Dave Chappelle refuses to be cancelled | TheHill – The Hill

When the social media mob and some in traditional media come to cancelanyone (usually those on the political right),the reaction often results in an apology from that person. And that apology is primarily driven not by remorsebut byfear.

Thankfully,in the name of all that is sane and sober, Dave Chappelle themost fearless comedian of the 21st century,and certainly no conservative is pushing back on attempts to cancel him.Why did he become a target? His comedy isdeemedtoo offensive, too farover the line, no laughing matter, because heridicules trans-people along with just about every other group in America today in"The Closer,"his latest Netflixspecial.The 48-year-old Emmy-winner also had the audacity to defend "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, anothertarget of woke warriors on social mediabecause of her views on gender identity.

"Theycanceled J.K. Rowling my God, hesaid. "Effectively, she said gender was a fact, the trans community got mad as (expletive), they started calling her a TERF," an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.

Im Team TERF. I agree. I agree, man. Gender is a fact, headded.

Those and othercommentsprovoked abacklash, most notablyfromJaclyn Moore, who publicly announced her decision to leave Netflix after serving as the executive producer of the streaming giant's "Dear White People."

"I love so many of the people Ive worked with at Netflix, shetweeted after detailing her own gender transition in a passionate post. Brilliant people and executives who have been collaborative and fought for important art, Moore continued. [But] I will not work with them as long as they continue to put out and profit from blatantly and dangerously transphobic content.

CNN, perhapspredictably, jumped into the mix, too,with severalon-airsegments on the matter, including onethat attemptedto indict Chappelle for future transgender fatalities while featuring guests urging a boycott of Netflix.

"Let's talk about the data and the harm that you're noting because the National Black Justice Coalition says that this year, quote. 'is on track to be the deadliest year on record for transgender people in the United States and the majority of whom are black transgender people.' What do you think needs to be done to address that," guest anchor Boris Sanchez asked Lina Bradford, a transgender D.J. andactress.

"People might want to look into where it is youre getting your content from, Bradford replied. You know, dont go to comedians and maybe not give your money to a conglomerate that's very insensitive to a community, but yet okay to take that coin."

An opinion piece from the network also somehow tied Chappelle to who else? Donald TrumpDonald TrumpTrump goes after Cassidy after saying he wouldn't support him for president in 2024 Jan. 6 panel lays out criminal contempt case against Bannon Hillicon Valley Presented by Xerox Agencies sound alarm over ransomware targeting agriculture groups MORE.

"That's not to say Chappelle doesn't have a right to run his mouth," writes @claycane. "It cuts both ways, but it's critical to remember that unlike the communities who bear the brunt of his jokes, Chappelle is in no way powerless. https://t.co/V6uaYpOBPD

On cue, NPR and GLAADspoke out as well.

Dave Chappelle's brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities. Negative reviews and viewers loudly condemning his latest special is a message to the industry that audiences don't support platforming anti-LGBTQ diatribes. We agree. https://t.co/yOIyT54819

NBC News reported that Chappelle was facing "swift backlash" for the routine, with said swift backlash coming from random tweets from random people with relatively few followers. The Spectator's Stephen MillerStephen MillerDave Chappelle refuses to be cancelled White House orders release of Trump records to Jan. 6 committee Far-left bullies resort to harassing, shaming Kyrsten Sinema it won't work MORE, anastute observer of media, argued (correctly) that the news organizationwas"searching for outrage" to create a story.

The story cites 3 tweets, one from an account they call "a Twitter user" with 200 followers.

If a news story simply cites you as "one twitter user said.." your opinion isn't newsworthy. It's irrelevant.

Facebook is not the problem https://t.co/R8f3xFtieo

If a news outlet cites "one Twitter user said.." that is NBC going and searching for outrage. That is the journalist searching for any random account upset about Chappelle. That is NBC attempting to create a story where there isn't one. Facebook. Is. Not. The. Problem.

Instead of apologizing, or groveling, ortrying to appease a mob only interested in ending careers.Chappelle is pushing back in Chappelle-esquefashion. "If this is what being canceled is like, I love it. I don't know what to tell you, except I'm a bad mother-(expletive)," he declared during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl in L.A., earning a standing ovation in the process.

F Twitter. F NBC News, ABC News, all these stupid-ass networks, he reportedly said. Im not talking to them. Im talking to you. This is real life.

Netflix is standing by its star.

Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long-standing deal with him, Netflix's co-CEO TedSarandos wrote. His last special Sticks & Stones, also controversial, is our most-watched, stickiest and most award-winning stand-up special to date.

As with our other talent, we work hard to support their creative freedom even though this means there will always be content on Netflix some people believe is harmful, Sarandos continued.

Here's a bet: There won't be any mass cancellation of Netflix accounts. In fact, Netflix will likely gain subscriptions, becausewhat's hot or trending on Twitter calling for boycotts and cancellations look much worse than they everreallyare. The outrage comes and goes like the tide. The outrage is sound and fury, usually signifying nothing.

Another all-timecomedygreat and star of the best TV show ever, JerrySeinfeld, warned about political correctness destroyingcomedy back in 2015. "They just want to use these words Thats racist.' Thats sexist, Thats prejudice. They dont even know what the fk theyre talking about," Seinfeld told ESPN.

I have no interest in gender or race or anything like that," he later added. "But everyone else is kind of, with their calculating isthis the exact right mix? I think thats, to me, its anti-comedy. Its more about PC-nonsense.

Bingo.

Netflix is standing by Chappelle. Chappelle is blistering his critics.

Good for them.To both, nothing is considered too politically incorrect. Or out of bounds.

That's kinda the point of comedy.

But in 2021, we have "right" speech and "wrong"speech determined by the judge and jury that is the Twitter mob and traditional media.Now that's comedy, albeit of the unintentional variety.

A line has to be drawnsomewherein this craziness that is cancel culture. Thisappears to be it.

JoeConchais a media and politics columnist for The Hill and a Fox News contributor.

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Dave Chappelle refuses to be cancelled | TheHill - The Hill