Last week, Dave Chappelle drew backlash for continuing his pattern of making derogatory jokes about transgender people in his Netflix special The Closer, but for now the streamer’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos is standing by his cash cow. In an internal memo obtained by Variety, Sarandos vowed not to pull the special from Netflix, citing creative freedom. He also stated that the stand-up special doesn’t cross the company’s “line on hate” and delineated the “different standard of speech” that applies to stand-up compared to what is allowed internally. “Chapelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long standing deal with him,” wrote Sarandos. “His last special Sticks & Stones, also controversial, is our most watched, stickiest, and most award winning stand-up s...
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Lester Cohen / Courtesy of Netflix Dave Chappelle is returning to Netflix with yet another new comedy special, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. With everything going on in the world and all the divisions creating havoc on our society, we could definitely use a good laugh while getting some good insight on how comically bad things have gotten thus far. Enter Dave Chappelle. Dubbed The Closer, the new stand-up special is set to stream on Netflix this October 5 and will surely give us OG Chappelle fans what we need: laughter. “Comedians have a responsibility to speak recklessly,” Dave says in the trailer. “Sometimes the funniest thing to say is mean. Remember, I’m not saying it to be mean: I’m saying it because it’s funny.” Yes, more of that energ...
Dave Chappelle is here to rescue you from your existential dread — or, at least he’s going to try. Today, the renowned comedian has unveiled the trailer for The Closer, his new Netflix standup special, just ahead of its release on October 5th. “Comedians have a responsibility to speak recklessly,” Chappelle says in the trailer’s first seconds. “Sometimes, the funniest thing to say is mean. Remember: I’m not saying it to be mean, I’m saying it because it’s funny.” Billed as Chappelle’s “sixth chapter” — meaning his sixth Netflix special overall — The Closer follows 2019’s Sticks & Stones. See the trailer for The Closer below. Chappelle’s 2021 so far has been mind-boggling, to say the least. Back in June, he joined Foo Fighters onstage at Madison Square Garden fo...
Lyrics to the Foo Fighters’ opening aural salvo summed up a historic night and extraordinary experience: “It’s times like these you learn to live again.” The setting was Madison Square Garden, the occasion? NYC’s first full capacity arena concert since COVID-19 lockdowns began in March 2020. There was audience speculation about New York-centric guests along the lines of a Billy Joel, and murmurs of why an artist with area ties like KISS or Bruce Springsteen didn’t reopen the World’s Most Famous Arena. That said, it was immediately clear that the Foo Fighters were the perfect choice for New Yorkers to celebrate the city’s reopening with a much-welcomed infusion of communal energy, camaraderie and joy. The group’s consummately crafted arena rock stylings are classic – and now 26 years since ...
Dave Chappelle and the Foo Fighters are pals, that much we saw last year during their appearance on Saturday Night Live together. But at Foo Fighters’ show at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, the first 100% capacity show in New York State since the pandemic, they took things to another level. The comedian joined the band in a surprise performance to cover Radiohead’s “Creep.” Chappelle, who was in town for the Tribeca Film Festival and the premiere of his documentary, has sung the ’90s classic in the past, in particular with John Mayer. Check out Chappelle and the Foos’ performance below. [embedded content] Ahead of the show, just like the show in Agoura Hills last Tuesday, the Foo Fighters were met by protests by anti-vaxxers (including actor Ricky Schroeder) but it didn’t...
Foo Fighters hit the stage at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night for the first full-capacity arena concert since the beginning of the pandemic. Stay tuned for our full recap, but we couldn’t help but share one of the evening’s biggest highlights: Dave Chappelle joining Foo Fighters for a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep”. Chappelle has sang Radiohead’s “Creep” live many times over the years, including once with Bradley Cooper and Lenny Kravitz, and another time with John Mayer. But as he was already in New York for the premiere of his new documentary, Chappelle couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join Foo Fighters for a surprise performance at the World’s Most Famous Arena. Watch fan-captured footage below. Next up for Foo Fighters is the release of their debut disco album as the Dee Gees on...
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-06-09T02:41:55+00:00“>June 8, 2021 | 10:41pm ET Summerfest has announced Dave Chappelle is closing out its second weekend, making him the first comedian to headline the Milwaukee festival’s main stage. He will appear at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on September 11th. The venue first opened as the Marcus Amphitheatre in 1987 and underwent a $53 million renovation last year. There hasn’t been a standup comedy headliner throughout its entire 34-year history. Tickets for Chappelle’s headlining performance go on sale on June 11th at Ticketmaster. They also include admission to Summerfest for the day of the show. However, people who already have day passes are required to pu...
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-06-04T16:55:10+00:00“>June 4, 2021 | 12:55pm ET Last year, Dave Chappelle surprise dropped a new special called 8:46 on YouTube following the murder of George Floyd. Now, he has teamed up with Jack White’s Third Man Records to release it on a limited edition red, black, and green vinyl. Only 846 copies are available. Side A contains the nearly 30-minute special, which was recorded on June 6th at his home in Yellow Springs, Ohio amidst his invite-only, socially distanced gigs. The B-Side features poet Amir Sulaiman’s performance of “My Insides Out” and “We Must Win,” also recorded in Ohio. The vinyl also includes 8 minutes and 46 minutes of silence — the exact length of time Min...