So-called comedian Dave Chappelle just hosted SNL despite recent history of transphobic jokes
Dave Chappelle devoted much of his monologue to jokes about antisemitism. (NBC)
Disgraced comedian Dave Chappelle hosted Saturday Night Live (SNL) on Saturday (12 November), leaving viewers “shocked”.
The so-called comedian has relentlessly mocked the trans community in recent years, declaring himself “team TERF” and saying in his 2019 Netflix special Sticks & Stones that trans people “hate my f*****g guts and I don’t blame them”, because he “can’t stop writing jokes” about trans folk.
But hosting the sketch show on Saturday, Chappelle neglected to address any of the backlash to his anti-LGBTQ+ jokes, and instead turned his attention to Jewish people.
Referencing recent antisemitic comments by Kanye West, who threatened to go “death con 3 on Jewish people”, and the antisemitism scandal surrounding NBA star Kyrie Irving, Chappelle began his lengthy monologue: “I wanted to read a statement I prepared.
“I renounce antisemitism in all its forms and stand with my friends in the Jewish community. And that, Kanye, is how you buy yourself some time.”
Chappelle continued: “It’s a big deal, he had broken the show business rules. You know, the rules of perception.
“If they’re Black, then it’s a gang. If they’re Italian, it’s a mob. If they’re Jewish, it’s a coincidence and you should never speak about it.”
“Kanye got in so much trouble that Kyrie [Irving] got in trouble,” Chappelle claimed, and said: “This is where I draw the line. I know the Jewish people have been through terrible things all over the world, but you can’t blame that on Black Americans.”
The comment was met with silence from the audience.
He went on to perpetuate antisemitic conspiracy theories, continuing: “I’ve been to Hollywood and this is what I saw: It’s a lot of Jews. It’s a lot. But that doesn’t mean anything.
“There’s a lot of Black people in Ferguson, Missouri, but that doesn’t mean we run the place.”
The “delusion that Jews run show business”, he said, is “not a crazy thing to think,” but “it’s a crazy thing to say out loud”.
Viewers were horrified by the monologue, with one tweeting: “I’m so disgusted by Dave Chappelle’s SNL monologue.
“He opened his performance of the whole night by making fun of antisemitism, turning Jewish traditions/ observances into a joke, and implying that Jews run the entertainment industry.”
Dave Chappelle spent half his SNL monologue discussing Ye, Kyrie Irving and antisemitism.
“I know the Jewish people have been through terrible things all over the world, but you can’t blame that on Black Americans,” he said in a serious tone. https://t.co/tzla7QhjAF
— Andrew Esensten (@esensten) November 13, 2022
I’m Jewish and religious. There was a ton of stuff that was hilarious in that monologue, including about the Jews (two words only we can say together). But to leave in the jokes about blaming Jews for things, crossed the line into antisemitism. @nbcsnl @DaveChappelle— lesbianaypunto (@lesbianaypunto1) November 13, 2022
To sum up @DaveChappelle @nbcsnl monologue he slams others for their public scandals yet refuses to address his comments against the LGBTQIA+ community. He fans the flame of Jewish stereotypes. I dont see a genius who wants unity but continued division & hate disguised as comedy— Haymitch Abernathy (@DrunkHaymitchPN) November 13, 2022
Another said: “It takes a lot for me to get offended by comedy… But Dave Chappelle’s monologue on SNL tonight was bad.
“I sat there in shock as he propagated antisemitism.”
In his Netflix special The Closer, released just last year, Chappelle defended JK Rowling and rapper DaBaby, who faced backlash over a number of his remarks about AIDS and HIV and the LGBTQ+ community, among many other anti-trans jokes.
