Dave Chappelle Has A New Netflix Special, And He Goes In When Discussing Racial And Social Issues

The Washington Post / The Washington Post via Getty Images

The five specials were all shot in different locations — “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” “The Age of Spin,” “Equanimity,” “The Bird Revelation,” and “Sticks and Stones” — and all carried Chappelle’s signature style of honesty and comedy. The series of specials earned Chappelle three straight Grammy wins for Best Comedy Album.

Comedy Central / ©Comedy Central/Courtesy Everett Collect / Everett Collection

The “Black Bush” skit is a standout piece of work because it highlights the disparity in politics and race in one stroke. The “Mad Real World” episode was also a precious piece of art. It showed how television framed people of color in certain environments by flipping the situation.

Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for FF

The Closer caps off the best comedy special run of all time, and it’s packed with gems. The veteran tackles several social issues that are relevant now more than ever. And he caps the special off with a truly heartbreaking story. Here are the 10 ways that Dave Chappelle’s latest special nails social issues in America today.

 🚨Spoilers Ahead🚨 for The Closer

Donald Bowers / Getty Images

Chappelle jokes about choosing the “third best option” when it comes to vaccines. “I’ll have what the homeless people are having,” he quips. The ongoing public debate between the three vaccines has definitely caused some interesting conversations around the nation. Despite the laughs, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has proven effective, and you can find more information here. 

Paras Griffin / Getty Images for BET

After joking about having a pretty negative view of feminism, Chappelle admits that the textbook definition is actually something he agrees with. Oxford defines feminism as, “the belief and aim that women should have the same rights and opportunities as men.” This shouldn’t even be a controversial take to begin with. 

Lester Cohen / WireImage / Getty Images

Chappelle tells a potent story that really hit the nail on the head in relation to a specific disparity in America. The comedian tells the audience about a time he got into an altercation with a large gay man, and how the situation almost escalated to a physical fight. However, the man ended up calling the police on Chappelle. “Gay people are minoirities until they need to be white again,” he jokes. 

Noel Vasquez / Getty Images for Hennessey

By now, everyone has read about DaBaby’s insensitive and ignorant comments regarding the LGBTQ community and those who have AIDS. His erroneous assumption that these groups belong in the same sentence is the seed of the issue, which grew into an enormous moment of cancellation. 

Chappelle highlights that DaBaby shot and killed a man in a Walmart in North Carolina and had little to no consequence; however, his controversial comments nearly ended his career.  While admitting that DaBaby said things that even he would never utter, Chappelle cleverly exposes the peculiar circumstance of not being punished for killing, but being canceled for ignorant comments. “In our country, you can shoot and kill, but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings,” he jokes. 

Bamlou / Getty Images

Chappelle claims he supported the #MeToo movement in spirit; however, the performance activists really got under his skin. “I want everybody to wear crochet pussy hats so they know we’re serious,” he declares, in a mimicking tone. Chappelle also touches on how groups of women went to the Golden Globes wearing black as a sticking point.

He then pivots and hits back at the actors who have given him grief for his jokes about the #MeToo movement. Chappelle reminds the audience that he walked away from $50 million for his beliefs, while many of these performative activists in Hollywood won’t even fire their agents for their causes. 

Catherine Mcqueen / Getty Images

“No American should have to present a birth certificate to take a shit at a Walmart in Greensboro, North Carolina, where DaBaby shot and killed a motherfucker.” Preach, Dave. Preach. 

Photo By: Priscilla Grant/Everett Collection

Chappelle contracted COVID-19, but luckily remained asymptomatic. “I’m the Magic Johnson of coronavirus,” he proclaimed.

There’s a very big national debate about asymptomatic COVID-19 patients and the severity and strength of different strains. Without getting too preachy or political, Chappelle touches on vaccinations and contracting the virus in a way that is relatable. For more information on vaccines, head here. 

Urbazon / Getty Images

Chappelle discusses how Sojourner Truth had to fight to have a voice in the women’s rights movement because she was Black. The majority of the women, who were white, instructed her to remain silent and docile in an effort to separate abolitionism from feminism. Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” speech was inspired by this struggle.

Jena Ardell / Getty Images

The acclimation to using pronouns to properly classify ourselves has become a controversial topic in America. Chappelle delicately acknowledges this with a joke where he claims that someone came up to him and said, “Careful, Dave, they after you,” to which he responded, “One they, or many theys?” 

Jason Miller / Getty Images

I heard Chappelle tell this same story when I saw him live in Las Vegas on 4th of July weekend. In short, Daphne was a trans woman who befriended Chappelle. She was a comedian who had a dark sense of humor and brought light and wisdom with her wherever she went. It sounds like she and Chappelle were cut from the same cloth. He calls her one of his people, and a true comedian in her soul.

Tragically, Daphne died by suicide just weeks after she received a shoutout from Dave Chappelle in his 2019 Netflix special, Sticks and Stones. He reflects on his friendship with Daphne in a moving monologue and really brings to light the struggle of all humans, our learned responses from our environments, and the importance of mental health.