Dave Chappelle is back!
The popular comic released a pair of comedy specials Tuesday on Netflix. The performances are part of a three-special deal that the comic inked with the streaming service.
Chappelle, who walked away from a $50 million deal with Comedy Central nearly a decade ago had been absent from the spotlight since his decision. It came as a surprise to many that Chappelle agreed to host Saturday Night Live this past November. What was not a surprise is how funny the comedian was.
Having returned to the spotlight with the two specials, the funnyman seems right at home.
Many in St. Louis, including myself, caught Chappelle at the Pageant early in 2016 for a rare stand-up appearance.
Some of the more memorable bits from the Austin show include Chappelle talking about the four times he met O.J. Simpson, which leads to his comparison of celebrity and race in regards to American Crime Story: The People V. O.J. Simpson.
Both shows were taped before the 2016 presidential election, so neither touches at all on Donald Trump’s race-baiting.
So, what makes the specials work? Quite honestly, it’s Chappelle himself that makes the specials go. The comic is heads and tails above most performers in the game today. No one sounds like him, which allows him to separate himself from the pack. He talks about Bill Cosby, Bruce Jenner, and goes deep into his quarrel with those who accuse him of homophobia.
With the release of The Age of Spin and Deep in the Heart of Texas, audiences still have another special to look forward to later this year. Let’s hope that while the pair of newly released performances are grade A material, the best is yet to come from the sometimes misunderstood, but never scared to speak his mind, Dave Chappelle.
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