Dave Chappelle has released a new Netflix special, The Dreamer, which is full of jokes about the trans community and disabled people.

“I love punching down!” he tells the audience, in a one-hour show that landed on the streaming service today (31 December).

It’s his seventh special for Netflix and comes two years after his last one, the highly controversial release The Closer.

That programme was criticised for its relentless jokes about the trans community, and Chappelle revisits the topic in his new show.

He tells jokes about trans women in prison, and about trans people “pretending” to be somebody they are not.

    • EnderMB@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I used to believe this, because I truly believe that we should be able to joke about everything and anything.

      But when you have photo ops with right-wing nutters, run exclusively in circles with conspiracy nuts, and placate the likes of Elon Musk at your shows, it shows that even the great Dave Chappelle isn’t beyond being sucked into the anti-woke brigade.

      When your act starts to focus almost solely on certain subjects, you become typecast, and that’s what’s happening to Chappelle and Gervais. When you’re putting out more material on trans people than what you were initially known for covering, something has changed in you. Most comedians that strike a nerve or hit gold on a specific topic don’t make their entire identity about it, like Jim Jeffries and the infamous gun routine. They reference the impact, and move on. IMO, Chappelle and co should have moved on maybe one or two specials ago…

      • detalferous@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        We should be able to home about everything and anything. But the more politically incorrect your humor is, the funnier (and more true) it needs to be. His new material just isn’t funny.

      • phillaholic@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        You can joke about everything and anything. Dave Chapelle wasn’t arrested and put in jail. The conflation of what’s legal and what’s in the etiquette of society is troubling. You can have shitty views and be entitled not to be arrested for having them. You can have shitty views and not be entitled for anyone to pay you or listen to you say them. I have the same right to complain to Netflix about promoting this asshole as he does being that asshole.

    • eatthecake@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      What is the difference between ‘pushing buttons and boundaries’ and trolling? I don’t think i can tell. It all seems designed to generate emotional responses and controversy.

      • Lonnie123@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I would say pushing boundaries (and maybe to a lesser extent just pushing buttons) is categorically different than trolling.

        Trollings sole purpose is the reaction, to rile people up. You dont have any intention behind your words besides that. Or heck maybe you even lie to do it. “What if I post pictures of sad looking polar bears to Greta Thunbergs twitter account? Wouldnt that make her mad!? hahaha!” Thats a troll - Nothing is gained, nothing is learned, nothing is advanced.

        Pushing boundaries is something different. You can have intent, social movement, and a message with it. Star Trek pushed boundaries when they had an interracial kiss, it wasnt just for shock value or trolling white people. Ellen coming out on TV pushed boundaries without trolling people.

        Boundaries are generally placed by people for the purpose of holding certain groups back, and they deserved to be pushed and in fact broken. Trolling does none of that. Trolling is putting a flaming bag of shit on someones porch and ding-dong-ditching just to watch them get their shoe dirty. If they are old, fall over, and break their hip when they do it thats all the more fun to the troll.

        Pushing buttons… more on the trolling end of things, but probably done in a more playful way, maybe even to someone you know and hope to have a positive relationship with afterwards. But really its a more mild form of trolling

    • Pratai@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      He’s a sellout. Nothing more. And it’s painfully obvious. He was barely relevant before this bullshit- now look at him.

      • CaptnNMorgan@reddthat.com
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        1 year ago

        He might be a sellout but to say he was “barely” relevant before he made trans jokes is just false. Before the trans jokes he was considered the GOAT stand up comedian and it was pretty much uncontested. If you aren’t a comedy fan then I get why you wouldn’t have heard much about him before the jokes but that’s just your little bubble, bud.

        • Pratai@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          ROFL! Comedy isn’t a competition. You’re either funny or you aren’t. And if you’re only funny because you are controversial, then you’re not funny- you’re just popular.

          He WAS funny. Then he became relevant. Now he’s just controversial.

          • CaptnNMorgan@reddthat.com
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            1 year ago

            Chappelle was never controversial before this though. He was just recognized by his peers as the FUNNIEST. SMH

            • Pratai@lemmy.ca
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              1 year ago

              He was recognized by his peers as FUNNY. Because comedians are funny. Again, it’s not a competition. Grow the fuck up.

              • CaptnNMorgan@reddthat.com
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                1 year ago

                Lmao I like how you changed the argument. All I’m trying to express is that he was VERY relevant before the trans shit. You have a lot of unprocessed anger huh?

                  • CaptnNMorgan@reddthat.com
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                    1 year ago

                    I’ve never heard of that website but I’ve listened to a lot of different comedians having conversations and every time Chappelle got mentioned before COVID all of them would express how legendary he was. That legend is definitely gone now, he shouldn’t have come back. But back then him and Louis were the two living comedians that had absolutely everyones respect.

                    Edit: Decent list but Carlin shouldn’t be on there because his funny specials were not in the 2000s him and Lewis black got significantly less funny later in their career. Whoever made the list is an idiot for not having Chappelle on there but it’s nice seeing Bryan Reagan get some respect.

                    Edit edit: after looking up his specials Carlin did actually get a decent special in, in 2001. But he is by no means a “2000s comedian”

                    Edit edit edit: my point being this article is irrelevant and you are still wrong.

        • phillaholic@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          Do you wanna give me a source on that uncontested claim because that sounds like it was pulled out of your ass.

    • paholg@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      If it were truly about comedy, wouldn’t he at least try to be a bit funny while doing it?