Dave Chappelle might want to reconsider some of his new material before hosting Saturday Night Live next week.
During a surprise set at New York comedy club The Cutting Room, the comedian launched a series of attacks against Hillary Clinton, leaving Friday’s crowd stunned, according to the Observer. Chappelle also apparently praised Donald Trump, calling the Republican presidential candidate “The Terminator” for his staying power in spite of the video leak that nearly derailed his campaign.
In Chappelle’s eyes, it was Hillary herself who leaked the tape, which according to him is reason enough not to vote for her. He compared it to having Halle Berry pass gas during sex. “I’m still going to go for it,” Chappelle said. “But I wish she hadn’t done that thing.”
The portion of Chappelle’s act that could inspire the most backlash came when he defended the comments Trump made in the infamous video, and dismissed the allegations that followed. “Sexual assault? It wasn’t. He said, ‘And when you’re a star, they let you do it.’ That phrase implies consent,” Chappelle argued. “I just don’t like the way the media twisted that whole thing. Nobody questioned it.”
Chappelle went on to call Trump “the most gangsta candidate ever” for his performance in the second debate when he admitted that he avoided paying taxes. “They asked him how he knows the system is rigged and he said, ‘Because I take advantage of it.’ He may as well have flashed his membership card for the Illuminati right then,” Chappelle said.
What made Friday's outburst even more bizarre is the fact that Chappelle himself voted for Clinton, but admitted that he didn't “feel good” about it because her behavior hasn’t been “coin-worthy.” Chappelle proceeded to put his foot further into his mouth by implying that women’s rights, gay rights, and transgender rights are somehow less important than the rights of black people.
"They should not be having that conversation in front of black people,” he said of rights activists. “You go ahead and feel something about your rights. But if you’re putting sexism and homophobia and transphobia in front of racism, you should be ashamed of yourself.”
There have been conflicting reports from Chappelle's stand-up last night. One writer notes on Twitter he actually wasn't defending Trump. Another user says that we should consider the Observer's credibility.
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According to TMZ, Chappelle is reportedly unhappy with the Observer's insinuation that he's pro-Trump, and that the original article failed to mention that he went after the Republican nominee multiple times over the course of his 60-minute set.
There’s no telling yet if or how Friday’s comments will affect Chappelle’s reception when he takes the stage at studio 8H on Nov. 12, that is, if he takes the stage at all. “You know there’s a pool going on whether or not I show up,” he said of the hugely anticipated gig. “I got $100,000 that says I won’t.”
After Friday’s rant, that might not be such a bad thing.
