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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Equanimity

Dave Chappelle

Netflix · 2017 · 64 min

A defiant hometown set targeting political correctness and class dynamics.

Watch it free on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Dave Chappelle spends a significant portion of his 2017 special addressing the very people who were angry at him earlier in the year. Returning to his hometown of Washington, D.C., to tape at the Warner Theatre, Chappelle addresses the backlash from his previous Netflix releases, particularly regarding his material about the transgender community. Instead of backing down, he uses a letter sent by a disappointed trans fan to talk about his own perspective on political correctness and class, maintaining a relaxed posture with a cigarette in hand. The set also focuses heavily on the 2016 presidential election, with Chappelle recounting his experience standing in a voting line with working-class white voters in Ohio, pointing out the irony of poor Americans voting for a billionaire who is actually fighting for the wealthy. He closes the hour by shifting tone to tell a detailed, somber story about Emmett Till and his mother’s choice to hold an open-casket funeral, using the historical tragedy to comment on modern political reckoning.

The set list

4 bits

  1. Growing up poor in Silver Spring, Maryland rather than the projects of D.C.

    Joking that he let people assume he was from the streets of D.C., contrasting suburban poverty surrounded by rich white neighbors and their Stove Top stuffing.

  2. Addressing backlash over past transgender jokes and the case of Rachel Dolezal

    Reflecting on a critical fan letter, expressing skepticism toward Dolezal while maintaining that visual identity incongruence is a funny predicament, and acting out Caitlyn Jenner posing for a men's magazine.

  3. Regretting his SNL monologue where he told Americans to give Donald Trump a chance

    Explaining that he winged the monologue out of empathy for Ohio voters, and describing watching the Trump administration as akin to seeing a crack pipe in an Uber driver's front seat.

  4. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Emmett Till's accuser recanting her story on her deathbed closer

    Drawing a parallel between the lie that sparked the civil rights movement and Donald Trump's presidency, suggesting Trump may inadvertently become the lie that saves everyone.

How it plays

Tone
Defiant, insightful, provocative, and self-reflective.
On stage
Brutally honest, confident, self-described master of his craft who openly defends his jokes while framing himself as an imperfect ally.
Pace
Blends cocktail-party-style storytelling with street preacher-esque social commentary, shifting between conversational rambling and sharp punchlines.
About
Criticism from the transgender community, Donald Trump and the 2016 presidential election, Growing up poor in suburban Maryland around white neighbors, Sensitivity and political correctness in modern culture, Emmett Till and racial injustice in America

What the critics said

Received mixed-to-positive reviews; praised by some for sharp storytelling, structural ambition, and unflinching confidence, while criticized by others as loose, rambling, and stubbornly unrepentant regarding transgender humor.

In the room: A packed hometown theater audience delivering a big concert feel and laughing along with the performance.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: imdb.com, letterboxd.com, netflix.com, justthecast.com, vulture.com, nytimes.com, tvandcity.com, decider.com, en.wikipedia.org, variety.com.

Backstory

Filmed in the wake of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump's presidency, and public backlash over his SNL monologue as well as transgender-related jokes from his previous Netflix specials.

Details

Released
Taped
Warner Theatre, Washington
Runtime
64 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Stan Lathan
Honors
Won 1 Primetime Emmy AwardWon Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (Equanimity & The Bird Revelation)
Topics
Before
The Age of Spin (2017)
After
The Bird Revelation (2017)

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