The 5 Biggest Takeaways From Dave Chappelle's Joe Rogan Interview

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In December of 2019, Rogan expressed doubts about whether or not Chappelle would ever appear on the popular podcast. “Chappelle is an interesting one cause he and I have talked about it. And he’s like, ‘I’ll do it sometime. But I don’t know,’” Rogan stated. “I get it, man. You say enough with your comedy.” It seems Chappelle is a guy Rogan has wanted for quite a bit. The excitement Rogan has when Chappelle shows up is genuine, and it’s cool to see the host land a much sought-after guest—even if it was only for a bit.

Chappelle certainly had plenty to say about COVID-19. "I've never seen this before," Chappelle state. "You've never seen something as large as the American economy stop and then start back up. But it's a global phenomenon. It's not like it's just happening to us. We're just handling it terribly." 

The comedian also spoke about what it was like to do shows in the immediate wake of the virus gaining significant traction in the States. “The last night we [Chappelle and Rawlings] were on tour, in Milwaukee. It was the last night between shows—it’s a two-show night—and the energy had changed. It went from festive to people looking worried when I got off stage,” he said. “Tom Hanks had had it. The one NBA player who touched all the mics [Rudy Gobert] had had it. And the horn starts ringing that they’re gonna shut the country down. I literally go, ‘That’s impossible.’”

Chappelle states that when he went out to do the second show, his “behavior changed almost immediately” in how he interacted with the assembled crowd. It was interesting,” he concluded.

During an extended conversation about a trip Chappelle took to Alaska, the comedian spoke about how Alaskans often end up purchasing solar lights to place indoors during the winter. The UV lights provide sunlight during a period when it’s almost always dark outside. Chappelle then mentions the 2002 remake of Insomnia. One of Christopher Nolan’s earlier works, the movie features Robin Williams and Al Pacino. Later in the show, Chappelle also mentions watching Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood. This leads us to ask: is Dave Chappelle secretly a huge cinephile? What other movies does Chappelle like or have takes on? Is he an avid viewer of Turner Classic Movies? Does he have his own collection of Criterion Blu-Rays? The people need to know, Dave!

It certainly sounds like Chappelle was getting close to finishing his current material. Towards the end of the podcast, the comedian said that he was considering returning to Rogan’s home city of Austin, TX, closer towards the end of the year for a few weeks’ worth of shows. “Boy, I was close,” Chappelle said when referring to his most recent act. While he doesn’t get much more of a chance to elaborate, it appears fans might be on the verge of getting a new special sooner rather than later.

Since Chappelle only dropped in for the last hour of the show, there wasn’t much time for Rogan and the comedian to get into things. Even during the time Chappelle was on, most of the conversation focused on COVID-19 vaccines and Rogan’s hobbies. However, Chappelle stated that “after the inauguration,” he’d return to do a full episode. While there’s still plenty here to make watching it worthwhile, it looks like the bulk of the real deep dive will have to wait until next time. But Chappelle seems keen to follow through, stating, “We’ll do the damn thing.”