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Chapelle special spurs Netflix walkout; 'Trans lives matter'

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By ALEX VEIGA and LYNN ELBER

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96 Comments
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White heterosexual male lives matter !

18 ( +33 / -15 )

I watched it. I didn't hear or see anything hateful. It was comedy. I thought he made that pretty clear.

28 ( +35 / -7 )

Don't like it, don't watch, especially if you're easily offended. Chapelle has been doing this for years and only now he gets called out by the snowflakes.

23 ( +32 / -9 )

I watched it. It wasn’t anti-trans.

16 ( +27 / -11 )

I watched it. I didn't hear or see anything hateful. It was comedy. I thought he made that pretty clear.

Yeah, but they're a sensitive bunch.

15 ( +23 / -8 )

Dave Chappelle like many stand-up comedians in the West have a habit of making fun of everyone and everything no matter how offensive or disrespectful.

Dave Chappelle is partially responsible for a Transgender person who was friends with him committing suicide a few weeks later after she defended Dave online.

Dave Chappelle is married to an Asian wife yet he makes jokes about Asians being attacked and blamed for Covid19.

Dave Chappelle makes fun of Japan and Japanese men after the atomic bombs was used as jokes in his special.

-20 ( +5 / -25 )

Common-sense-not-being-offended-by-everything lives matter.

Also, I stand with tooheysnew.

White heterosexual male lives matter !

13 ( +17 / -4 )

More attention grabbing victimism.

More publicity.

Look at me, look at me!

10 ( +16 / -6 )

The protestors aren't listening to what he was saying thus demonstrating their ignorance.

I'll bet nobody commenting on this story can point out exactly what was transphobic about Chappelle's jokes.

14 ( +17 / -3 )

I support equal rights for people of all races, genders or sexuality but the vocal, extreme minority of LGBTQA+ community are demanding more than equal representation, more than equal rights and expect to be hoisted on to a pedestal that places them above all forms of criticism and public discourse.

The movement more resembles the unrealistic demands of a spoilt, narcissistic and emotionally immature child than it does a civil rights movement. This makes people less willing to support their cause or engage with them. It's own behaviour is toxic, self destructive and undermines the movements own goals.

A movement that supposedly is all about tolerance and acceptance is in fact completely intolerant and un-accepting of criticism or views that oppose its own.

23 ( +26 / -3 )

History proves that jokes have been made of everyone and everything. We joke about males and females, young and old, humans and animals, life and death, religions, politics, races, sports, and on and on.

Nothing should be off limits as a topic. As Ricky Gervais explains so well:

*“**There’s no subject you shouldn’t joke about,”*

“It depends on the target - people get offended when they mistake the subject of a joke with the actual target and they’re not necessarily the same.”

The Trans community wants to become an accepted part of society. They are eager to point out that they shouldn't be discriminated against because they are just normal people - and quite rightly so. I'd argue that there is no better form of acceptance than becoming part of the normal every day conversation - which includes being joked about. You can't be accepted into society if you demand certain protections that all the other groups of society aren't afforded.

17 ( +21 / -4 )

I'm surprised no petition has come out yet

0 ( +1 / -1 )

But there's probably one up somewhere already

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I'll bet nobody commenting on this story can point out exactly what was transphobic about Chappelle's jokes.

Frankly, I would appreciate if someone posts something like that.

I haven't watched the show

3 ( +5 / -2 )

You have the right to offend and be offended. But you don't have the right to never be offended.

Just because you're offended doesn't mean you're right. Some people are offended by equality.”

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Responding to someone else’s post earlier in this thread:

- “Dave Chappelle like many stand-up comedians in the West have a habit of making fun of everyone and everything no matter how offensive or disrespectful.” - 

Have you seen Japanese comedians in “blackface”? (Still on JTV and commercials throughout the day & night. NOT “cancelled”.

Have you watched the likes if Takeshi Kitano?

- “Dave Chappelle is partially responsible for a Transgender person who was friends with him committing suicide a few weeks later after she defended Dave online.” -

Perhaps you need to actually watch “*The Closer”*? - Chapelle had a friendship with her and gave her a rare opportunity , an unknown, to open his show. She bombed but he still admired her for attending the after party and making people laugh. He invited her to open again at the next opportunity. She agreed. He was deeply disappointed she took her life and was even more disappointed by the community that ‘ate her alive’.

One deviation or ‘lack of solidarity’ on ALL fronts, and some activists will do everything in their power to “cancel” a former member of the group and their livelihood.

The rest of the earlier claims are IMO, equally unsubstantiated, appear to be fabrications and exaggerations unless the claimant can perhaps provided specific links so others can judge for themselves* ***? **

Will leave the latter 2 claims for others to dissect, IF they care.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Chapelle have every right to be offensive, and people that feel offended have every right to complain about it, Netflix is obviously allowed to keep the special if they think it is justified, but they will also assume the consequences of doing it, it may be losing staff, viewers, share in the market, etc. but then again it may not.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

This cancel culture must stop! Whatever happened to freedom of speech. Stand-up comedy is an art. And to be fair, Dave has been targeting not just the LGBTQ community but others as well. He told some ugly truths out there so it pissed them off because most of it is true.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Comedians cross sensitive lines all the time to make people think. The more controversial they are, the more they make us think. It looks like Chapelle has been very successful in that regard.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

"I want trans representation on the Netflix board, this (expletive) week,” the writer-director said.

based on what qualification or merit to hold this position, a board level role, in the company?

A lot of people are just sitting back enjoying Netflix, a liberal virtue signaling company at heart, destroy itself from the inside.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

Ted Sarandos simply forgot who his wife is and who his boss is, politically. Activists simply pressured his wife to "correct" her husband. Now he speaks differently, of course.

Today Fox News is reporting that Ted Sarandos is the Netflix executive responsible for brokering the deal between the Obamas and Netflix.

What Sarandos didn’t mention: He and his wife have long been donors and friends to the Obamas, having raised more than a half-million dollars as bundlers for the president’s campaign in 2012. His wife, Nicole Avant, also was appointed by Obama as ambassador to the Bahamas, serving from 2009 to 2011.

then his boss wife:

Netflix Chief Reed Hastings’ Wife, Patricia Quillin, Was a Quiet Force in the 2020 Election in California

Patricia Quillin, wife of Reed Hastings, quietly spent millions on races on the 2020 ballot: She’s not "wary of being too political." 

Just strange that they are going after Dave Chappelle, of all people.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

In the US nobody is killing any white heterosexual man because race or sexuality..

Happens every day, and ironically is the one racial crime that rarely gets covered.

10 ( +16 / -6 )

The Show was anti-BS not anti-trans which is probably what got all 5 of them so riled up...

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Notice what every article about Chapelle's special, plus every single "trans rights" Wokist is conveniently forgetting to mention:

Dave talked for almost a quarter of the show about a Trans whom he befriended while doing comedy shows in the Bay Area. He didn't mince words about his criticism for this person's lack of comic ability, yet he showed admiration for the person for their stubbornness not to give up even while bombing as Chapelle's opening act.

This very same Trans got into a social media fight with other Trans supporters...the the Trans activists hounded, attacked and belittled this person until they chose to give in and commit suicide.

That was a major part of the Chapelle special. Why the silence? Can we admit the obvious hypocrisy of "activists" being SO totalitarian, so "one way only, nothing else, because we decided this must be so" until THEY actually hurt more of their own kind than any "hurtful" jokes?

This Woke community is so serious, it's killing people. Dave never really hurt anyone, but these folks? They're murderous!

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Racists are killing, Blacks, Latins, Asians, Indigenous and LGBTIQ people.. 

Where's that? Specifically, where are they killing homosexuals?

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

You have to understand it from the target audience's perspective. I think it's disingenuous of him to associate trans as equaling white, but comedy isn't about being politically correct. It's about eliciting reactions and provoking thoughts. Someone may have loved it and someone may have found it offensive. Why the disparity? Let's talk about why it was offensive. This is how the discourse should be. Through talking we can better understand everyone.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

if all it took to be on the Board at Netflix is to be "transgender", I would have identified as such years ago.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

This very same Trans got into a social media fight with other Trans supporters...the the Trans activists hounded, attacked and belittled this person until they chose to give in and commit suicide.

This then is probably the single most significant reason they want the show cancelled.

They don't want more people to know they've pressured one of their own to the brink.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

All just because he was pointing out basic biological facts, where is the 'follow the science crowd'?

0 ( +5 / -5 )

As I said a few days ago, these protestors are a bunch of whiny babies, they need to GROW a pair, seriously!!!

Their miniscule numbers cant be allowed to influence what netflix programs or any other broadcaster!!! If these radical, & YES they are radicals get their way, its going to suck bigtime!!!

Say it with Dave Chapelle MATERS, DC Matters!!!!

I am all for these people going out & saying their piece, but will be very foolish to give in to them in any way at all, we will just ignore THEM like THEY should just ignore Dave!!! Real easy to do!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Trans Lives Matter.... it's just too perfect to be true. The angry left, keep inspiring! You do us all a favor.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Did any of those people even watch the show, without pre-viewing hate developing from just hearsay?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I didn't see it, but I want to now.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I'm too stingy to spend money on Netflix.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Hope they had transgender portaloos on site to support these worthy protesters.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Just read some news. List of "requests" include more trans and non binaries in executive level positions at Netflix and for the company to create a fund to support trans and non binary talent

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Sarandos is really in hot water now

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Some of the same people defending Dave over this were the same ones that were all up in arms about North Carolina not allowing grown men to use the restroom with little girls and women. I guess it all depends on the political affiliation of the accused.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

What has the world become ?

Humanity is a joke.

If you can't laugh at yourself might as well throw in the towel.

Nobody is perfect.

Its a gender war .

And no thats not a rainbow is it really.

There's 7 colors in a rainbow.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

If its trans then how do they know whose life it is that matters?

Everybodys life matters ofcourse .

But how to identify the unidentifiable to define the undefined?

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Lets face it, Chapelle dropped the ball on this one. Theres humour and then theres outright unkindness and callus insensitivity. In fact its way beyond insensitivity, its actually —

Hee hee! Im joking of course! If thats still allowed.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

No jokes allowed this is truly serious issues.

Next to see cloned gene editing of a human that is "A" sexual and capable of giving birth without needing another person

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Hee hee! Im joking of course! If thats still allowed

You told a joke? Straight to jail for you!

I won’t never do it again, I promise!

0 ( +2 / -2 )

If we are going to discuss this properly, we need to use the proper acronym: 2SLGBTQQIA+. Otherwise, you are committing the same sin as Dave. You are omitting and erasing people. Taking their humanity.

Your penance is wearing a hair shirt (made from Hokkaido deer hair) and non matching shoes for a week.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I would say I'm supportive of their cause but it seems they are a tad over sensitive to any comment whether Dave Chappelle or JK Rowling.

Time to grow a pair and man up.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

In her posts, Field said the comic was being criticized not because his remarks are offensive but for the harm they do to the trans community, especially Black women. Field included a list of trans and nonbinary men and women of color who she said had been killed, adding in each case that the victim “is not offended.”

It would really help if Field mentioned examples of the remarks that contributed to the killings of the people on the list

3 ( +3 / -0 )

At the risk of spoiling this middle-age circle-jerk. Just because people online complain about your fav doesn't mean it's "cancel culture." Dave Chapelle was just $20m dollars for his specials and in each of them went on a speech about cancel culture.

If any misenfranchised group speaks out about something, a group of unwashed masses descend "hurr durr woke culture" "rehhh cancel culture." Just a bunch of snowflakes.

If you think Dave Chapelle has a right to make jokes at trans people's expense, then they also have a right to criticise.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

It's weird, to see the Trans people all up in arms, because if you actually watched the show and listened, it was the Lesbian Feminists that he really lit up.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Like a bolt of lightning* *@Reckless 5:38p sums up the debate on this controversy into one simple question:

*- @Reckless 5:38pm: responding to: [Time to grow a pair and man up.] “Tits or ballz?”*

With sincerest appreciation for clarity in an increasingly insane world of oversensitivity: “Thank You”, sir (or madam, whichever may apply)

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Chappell is a true American Patriot, love the guy, he’s just so spot on.

6 ( +9 / -3 )

All lives matters.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

If you think Dave Chapelle has a right to make jokes at trans people's expense, then they also have a right to criticise.

You seem to know what you're talking about so maybe you can help me.

I haven't watched the show so I don't really know what the show is exactly about.

Could you give examples of joke Chapelle made at trans people's expense?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Seems I've been asking the wrong question since nobody seems to know what joke it was that ticked off the trans supporters. I'll change my question then.

What was it that Chappelle said that ticked off the trans supporters?

Was it a joke he said or a fact he said?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

I am just as confused as the people walking out! Comedy is healing people need to laugh what I find so confusing is why does the truth hurt.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Seems I've been asking the wrong question since nobody seems to know what joke it was that ticked off the trans supporters. I'll change my question then.

What was it that Chappelle said that ticked off the trans supporters?

Was it a joke he said or a fact he said?

It's on Netflix, go and watch it, the entire thing and then you will know, funny as heck.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

I've watched his last three specials, and despite being a long-term fan of his, I felt his trans jokes in the first one were kind of uncharacteristically hacky and out of touch. Not really hateful or anything, just lazy throwbacks that seemed kind of beneath him. Other than that, there were some funny bits.

Then, if memory serves, he spent a good chunk of the second special defending himself in the manner of a middle-aged man who's had his pride compromised, and most of the third doing more of the same, while detailing his heroic friendship with an untalented trans comic who reinforced his belief in the righteousness of his cause before she was driven to suicide by the fallout.

It was all a bit cringey, and I don't remember laughing once.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

I had never seen or heard Dave Chappelle, so I checked him out on YouTube. He's really funny and only some of his humor is about the variety of fruits and vegetables (F&V) in the sexual orientation garden (my words) and is spoken with humor and not nasty like the fruits and vegetables trying to cancel him.

Most of the humor is impressions of the F&V reactions in situations. There is no lecturing or serious moralizing. He continually says that people can be any way they want, and he jokes about many different situations of many people.

One example is a funny story of being at an art social event in NYC. There was man wearing a dress who was writhing around from some drug(s) he took and eventually fell to the floor. Dave went over and asked if the man was alright, and the effeminate crowd around them (his friends) sighed and glared at Dave as they waved at the man's face to wake him up.

"You mean is she alright..."

He said "OK, no problem, but you may want to cover her up because her penis is hanging out from her dress."

That's just funny.

11 ( +12 / -1 )

Censorship is ugly.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

If you think Dave Chapelle has a right to make jokes at trans people's expense, then they also have a right to criticise.

Of course they have a right to criticise, but most of those protestors wanted his programme removed from Netflix. Censoring a comedian because they were offended is not free speech.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

it Seems the only people who should be offended by Dave Chappelle are white people

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

He's a comedian. He tells jokes.

Just how special do you think you are that you think you're off limits to a comedian telling jokes?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

it is funny......a lot of controversial things can be funny in the right context. Comedy.....take a night off from being butthurt all the time about every little single thing and just enjoy it for what it is........do you think fat people, ginger people, junkies, spotty people, people with freckles...ANYONE who is a target of a comedic spiel actually likes being made fun of? No.....but at a comedy night do they accept it? yeah....because it's at a bloody comedy night FFS!! It's not a personal insult to YOU, take it as it's given.

I am amazed that no one has targeted Ricky Gervais yet......that man has said SOOOO many controversial things about so many types of people during his performances....funny AF

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Oh America, get over yourselves!

THIS! The rest of the world is tired of the overspill from your eggshell walking

3 ( +4 / -1 )

White heterosexual male lives matter !

Not really tbh

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Pure theatre…

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The far right and far left have yet another thing in common: no sense of humour.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

White heterosexual male lives matter !

There's nothing quite like this story to bring out right wing bigotry.

White heterosexual males are not the ones who die of hate crimes or structural racism.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

> TARA TAN KITAOKAOct. 21 07:01 pm JST

All lives matters.

I agree, but if you said that at a BLM protest, you would be attacked by the “tolerant” ones.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Ah_soToday 04:17 pm JST

White heterosexual male lives matter !

There's nothing quite like this story to bring out right wing bigotry.

White heterosexual males are not the ones who die of hate crimes or structural racism.

Since white heterosexual male lives don't matter to you, can you please explain why?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Dave Chapelle is a genius-don’t like his words?

No need to listen then...

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Somehow the Cancel Brigade gave up on South Park since forever ago. They rip on everybody super hard, but you never hear anyone trying to shut down Comedy Central over it.

I wonder why they get a pass?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Pleasantly surprised to find a lot of common sense in the comments.

I am old enough to remember when African-Americans were more or less publicly "invisible." A Dave Chapelle was unthinkable...One doesn't have to agree with him or his style, but the fact remains that America has come a long way...The fundamental problem is that there are certain people who seek a "permanent revolution." Today's "progressive" becomes tomorrow's "reactionary," who is then sent off to Madame Guillotine...If a chap named Louis thinks he is really Louella, I say "let 'm be." But such does not give him the right to be the Lady High Executioner.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The idea that you cannot offend anyone or else you cause them “harm” is a crock. I take it that because the Left has politicized the culture ridicule is only allowed towards those not on their side. Or perhaps by someone on their side towards someone higher up on the victim hierarchy they have established via their conceptions of oppression and intersectionality. This is allowed in order to put the offender back in their place within the hierarchy. Here again we have the idea that equity can be achieved through selective treatment of individuals based on their identity and not on their character. It’s a cognitively dissonant mess of an ideology.

How anyone believes that stifling comedy by placing it within the realm of their ideology will lead to better outcomes is a mystery. It’s just Maoist re-education. You would think that an entertainment company would be a bastion of free speech- but I would not be surprised if they, and or Chappell, fold within the next few weeks.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

I wonder why they get a pass?

They didn’t get a pass - did you see how they were forced to back down from directly parodying Muhammad?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Jacko

Don't like it, don't watch, especially if you're easily offended. Chapelle has been doing this for years and only now he gets called out by the snowflakes.

Exactly. There are a ton of comedians, media news hosts, celebrities, politicians, etc, etc. that I don't like what they say or stand for, so I don't watch or follow them. Simple. Freedom of speech.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

If woke activists have their way, comedy is dead. Well, unless one takes dark humour and looks at the activists themselves.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Once upon a time if you didnt like something you turned off the TV, radio or whatever.

Why is that so difficult now? I cant understand these babies.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Once upon a time if you didnt like something you turned off the TV, radio or whatever. 

Why is that so difficult now? I cant understand these babies.

Because the Left doesn’t tolerate dissent from their orthodoxy. This is a fight for control of the culture and for what is allowed to be discussed in public. Freedom of speech, and even thought, is at stake. They ridicule the very idea of freedom unless it comes to abortion.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Everbodys lives matter.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Because the Left doesn’t tolerate dissent from their orthodoxy. This is a fight for control of the culture and for what is allowed to be discussed in public. Freedom of speech, and even thought, is at stake. They ridicule the very idea of freedom unless it comes to abortion.

You know whats interesting in leftist circles? They push hard on vaccine mandates. They think they have the right to force people to put something into their bodies they dont want on the pretence that if you dont, death is sure to follow. Meanwhile, the death rate for Covid is somewhere between 1% - 3% for most countries.

And yet for abortion, its 100% death rate for the foetus every single time. Not 1%, not 3%, but 100%.

So my question is - If the left is so very concerned about human life, where are they so supportive of very loose abortion laws? I cant get my head around that moral hypocrisy.

Do you want to protect life or not? Now if you wanted vaccine mandates and strict abortion laws, that makes sense, but in all honesty, I have very little patience for leftists that want vaccine mandates and yet, in the same breath, say of course abortion should be widely available

There attitude can be summed up as follows

Abortion - "My body my choice!"

Vaccination - "Your body my choice!"

The hypocrisy is absolutely stark.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I thought it was a good show. He stated his opinions and he’s entitled to that. I don’t think this would have gotten so out control if the CEO didn’t run his mouth about about a lesbian, autistic, Aussie comedian in his tweets. As a gay white woman I didn’t find it very offensive or divisive. I cannot say the same about some of the commenters on here. Some people are just scared of other perspectives or think they’re correct for spouting right wing rhetoric.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Matt HartwellOct. 24 09:19 am JST

And yet for abortion, its 100% death rate for the foetus every single time. Not 1%, not 3%, but 100%.

So my question is - If the left is so very concerned about human life, where are they so supportive of very loose abortion laws? I cant get my head around that moral hypocrisy.

So very true! Unfortunately some people (the left) don't think a human fetus is actually a human. They would rather give more concern to someone like Charles Manson who murdered people, than to a future child that never hurt anyone. Millions of dollars were spent on Manson when the money should have gone to the families of the victims. With the left, the victims of crime have no value. Ronald Reagan said it well when he said: “I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.”

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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