Dave Chappelle & SNL Restores Order in American Comedy

The Nov 12 show is a lesson in public discourse

Dave Chappelle — Raph_PH — https://www.flickr.com/photos/69880995@N04/32081916018/ — C.C. 2.0. License

What is comedy; what is hate?

Washington D.C.’s Dave Chappelle was on Saturday Night Live this past weekend. It was a perfect moment for a fearless comic who has waded into the country’s politics and social life repeatedly during his career.

Chappelle, like many before him, has struck gold but also struck out. On Saturday night, he was gold.

I don’t need to repeat every bit of the show including the monologue. I recommend you watch it. Yet, here are a few specifics about the show that made it stand out:

• Black Star (Yaslin Bey and Talib Kweli) was the musical guest. Nuff said.
• The Chappelle monologue dealt with the anti-Jewish controversy involving Kanye West and Kyrie Irving.
• The diversity riff skit on the new Game of Thrones spinoff, House of the Dragon “blackened” the show a lot more than it is;
• The blues skit provided a lesson in American chattel slavery using “the potato hole.”

Pushback?

Many have criticized Chappelle’s monologue that focused on anti-Jewish tropes perpetuated by Kanye West and Kyrie Irving (only…