- Dave Chappelle is an American comedian
- His material has been controversial in recent times
- THIS is what he said about the current war in Gaza
It seems Chappelle can't stop upsetting people these days. Comedy is meant to hit at hard places, but many are asking if Chappelle is now going too far! 'The Wall Street Journal' reports that the comedian aired his views during his performance at the TD Garden Arena in Boston, during which he condemned Hamas attacks of October 7th, and also slammed Israel’s bombing of Gaza. In other words, there are no good guys here!
They also report that Chappelle also said the US was guilty of aiding the slaughter of innocent civilians, and said war crimes were occurring. Chappelle went on to criticize the Israeli government for cutting off supplies to Gaza’s population, and blocking humanitarian aid. He concluded by saying that two wrongs don’t make a right, which has been an argument made by thousands over the years. But it still rubbed many the wrong way.
Dave just can't get it right on this one
The murmurs started when a member of the audience told Chappelle to shut up after he said he didn’t think people should lose their jobs for supporting Palestinians, according to the paper. But Dave responded. A witness added, "He tore into the person who shouted out and didn’t hold back on his thoughts about Israel. He said things that others might consider controversial, but that’s what made it all the more powerful. He compared the silence around discussing Israel to the inability to speak freely about transgender issues. It was a gut-punch of truth and honesty."
Further up in the conversation, a second audience member clarified that the person who yelled might not have been directing their aggression at Chappelle at all. The Redditor clarified that his friend was the person who yelled, but that he was yelling at fellow audience members.
"From what he told me the girls had been a distraction for quite some time. Apparently they left and at the point he yelled at them had returned and were being a problem again. The girls were loud and annoying to the point that he couldn’t hear what Dave was talking about , he said they were fighting. He was so fed up with them that he yelled at them to STFU," they said.
According to the second person, Chappelle mistakenly thought that he was being yelled at. After discussing the matter with security, the man who yelled said he and his wife were allowed to remain at the show. 'The Wall Street Journal' reported, "An audience member’s command for the comedian to shut up drew an emotional response from Chappelle, who criticized the Israeli government for cutting off water and other essentials to Gaza and accused it of killing innocent people, according to the attendees."
More than 4,300 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict as the Israel Defense Forces have relentlessly pummeled the enclave with more than 6,000 bombs. Those dead include women and children, according to Palestinian authorities.
Other members of the audience cheered and shouted "Free Palestine!" while others shot back "What about Hamas?!", witnesses told the outlet, echoing other demonstrations around the globe. But is it all even true?
Comedy isn't free of politics anymore
Bizarrely, the 'Daily Mail' reports that Chappelle had asserted, through a spokesperson, that he was not in Boston on Thursday evening, but other spectators have come forward with reports of what he said. "The audience was cheering Chappelle on during his tirade. I was sick. We were sick. I turned to my friends and wife and said I think it is time to go," a witness told 'TWSJ'
"We walked out and met up with many other Jews leaving the show. Never in my life have I felt so unsafe and so fearful of what I was witnessing."
It is by no means the first time Chappelle has experienced controversy for his words. In 2022, his Netflix comedy special trigged complaints from the streamer’s own staff for his comments on the trans community. Netflix refused to pull the show from its platform, saying it was committed to upholding free speech.
Also interesting:
The world is getting crazier...
Chappelle, who had converted to Islam, was accused in the past of antisemitism, including in his SNL monologue last year, when he backed antisemitic posts made by Kanye West and Kyrie Irving and said "if you had some kind of issue, you might go out to Hollywood and start connecting some kind of lines and you could maybe adopt the illusion that Jews run show business. It’s not a crazy thing to think," he said. "But it’s a crazy thing to say out loud."
As a result to Thursday's events, 'TWSJ' says some in the crowd got up and left the show. Like many comedians, Chappelle requires that phones are locked away during his performances. A spokesperson for Chappelle told the Wall Street Journal that he "denies being in Boston last night."
