Dave Chappelle’s quest to alienate every minority group he can continue to go swimmingly, with his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live causing the Anti-Defamation League CEO to speak out.
Exactly what everyone predicted would happen ended up happening when Chappelle got to host SNL. Following outrage from within the writer’s room of the show about his appearance, the comedian still went ahead and chose controversy over comedy. His opening monologue was a spiel on Jewish conspiracy theories and antisemitism, especially in the wake of Kanye West’s very public tirades.
The classic antisemitic theory of Jewish people “running” showbiz was the center of Chappelle’s monologue, with him seeming to engage in conspiracy theories, while also trying to hand a lampshade on anything he said which could be seen as antisemitic. In the critical sense, Chappelle can be seen here as dog-whistling his real views under the guise of comedy.
“I’ve been to Hollywood and — no one get mad at me — I’m just telling you what I saw, “It’s a lot of Jews. Like a lot. But that doesn’t mean anything! You know what I mean? Because there are a lot of Black people in Ferguson, Missouri, it doesn’t mean we run the place. The delusion that Jews run show business […] not a crazy thing to think, but it’s a crazy thing to say out loud […] 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.”
Unsurprisingly, it’s gone down like a led balloon. The ADL’s CEO spoke with disappointment at Chappelle’s monologue, saying while the comedian doesn’t need to “serve as society’s moral compass” it was still not the best look for NBC to allow a platform for antisemitic conspiracies: even in an apparently jestful manner.
Chappelle’s previous controversies have mostly centered around poor taste jokes and punching down on transgender people, with him and Ricky Gervais both frequently fanning the flames of transphobia before then claiming they’re getting “canceled”. The brutal reality is if either of them were getting canceled or de-platformed, they wouldn’t end up being hosts of Saturday Night Live.
Antisemitism being back in the discussion as if it’s something that has two sides is deeply troubling, especially on a comedic platform. Comedy can tackle the dark and macabre subject matter, but certain people really shouldn’t make certain jokes, especially without lived experience.
Compare a Mel Brooks gag on being Jewish to Chappelle’s stand-up on Jewish people. Unfortunately, NBC doesn’t seem to care much about such a comparison. Instead, they’re more than happy to profit and fuel unnecessary debates for clicks and word of mouth.
