Does anyone know what's going on with Dave Chapelle??

[skooooo]

Anyone think he'll have a show on TV again? Sure would be cool.

[Initech]

1. It'd be perfectly understandable as to why Dave would never do television again.

I'd like to see him on HBO or Showtime, and I'm sure we'll see the occasional stand-up special, but we'll never see him on network TV again.

[skooooo]

2. what went wrong?

I don't really know much about it. Just heard he got stressed out or something.

[democracyindanger]

3. He said that when he was shooting the new season

they were doing some skit about race, he was listening to some of the white crew laugh and he had an epiphany. He wondered if what he was doing was making it easier for racists rather than mocking it--note: He didn't think the crew was racist, it just made him think.

I can't remember where I read it, and the way he put it was much clearer, but that was the general jist. There were other factors--the big payday completely changed his life, greater pressure from network execs--but I remember reading that that moment was the impetus.

[realisticphish]

5. yeah

he wrote his jokes as a way of mocking racism, but realized that some people might be just taking it as flat out "black jokes." Look at all the "I'm Rick James, Bitch!" morons who shout his catchphrase to this day: all white frat guys.

[Deja Q]

6. From what was made of the third season, it was clear

Dave was playing into racism rather than sending it up.

Dave pegged everybody, so this epiphany doesn't make much sense. But people can change, so I'm certainly not going to knock him.

Rather like showing a fat couple in a tv show eating fattening food all the time and thinking it's funny.

[Initech]

4. Comedy Central wanted too much control of his show.

It wasn't that he was stressed out - he could pretty much say and do what he wanted. But then when it was time to renew for a 3rd season, Comedy Central handed him the $50 mil check - on the condition that Dave pretty much give up complete control of the show. So that's why instead of shooting the 3rd season he fled to South Africa - wasn't to get away from the stress but from Viacom/Comedy Central.

[Deja Q]

7. $50 million?!

:wow:

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. what would You do for 50 mil??

:wow:

[ccharles000]

9. He is very funny.

[applegrove]

10. I've never seen him. Some day I guess.