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In an Age of Chappelles, Be a Maron
Don’t insist on insulting. Evolve with your time and your art.
Short disclaimer: this isn’t a review of Chappelle’s new special. I haven’t watched it, and I don’t intend to. Many people have, and they’ve written excellent takes on this platform both for and against it.
Me not watching it is not a protest, I just don’t enjoy watching comedians who insist on complaining about their right to be offensive. It’s not edgy, it’s boring, and there’s really no need for me to watch comedy just to feel disappointed.
Now, I do find it disappointing if Chappelle is turning into just another old man screaming at the television.
Chappelle was great. The best, even. His comedy genius is undeniable, and I’ve always liked him, starting when I was a teenager in Finland watching the Chappelle show. I probably didn’t even get half the jokes, but I understood there was something different about him. I rewatched the show again this year on Netflix, and I’ve seen all his previous specials on the platform. I got a good enough taste of what his offensive jokes were the last time he decided to speak about the trans community.
This is just to say I’m not here to tell you The Closer is bad, because I have no idea whether it is or not. I’m also not trying to give anybody…
