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The Age of Spin

Dave Chappelle

Netflix · 2017 · 67 min

Dave Chappelle returns with a set framed by meeting O.J. Simpson.

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The spine of this set is a recurring story about four separate, increasingly awkward encounters with O.J. Simpson, used to trace the comic’s own trajectory through fame and public perception. Dave Chappelle paces the stage of the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, treating the crowd to a performance that is more conversational than his early-career stand-up, yet every bit as provocative.

Released in 2017 as part of a high-profile multi-special deal with Netflix, the show marked Chappelle’s official return to the screen after more than a decade away. He addresses his absence directly, sizing up the comedy landscape he left behind. He reflects on the rise of Key & Peele, noting that watching their sketch show was like watching someone else drive his stolen car, and acknowledges Kevin Hart’s massive arena stardom.

The material takes a more difficult turn when Chappelle addresses Bill Cosby, laying out a complicated, multi-part argument about how to reconcile a childhood hero’s cultural achievements with his horrific crimes. He balances these heavy topics with lighter, nostalgic absurdities. A bit about childhood disappointment uses the Care Bears to illustrate how his generation was misled into believing they could change the world with positive vibes, culminating in a crude punchline about what he actually ended up shooting out of his chest.

The set concludes with a quiet tribute, as Chappelle asks the crowd for a moment of silence to honor Garry Shandling, who passed away the same week the special was recorded in March 2016.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Meeting O.J. Simpson four times throughout his career.

    Uses four separate real-life encounters with O.J. Simpson as a recurring structural framing device to examine Black celebrity and morality.

  2. Attending the Academy Awards instead of a benefit in Flint, Michigan.

    Confessional mea culpa admitting he chose drinking at the Oscars with movie stars over attending a charity event for the Flint water crisis.

  3. Care Bears shooting love from their chests.

    Builds an earnest monologue comparing modern society's fatigue to the Challenger disaster before undercutting it with an explicit sexual punchline.

  4. Grappling with Bill Cosby's sexual assault allegations.

    Reflects on the painful cognitive dissonance of watching a childhood idol and philanthropist turn out to be a monstrous serial rapist.

  5. Taking his son to a Kevin Hart arena show.

    Openly explores his own professional jealousy when his son idolizes Hart during a stand-up performance.

  6. Bombing onstage in Detroit after getting high with rappers.

    Relates the humiliation of getting booed and having to return to perform in the same venue the following night using an absurd mousetrap analogy.

How it plays

Tone
Frisky, provocative, bemused, and introspective.
On stage
Utterly relaxed, confident, playful, and confessional; leans casually against speakers or perches on a stool while dissecting controversial topics.
Pace
Patient and unforced timing; masters the build-up of tension across lengthy yarns; features his trademark physical tic of laughing and dropping the mic against his thigh.
About
Black celebrity and fame, race relations and police interactions, Bill Cosby's sexual assault allegations, gender identity and LGBTQ issues, professional jealousy

What the critics said

Acclaimed by critics for masterful pacing, elite joke construction, and unmatched stage command, though some reviewers found parts of his commentary on gender and transgender topics dated or clunky.

In the room: Rapt, diverse audience completely comfortable with Chappelle's rhythms and willing to follow long, winding stories.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: themoviedb.org, allmovie.com, imdb.com, apnews.com, vulture.com, variety.com, ew.com, en.wikipedia.org, nytimes.com.

Backstory

Filmed during the run of FX's 'The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story' and released as part of a major multi-special deal with Netflix.

Details

Released
Taped
2016, Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles
Runtime
67 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Stan Lathan
Honors
Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album (2018)
Topics
Before
Deep in the Heart of Texas (2017)
After
Equanimity (2017)

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