When comedians are no longer able to joke about stereotypes, our politically correct culture has hit a new and intolerable low…
It seems like nothing is safe anymore from scrutiny and outrage. Once a no-holds-barred outlet for entertainment, comedy has now come under fire for being too offensive.
Anyone who is familiar with Dave Chappelle’s work knows that not only does he address social issues like race relations and politics, his comedy is risqué. He pushes the boundaries and incorporates topics that are often considered taboo into his skits and stand-up performances.
I’m very familiar with Chappelle’s work. In fact, I have many memories of being a young soldier in the barracks watching his show with coworkers and friends of all nationalities and ethnic backgrounds. His comedy reached all of us in some way and brought everyone together to have a good time. While often controversial, Chappelle started important conversations through his comedy and aspired to bring everyone together—regardless of race—to laugh at stereotypes. Not one single group of people was immune to Dave Chappelle’s jokes. Many of his skits addressed racial stereotypes found across the board. He also didn’t single anyone out.
I was pretty excited when I got word that Netflix would be featuring Dave Chappelle specials available on March 21. His comedy was a huge part of my young adulthood. In fact, Chappelle references still find their way into conversations with my friends. So imagine my surprise to read that social media was abuzz over what they deemed to be Chappelle’s homophobic and “transphobic” jokes.
What has gone wrong in the past decade that has made Dave Chappelle homophobic? He’s always been controversial, but I can’t remember a time when he was accused of being anti-gay. Clearly those who have expressed their outrage are unfamiliar with the plethora of gay jokes to be found within Chappelle’s past comedy. When does the whining stop? I feel like we are heading towards a generation that will need a trigger warning attached to everything.
Last time I checked, freedom of speech was still valid within the United States. Whether or not Dave Chappelle is someone’s cup of tea does not warrant a torrent of posts on social media that are crying about hurt feelings. I’m pretty sure Dave Chappelle hasn’t carried out “hate speech” in the course of his comedy. He utilizes racial epithets and makes jokes at the expense of just about every group of people a person could possibly think of. He’s certainly used to people not liking his comedy so I am sure he isn’t going to lose sleep over offending people.
This country appears to be going backwards in terms of free speech. Too many people are coming under fire for what they’ve said. Those who support artists like Dave Chappelle and their work understand what it’s all about. It’s adult entertainment meant for adults and if there are people who can’t handle that kind of comedy, there is an option for them to not watch it. The very nature of comedy pushes the envelope in many different ways. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Angelina Newsom is an OpsLens Contributor and U.S. Army Veteran. She has ten years experience in the military, including a deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. She studies Criminal Justice and is still active within the military community.
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