is, good for him, he's a great guy and yeah also funny as hell.

[DS1]

11. Pull a Flintstone, I like that

:D

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

12. kicking for Chappelle and the thread's move to the Lounge...

Lounge lizards probably appreciate Chappelle more than LBN denizens, anyway.

MKJ