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Sticks & Stones

Dave Chappelle

Netflix · 2019 · 66 min

An embattled comedy giant baits his critics in Atlanta.

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Dave Chappelle is not trying to make friends here. Filmed over several nights at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia, this 2019 Netflix release shows a comedian who has fully leaned into his role as an antagonist of modern social sensibilities. It is his fifth special for the streaming service, arriving at a point in his career where he had both the financial freedom and the institutional backing to say exactly what he wanted, regardless of the fallout.

The set is built around a sequence of provocations designed to test the boundaries of public tolerance. Chappelle targets the collective anxiety of the late-2010s public, addressing the allegations against Michael Jackson and R. Kelly, defending Louis C.K., and dedicating a lengthy, metaphorical bit to the LGBTQ community, whom he refers to as the “alphabet people”. He also makes room for broader social observation, contrasting the federal response to the crack epidemic in the 1980s with the public sympathy generated by the modern opioid crisis. He links Georgia’s restrictive abortion laws directly to a backlash against the #MeToo movement, arguing that men telling women what to do with their bodies is a direct retaliation.

Critics widely dismissed the hour as a defensive exercise in shock value, with publications like The Guardian describing it as a predictable retreat into the persona of an old crank. Audiences, conversely, flooded online platforms to defend it. The special went on to win three Primetime Emmy Awards and a Grammy for Best Comedy Album, underscoring the deep divide between the critical establishment and Chappelle’s massive, loyal fanbase. The special also features a post-credits Q&A session titled “Epilogue: The Punchline,” where Chappelle answers questions from a Broadway audience and tells a story about his friendship with trans comedian Daphne Dorman.

The set list

7 bits

  1. Anthony Bourdain suicide comparison

    Contrasts Bourdain's death with an old friend living in difficult circumstances who never conceived of suicide.

  2. Leaving Neverland and Michael Jackson sexual abuse allegations

    Doubts Jackson's accusers, references Macaulay Culkin's denials, and contrasts Jackson with R. Kelly.

  3. Kevin Hart Oscars controversy and the alphabet people

    Defends Hart's past jokes and relates it to an unwritten rule in show business, recounting an old Standards and Practices dispute from Chappelle's Show.

  4. LGBTQ+ car ride analogy

    Compares relationships between different groups within the LGBTQ+ community to distinct passengers sharing a car ride.

  5. Louis C.K. sexual misconduct and #MeToo movement

    Describes Louis C.K.'s misconduct and questions the perceived level of physical threat while critiquing #MeToo backlash.

  6. Gun control and Second Amendment protest

    Suggests African Americans legally purchase firearms en masse to frighten white lawmakers into tightening gun legislation.

  7. Childhood memories, financial hardship, and school shootings

    Recalls his father's advice, childhood financial discrimination, and links them to reflections on modern school shootings.

How it plays

Tone
Defiant, provocative, raunchy, witty, and confrontational.
On stage
Defiant, transgressive, unapologetic, and self-aware provocateur.
Pace
Opens with a capella singing of Prince lyrics before moving into deliberate, calculated comedic premises, pacing, and chain-smoking onstage.
About
Celebrity scandals and cancel culture, Gun violence and Second Amendment rights, The opioid crisis and drug decriminalization, LGBTQ+ community and transgender topics, The #MeToo movement, Abortion

What the critics said

Edgy, but empty, Sticks and Stones won't break any bones, but it won't elicit many laughs, either. Received mixed to negative critical reviews for targeting sensitive social issues, contrasting with an overwhelmingly high audience score.

In the room: Strongly enthusiastic and polarized; audience members showed vocal support in the room despite an interruption from a ringing phone, reflected by a 98% Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter score.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: tv.apple.com, en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, vanityfair.com, decider.com, rottentomatoes.com, usatoday.com.

Backstory

Filmed amidst high-profile celebrity scandals, public pushback over jokes in prior specials, debates surrounding the #MeToo movement, cancel culture, the opioid epidemic, and gun violence.

Details

Released
Taped
The Tabernacle, Atlanta
Runtime
66 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Stan Lathan
Honors
Grammy Award for Best Comedy AlbumPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Pre-Recorded Variety Special
Topics
Before
The Bird Revelation (2017)
After
8:46 (2020)

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