Is Dave Chappelle Uncancellable?

The internet can be an incredibly judgmental place, and in recent years, judgement has only increased, especially towards high-profile celebrities. Not many people can be considered “uncancellable,” but Dave Chappelle may have just survived one of the harshest backlashes of 2021. 

In early October, Chappelle released his most recent stand-up comedy special on Netflix titled The Closer. In the special, Chappelle made some jokes about the LGBT community that sparked a lot of controversy from the community and their supporters. The transgender community was the most vocal, expressing their outrage about the special’s content and Netflix’s support of the special. 

According to the Washington Post, Netflix’s CEO, Ted Sarandos, expressed his support of the special stating, “Our members enjoy it, and it’s an important part of our content offering.”

It seemed that Chappelle had his back against the wall and that his career was done for, after all, few people have been able to keep their popularity and career intact after upsetting the LGBT community. Chappelle, however, managed to not only survive the controversy, but also profit off of it quite comfortably.

Chappelle set out on a limited national tour to promote his documentary Untitled, which was produced during the pandemic. Chappelle claimed that this documentary would set the record straight and determine if he was indeed the awful, insensitive person the LGBT community suggested him to be. 

The 11-city tour ended in his hometown of Washington, D.C., in Capital One Arena to a sold-out crowd on Nov. 23. The show provided a screening of his documentary, a musical performance from his dear friend Erykah Badu, and a small stand-up set after the conclusion of the documentary. Phone use was prohibited during the event, and phones were locked up in Yondr pouches upon entry (small, lockable pouches to prevent access to cell phones during the show). 

Chappelle’s documentary was filmed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in his current residence of Yellow Springs, Ohio. Like many small towns, Yellow Springs was feeling the devastating economical effects of the pandemic. Chappelle’s documentary demonstrated how he sprung into action and hosted stand-up comedy shows on a nightly basis in a corn field to bolster his small town’s economy. Not only did Chappelle and his team follow COVID-19 guidelines with social distancing and rapid testing, but the small businesses in Yellow Springs began to see increased foot traffic due to his shows. 

Untitled unequivocally portrayed Chappelle as not only a caring member of his community, but incapable of being the awful and inconsiderate person he was described to be. The sold-out crowd roared with laughter and genuine enjoyment was felt throughout the arena for the five plus hour event. Despite the enormous amount of internet hate, Chappelle’s therapy, in the form of comedy, was still greatly needed and appreciated in these unprecedented times. 

Although Chappelle may have taken a huge blow to his career with his recent special, he has proven that he is, in fact, uncancellable.