You’d have to be a real headcase to get the impression Chappelle was cashing in on rascism. Between his skits he’d come out and talk to the audience - and you’ve never seen a funnier or smarter guy. The fact he seemed to fearlessly trade on the insecurities of his audience, regardless of race - you’d be uncomfortable to the point you had to laugh, in the humor he did was what made it work. When a skit went off well what made it hilarious was the “Oh, no - he didn’t” factor.
I really liked the guy I saw between the sketches. That self-effacing, but devilish - “letting you in on the joke”, persona really took the edge off the outrageous schtick he was putting out in the skits. Going after him for doing the kinds of humor he did would be like going after Jon Stewart for belittling the important institutions of the media and government.
Agreed. It’s like when friends were trying to get me to like Howard Stern, and it was sort of difficult for me. Then I saw him on his E show and realized he’s smiling almost the entire time he does his show. It’s all a put-on, so what’s the big deal?
Having never seen a single episode of The Chapelle Show, the only thing I know about it is, “I’m Rick James, bitch!”. Since that one line is so incredibly popular, I must conclude that that’s as funny as he gets.
It isn’t. That skit was pretty funny, but I never got the hype. And if you are only hearing that one line, you are really missing out on a pretty good show. It’s overrated, as many hugely hyped things are, but it’s still pretty good at times. My favorite is the Prince/Basketball skit.
