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Cover image credit: Thumbnail: YouTube · Netflix Is A Joke

8:46

Dave Chappelle

YouTube · 2020 · 27 min

An angry, joke-free monologue delivered outdoors during the 2020 protests.

Dave Chappelle took to an outdoor stage in his hometown of Yellow Springs, Ohio, in June 2020 to deliver a monologue that was less a stand-up set and more a direct, furious reaction to the murder of George Floyd. Filmed at the Wirrig Pavilion under strict pandemic guidelines, the performance played to an audience of roughly 100 socially distanced, masked locals. Rather than chasing punchlines, Chappelle spent his 27 minutes addressing the nationwide protests, the historical weight of systemic violence, and his own exhaustion with the cycle of Black deaths at the hands of law enforcement.

The performance, directed by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, bypassed Netflix’s main subscription service and went straight to YouTube for free, with a message directing viewers to support the Equal Justice Initiative. Chappelle anchors his thoughts with a comparison of the 35 seconds of terror he experienced during the 1994 Northridge earthquake to the grueling eight minutes and forty-six seconds of Floyd’s death. He also targets conservative commentator Candace Owens and CNN’s Don Lemon, defending his own initial silence by arguing that the protestors on the streets do not need a celebrity to speak for them. The title of the set carries a double meaning, noting that the length of Floyd’s death matches Chappelle’s own time of birth on his birth certificate.

The set list

4 bits

  1. CNN anchor Don Lemon calling on celebrities to speak out regarding George Floyd's death and protests.

    Argues that celebrities should take a back seat and let the streets speak for themselves, questioning why anyone would care what a comedian thinks after witnessing police murder.

  2. Criticism of conservative pundits Laura Ingraham and Candace Owens.

    Takes aim at Ingraham for telling LeBron James to 'shut up and dribble' and delivers sharp, crude criticisms targeting Candace Owens's commentary on the Black community.

  3. Being pulled over by a police officer in Beavercreek, Ohio.

    Recounts receiving a warning from a cop who the very next day shot and killed John Crawford III in a local Walmart for holding a toy gun, with Crawford facing no justice and his name getting lost in the sauce.

  4. Correcting a claim from his 2016 Saturday Night Live monologue about Black visitors to the White House.

    Discovered his great-grandfather, William David Chappelle, led a delegation to meet Woodrow Wilson in 1918 to protest the lynching of a Black man.

How it plays

Tone
Raw, somber, serious, angry, and grief-laden with occasional moments of humor.
On stage
An unfiltered, confiding, almost familial 'Unc' presence in dad-bod sweats holding a cigarette and a notebook he never consults, delivering an earnest, impassioned monologue.
Pace
Deliberate, unhurried, with long stretches without humor or punchlines, shifting between sitting on a stool and standing in incredulity.
About
The murder of George Floyd and police brutality, Systemic racism and violence against African Americans in the United States, The Black Lives Matter protests, Celebrity commentary versus movement leadership, Media and conservative pundits

What the critics said

Positively received for its raw social commentary and emotional urgency, though noted for featuring sparse jokes and long stretches without humor; some critics noted its focus on Black men omitted police violence against Black women or trans individuals.

In the room: An intimate, socially distanced outdoor crowd of roughly 100 people wearing masks in pairs of seats, listening attentively with frequent supportive applause breaks.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, thetvdb.com, ticketnews.com, chortle.co.uk, vulture.com, decider.com, newyorker.com, imdb.com.

Backstory

Filmed June 6, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and amidst nationwide Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin (who kneeled on Floyd's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds). 8:46 also corresponds to Chappelle's birth time (8:46 AM).

Details

Released
Taped
Wirrig Pavilion, Yellow Springs
Runtime
27 min
Where
YouTube
Director
Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar
Honors
Primetime Emmy Awards nominee - Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) (2021)Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards nominee - Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special (2021)Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards nominee - Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special (2021) and 4 more
Topics
Before
Sticks & Stones (2019)
After
The Closer (2021)

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