this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2024
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Dave Chappelle’s Obsession With Mocking Trans People Continues in New Netflix Special ‘The Dreamer’: ‘I Love Punching Down’ (variety.com)
submitted 11 months ago by Klaatu to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 37 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

What's interesting is that I can't even take this comment at face value, without further context. Is this a well-thought observation from the POV of a trans person who is intimately aware of their struggle in a broader context? Does this commenter understand the nature of comedy, or more specifically, Dave Chappelle, more deeply than I do? Can I add my opinion to this heated subject being a CIS male who is also a minority? Does any of the aforementioned even matter?

What I can say is that I've liked certain parts of his comedy. When it hits it's incredible. When it doesn't I feel like I'm watching 80s Eddie Murphy again.

While I believe that anyone and anything is fair game in comedy, I don't believe that how he's done it towards trans people has been in pursuit of comedy. In his previous specials it came across as shallow othering without the nuance that comes from actually seeing the subject as human. There's no payoff.

It just reminds me of my upbringing where gay (and queer) bashing for the sake of itself was normal. At this point in my life I'd rather continue distancing myself from that stuff than try to read between the lines.

Edit: to the OP, I'm not attacking your observation or character.