Dave Chappelle

I miss Dave Chappelle.  Recently, I caught an old episode of his TV show and remembered all over again just how funny that guy is.  Not was, is.  There is no way that he isn't still hilarious and it's a shame that we can't embrace his comedy today.  Do you remember how funny Half Baked is?  Apologies to Dazed and Confused and The Big Lebowski, but it's easily the funniest stoner comedy ever made.  Those other two are funny, but I honestly wouldn't categorize them as comedies.

But who's fault is it that he has become a recluse?  The answer is us.  "Us!?!" you say.  Yes, us.  Let me explain.  My brother used to work "security" at university events when he was in college (I think that meant he stood around and enjoyed the shows he worked).  One of those events was Dave Chappelle stand-up.  He told me that while Dave was doing his stand-up, drunk idiots would shout "I'm Rick James, Bitch!" the ENTIRE time.  He literally couldn't get a joke out without some dumb frat boy yelling one of Dave's catchphrases from his TV show.  And this happened at every single event he held, which literally drove him insane and we haven't heard from him since.

What is he doing today?  Well, he is still doing stand-up and sadly, he is still getting the same result.  I found this little blurb in a recent article:

"Unfortunately, things did not go so well at the August 29th show in Hartford Connecticut. Unruly fans interrupted the show and were making so much noise that Dave stopped his act and read a book. After 25 minutes, he walked off the stage and left an angry crowd booing. In defense of Chappelle's irritation with the crowd, it was reported in a LaughSpin article that it was primarily the Hartford audience's fault, stating that Chappelle had politely asked the crowd to stop making noise, but the hecklers continued. Their refusal to calm down made it impossible for Chappelle to go on with his act."

Yup, we are still not allowing Dave to come back to us.  Get off his back and let him do his thing, people.  I miss him and I know I'm not the only one.