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The Closer

Dave Chappelle

Netflix · 2021 · 72 min

Dave Chappelle closes his Netflix era with a defensive, polarizing manifesto.

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Dave Chappelle spends his sixth and final special under his 2016 Netflix deal litigating his own public reputation, focusing almost entirely on his ongoing dispute with the LGBTQ+ community. On stage, he acts less like a stand-up looking for laughs and more like a seasoned orator delivering a defensive, sometimes solemn manifesto. His primary angle is comparing the speed of social progress for queer communities with the slower pace of racial justice in America, using the platform to argue that his critics have systematically misread his intent.

Filmed over a seven-show run at The Fillmore Detroit in August 2021, the performance operates as a direct sequel to the controversies of his previous specials. Chappelle uses high-profile cultural flashpoints to make his points, notably comparing the industry’s reaction to rapper DaBaby’s homophobic comments with the lack of consequences after the same rapper fatally shot a man in a North Carolina Walmart. He also aligns himself with author J.K. Rowling, explicitly declaring himself “Team TERF” during a sequence about the physical reality of gender. The show culminates in a long, personal story about his friendship with the late transgender comic Daphne Dorman, who died by suicide in 2019 after defending him online.

The special’s release sparked an immediate, highly publicized crisis for Netflix, including organized employee walkouts and widespread calls for its removal from the platform. While critics criticized the material for being repetitive, company executives defended Chappelle under the banner of artistic freedom, and the program ultimately went on to receive two Primetime Emmy nominations.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Movie pitch about ancient aliens returning to reclaim the Earth.

    Comically titles the returning aliens 'Space Jews' as a dare to the audience and critics.

  2. Parody children's book series modelled after Clifford the Big Red Dog.

    Riffs on police brutality by proposing a book titled 'Clifford, the Big Black Nigger' where the protagonist is shot by police in every installment.

  3. Rapper DaBaby facing career cancellation over homophobic remarks.

    Contrasts the swift cancellation over anti-LGBTQ comments with the lack of public outrage over DaBaby fatally shooting a man in a Walmart, arguing that race and racial violence are treated with less gravity.

  4. An altercation at an Austin, Texas bar with a gay man filming him who called the police.

    Argues that gay people are minorities until they choose to leverage white privilege.

  5. Declaring himself 'Team TERF' and discussing Caitlyn Jenner.

    Discusses J.K. Rowling and compares Caitlyn Jenner winning 'Woman of the Year' to Eminem winning 'Nigger of the Year' at the BET Awards.

  6. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Story of his friendship with and mentorship of late transgender comedian Daphne Dorman. closer

    Shares an emotional narrative about Dorman defending his comedy, the online harassment she faced, her subsequent death by suicide, and pledges to stop making LGBTQ jokes if the community stops 'punching down' on his people.

How it plays

Tone
Confrontational, defiant, raunchy, and personal.
On stage
Provocative, unapologetic, and challenging with a daredevil relish for venturing into uncomfortable territory onstage.
About
Race relations vs. LGBTQ rights, Transgender community and gender identity, COVID-19 pandemic, MeToo movement and celebrity hypocrisy, Cancel culture and Twitter, Police violence

What the critics said

Received mixed to negative reviews from critics (scoring 40% on Rotten Tomatoes), who criticized the special for treating oppression as a zero-sum game, aggressive gags, and doubling down on transphobia, contrasted with a 96% positive audience score.

In the room: An enthusiastic, adoring sold-out Detroit crowd willing to follow him through controversial premises.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, mlive.com, imdb.com, npr.org, theguardian.com, nytimes.com.

Backstory

Filmed in August 2021 under rapid COVID-19 testing protocols for attendees; followed intense ongoing public debates surrounding his past jokes about the transgender and LGBTQ+ communities; dedicated to comedian Norm Macdonald.

Details

Released
Taped
The Fillmore Detroit
Runtime
72 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Stan Lathan
Honors
Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Variety SpecialPrimetime Emmy Award nomination for Directing for a Variety SpecialGrammy Award for Best Comedy Album
Topics
Before
8:46 (2020)
After
What’s in a Name? (2022)

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