Dave Chappelle defends the kids at his former high school who got bullied for condemning his recent comedy special. The comedian's special on Netflix, The Closer, continues to garner a massive uproar over some of his jokes which have been deemed transphobic. In the midst of the outrage, many people, including comedian Hannah Gadsby, have criticized the special, with some calling for its removal from Netflix and numerous Netflix employees staging a walkout in protest.
Meanwhile, various people including Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos defended the special citing creative freedom, though later apologizing for the way he conducted his response after receiving criticism for various statements, including saying The Closer does not "directly translate to real world harm." Chappelle has since continued to hold firm in his stance, releasing a video blaming "corporate interests" as well as restriction of what he is able to say. He also stated that he would be open to having a discussion, but will not be "summoned" or seen "bending to anyone's demands" regarding his special, which contains his support of J.K. Rowling and his jokes about transgender women.
Per Deadline, Chappelle recently visited his alma mater Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C, where he spoke to hundreds of students and defends the ones who were targeted for speaking against The Closer. As expected, Chappelle was met with a mixed response visiting the establishment. Many of the students took the opportunity to express their distaste for the special and his retaliation to the backlash, but according to a student, Chappelle spoke up after hearing that students were being bullied for opposing his special. The student's statement can be viewed below:
"He said, ‘This is my family and whether they know it or not I love these kids. … I don’t want to hear about any threats to these kids. These kids don’t deserve that.’"
Chappelle was originally scheduled to appear at his alma mater to hold a fundraiser, which has since been postponed to April 22 due to the controversy. He instead used the platform to address and have a discussion with the students there. While Chappelle did not apologize for any of his material and still held his ground, he drew the line on bullying others due to their opinions over his special. Chappelle also used the opportunity to promote and screen his documentary film Dave Chappelle: Live in Real Life, which covers his shows that he performed in his hometown in Ohio during the pandemic, while also providing Thanksgiving meals for the school.
While Chappelle's content can be extremely controversial, he has long been a supporter of his former high school, donating and raising a lot of money for the institution. It was also reported that Duke Ellington School of the Arts was planning on naming a theater after the comedian prior to the controversy. Time will continue to tell how Dave Chappelle and his special will impact the high school as everything is currently put on hold, but regardless of which side anyone stands on The Closer, he has made it clear that no one should be persecuted for their individual opinions.
Source: Deadline