Dave Chappelle Comes Clean On 'Oprah'
February 3, 2006 8:41 PM   Subscribe

Dave Chappelle Comes Clean On 'Oprah' "Chappelle said he left the show, months after signing a $50 million deal for its third and fourth seasons, because he felt manipulated by the people around him."
posted by jne1813 (50 comments total)
 
Point of Order? Doesn't signing a deal kinda mean you can't just walk away?
posted by RavinDave at 8:43 PM on February 3, 2006


Great, more whining millionaires.
posted by baklavabaklava at 8:46 PM on February 3, 2006


Chappelle can be funny at times but he striked me as seriously being able to capitalize on maxing out your niche market via basic cable and then DVD like no other.

His satire can be funny -- but I think he goes for the easy joke 50% of the time -- you know, a puppet singing about his penis infection.....to kids!" Ok Dave, I guess that would be funny.

The basic point about "comics" like Chappelle and Howard Stern is that they thrive off some sort of drama. The drama off "fighting the establishment" and being a radical comic who "not afraid to say anything". The sad thing is, if not for the establishment, order, and standards of decency comics like them could never really exist.

BUT, when they get their money....like Stern for Sirius and Chappelle for his show....(Again, $50 mill for a basic cable show!)......they lose their outsider cred and need to invent battles and tribulations to keep them going.

Capitalism killed that cat. He'll be back, but he might just be wierd.
posted by narebuc at 8:50 PM on February 3, 2006


Point of Order? Doesn't signing a deal kinda mean you can't just walk away?

He's not a slave, just in breach of his contract (subject to the actual terms). It's up to the aggrieved party to claim damages, annul the contract, or do nothing. Comedy Central seems to not really care. Probably because they make a lot more money from his work than he makes from them.
posted by loquax at 8:50 PM on February 3, 2006


He should get $50 million just for "I'm Rick James, Bitch!". Those sketches make me fall out of my chair laughing. Especially with Rick James and Charlie Murphy in them too.

"Cocaine's a helluva drug."
posted by fenriq at 8:56 PM on February 3, 2006


And he should give me $1 for every time I had to hear some moron saying it after it aired.
posted by pmbuko at 9:10 PM on February 3, 2006


I should be paid $3.62 and whatever change in your pocket for reading another celebrity whore thread on Metafilter. /jk
posted by Rothko at 9:17 PM on February 3, 2006


Saying Chappelle is just a 'say anything to offend' type comic is really not doing him justice.

Stuff like the sketch about the blind, black, white supremacist is really thought provoking satire.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 9:24 PM on February 3, 2006


And here I though Oprah was one of the "Dark Crusaders" trying to bring Chappelle down...
posted by feathermeat at 9:29 PM on February 3, 2006


His satire can be funny -- but I think he goes for the easy joke 50% of the time -- you know, a puppet singing about his penis infection.....to kids!" Ok Dave, I guess that would be funny.

Somewhat true, but missing the point. Most comedians go for the easy joke 100% of the time.
posted by j-urb at 9:33 PM on February 3, 2006


*crackle* "Calling Smoking Gun. Come in Smoking Gun. Over." *crackle*
posted by DonnieSticks at 9:34 PM on February 3, 2006


Absolutely furiousxgeorge! Most of his stuff is actually kind of adult-wholesome. His satire is honest, direct, and not particularly mean spirited at all (except for skewering the odd celebrity). The complete opposite of Howard Stern.
posted by Chuckles at 9:34 PM on February 3, 2006


What's with two MTV links on the front page?
posted by 517 at 9:41 PM on February 3, 2006


Dave Chappelle really wishes he never said "I'm Rick James, bitch"

Did you ever notice that the "Best of Season 2" wrapup episode's full name is "Best of Season 2, except for Rick James, bitch."?

Not being able to perform live without having a crowd of hundreds of suburban white-frat-boy idiots shout "I'm Rick James, Bitch!" back at him was a major reason behind his flight from the limelight.

You're not Dave Chappele, and you're not funny.
posted by blasdelf at 9:44 PM on February 3, 2006


blasdelf, shows what you know, I live in a city and never joined a frat! Hahaha.

I don't say "I'm Rick James, Bitch" but I do laugh when he says it. Is that okay?
posted by fenriq at 9:49 PM on February 3, 2006


Two thoughts.
First, how do you react, when you go for c or d list celebrity to suddenly, everyone telling your that you're the most brillant man ever

How many comedians got funnier after they became a 'hit?' Most of them go downhill (unless they have some wild excess/problem such as drugs, to bring back their edge.)

Nobody acts as a filter - everyone laughs at everything you're saying. Are your friends truly your friends?

Second - Every single contract at that level, has clauses about how the contract can be broken.
posted by filmgeek at 10:03 PM on February 3, 2006


I TiVoed the Oprah episode. Chapelle sure persuaded me he was crazy, had a serious chip on his shoulder, and wasn't taking any personal responsibility. The fact that all of his friends were telling him that he wasn't mentally well was evidence of a conspiracy to get him, and thus justified jetting off to Africa without telling his wife and kids. There's an organized conspiracy to make black comedians work in drag. (Because, of course, white comedians never do it.) Uh, yeah.

In answer to filmgeek's second question, Larry David continues to be funny long after he lost any need to make money being funny. George Carlin's a lot funnier now than in his early successful hippy-dippy weatherman days.
posted by commander_cool at 10:16 PM on February 3, 2006


The explosion of every fucking tool doing the Little John "oooohhhkkaayyyy" is a far worse crime than the Rick James one in my book.
posted by afx114 at 10:21 PM on February 3, 2006


he's the perfect age for schizophrenia which he appeared to have some symptoms of from the show. he also didn't deny going to a mental facility in africa
posted by apdato at 10:24 PM on February 3, 2006


everyones schizophrenic! duck!
posted by Satapher at 10:34 PM on February 3, 2006


It's difficult to discuss a comedian's material after he's left standup to do a show. At that point (and he wasn't really a revolutionary standup comedian, just a very funny one who pulled fewer punches than some.) he stops being the sole provider of funny. At that point he has a team of 12+ writers working almost anonymously (in the public eye, that is) to represent "his humor." And all the while they're doing that they work under the whip crack of a network that wants MONEY, BITCH. Every time a brilliant writer comes up with an interesting/new/dangerous/funny idea, some suit comes up to him and says, "That's great, but [crappy movie X] just made 40 million dollars last week by telling midget dick jokes. Try putting some midget dick jokes in." If the writer is green enough he might respond "but that has nothing to do with the central joke of my bit." At this point, the suit will look at him and say, "Look. I see where we're miscommunicating here. Let me put it to you this way. Put in midget dick jokes. Now." And that, as they say, is that.

Sure, Chappele had a lot more creative freedom than most, and could influence the writers and the network to an extent to create a show that represented his view and that he would be proud of. But there's only so much anyone can do, and it may be the fight to do just that that drove him off.

But I'm speculatin'.
posted by shmegegge at 10:34 PM on February 3, 2006


Larry David is actually never more than mildly funny.
posted by stenseng at 10:37 PM on February 3, 2006 [1 favorite]


There's an organized conspiracy to make black comedians work in drag...

I'd blame Flip Wilson, but the devil made him do it.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:37 PM on February 3, 2006


[derail]

George Carlin's a lot funnier now than in his early successful hippy-dippy weatherman days.

I disagree. I think he was riotous during the hippy dippy weatherman, seven words you can't say on television days, and ALSO during his later hbo special in a black shirt days. I also think that he's a lot LESS funny now than he was 15 years ago because he just keeps piling on the type of shtick that worked 15 years ago year after year.

[/derail]

posted by shmegegge at 10:37 PM on February 3, 2006


Good for Dave Chapelle. Having some small experience in show business, if he says he was being manipulated by people around him, he probably was.
posted by slatternus at 11:13 PM on February 3, 2006


I think if someone handed me $50 million and told me I was the funniest guy since Richard Pryor I might go batshit for a little while, too.

I hope he gets back to work on the show. It was one of the few things I really looked forward to watching regularly.

And I'm Wayne Brady, bitch.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:17 PM on February 3, 2006


George Carlin's a lot funnier now than in his early successful hippy-dippy weatherman days.

Actually, I liked Carlin a bit more before he started doing topical humor. A lot of his stuff is timeless simply because he's making fun of human nature and language itself.
posted by Afroblanco at 11:36 PM on February 3, 2006


Oprah is like viagra to crazy.
posted by bardic at 11:44 PM on February 3, 2006


Any comedian who gets a laugh everytime he/she uses the word "bitch" just isn't worth my time. I motion for a "bitch" moritorium. Could there posibly be a more tired word in the English language today?
posted by Neologian at 4:31 AM on February 4, 2006


I think it's time to replace it with cunt, it's more edgy. Larry David mildly amusing? Where's your sense of humour man.
posted by snoktruix at 4:51 AM on February 4, 2006


Dave'll be on "Inside the Actors Studio" with James Lipton on Sun, Feb 12 8:00 PM ET. That should be interesting.
posted by thatweirdguy2 at 5:09 AM on February 4, 2006


Chapelle is out of touch with the real world. Most of us have the same (or greater) stress and manipulation he had, but without the money or the two-year time limit.

On the list of people I feel sorry for, healthy popular young multimillionaires rank quite low.
posted by Jatayu das at 6:27 AM on February 4, 2006


Let's just hope that he doesn't discover Scientology or some other bullshit.
posted by Afroblanco at 7:08 AM on February 4, 2006


I usually refrain from doing this, but for the love of Christ, this thread is filled with judgement, innuendo, and rumors. I'm peronsally acquainted with the Chappelles, and, for the most part, filmgeek has it exactly right. Out of respect for their privacy, I don't feel comfortable providing details beyond that.

I will say that there are a great deal of factual innacuracies running around, like this one:

justified jetting off to Africa without telling his wife and kids.

Dave did go to Africa (though not for as long as you think) but the rest of the statement is less than accurate.

And this:

Chapelle is out of touch with the real world. Most of us have the same (or greater) stress and manipulation he had, but without the money or the two-year time limit.

I can attest that Dave is not "out of touch" with the "real world" and that the odds are extremely high that you have no idea what "the real world" is like for a guy who recieves death threats on a regular basis because of some stuff he said on a comedy cable network.
posted by eustacescrubb at 8:11 AM on February 4, 2006


I watched a little Chapelle Show the first season and wasn't impressed. I forgot about it until I friend was raving about it. I checked the show again and the rerun I saw had the Wayne Brady sketch and I died laughing. But, the show still doesn't seem to deliver enough for me to plan on watching it. With all the controversy though, I might check out the new season whenever that happens.

the odds are extremely high that you have no idea what "the real world" is like for a guy who recieves death threats on a regular basis because of some stuff he said on a comedy cable network.

Given such restrictions, I'm sure the number of people who can attest to such a reality is about 1; maybe more but certainly less than 10. The chances that one of those ten people are MeFites, I would imagine, is about 0%.
posted by effwerd at 8:47 AM on February 4, 2006


$50 million for a half hour sketch comedy = manipulation?!

Now, that's funny.
posted by narebuc at 9:05 AM on February 4, 2006


Jatayu das: On the list of people I feel sorry for, healthy popular young multimillionaires rank quite low.

Good. What made you think that was relevant or interesting?

Most of us have the same (or greater) stress and manipulation he had

Maybe you should consider a career change.. Kind of like what Chapelle did maybe? You probably could you know, if you really wanted to. Before you say it, yes of course it was easier for him - what was that about the real world?
posted by Chuckles at 9:10 AM on February 4, 2006


Also, j-urb -- true -- let's give him credit for being funny at times. Perhaps he realized that (like Seinfeld) that's it's hard to be funny all the time and his large contract and the expectations were too much for him to handle. Seinfeld say no more to one of the best and popular sitcoms in history at its height to avoid devoting a life to, well, "bad humor".

To bring up Larry David -- I feel that it's happening on Curb Your Enthusiasm already -- one episode I recently saw had Larry complaining -- for at least 10 minutes of the show -- to David Schwimmer that his almonds and raisins mix didn't have enough almonds in it. Yikes.
posted by narebuc at 9:10 AM on February 4, 2006


The Rick James sketch was brilliant because it was a funny story to begin with, made all the better since he had actual access to the people involved and the money to re-create the joke.

The AND-1 mix-tape spoof, now that was genius.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:11 AM on February 4, 2006


effwerd said: I checked the show again and the rerun I saw had the Wayne Brady sketch and I died laughing. But, the show still doesn't seem to deliver enough for me to plan on watching it.

What would it take for you to plan to check something out? Actually die while laughing?

I consider the Wayne Brady show the pinnacle of Chappelle's show. It would be impossible to top that show. Ever.
posted by e40 at 4:39 PM on February 4, 2006


Hey! Remember that one Curb Your Enthusiasm where Larry made a mistaken assumption? And then he wouldn't let it go? And he ended up pissing off everyone around him? OH MAN! That was a great episode!!!
posted by jenovus at 4:40 PM on February 4, 2006


The especially cool aspect about the Wayne Brady thing was that it was sort of a rebuttal to Paul Moonie's comments. It's not like he just went and cried to some other media channel, and everything played out in some tacky Inside Edition bullshit; instead, they turned it into another avenue of satire. It also contradicts the disposibility of fame catered to by pump and dump celebrity culture.
posted by evil holiday magic at 5:13 PM on February 4, 2006


The documentary/reality aspect of the Rick James/Charlie Murphy sketch made it funny. Frat boys repeating the 'bitch' line is neither authentic, nor ironic.
posted by evil holiday magic at 5:16 PM on February 4, 2006


To bring up Larry David -- I feel that it's happening on Curb Your Enthusiasm already -- one episode I recently saw had Larry complaining -- for at least 10 minutes of the show -- to David Schwimmer that his almonds and raisins mix didn't have enough almonds in it. Yikes.

I don't get it. That's the same type of comedy that's always been in the show. Seems like a strange example to provide as evidence that it's going downhill. And that was from two seasons ago.
posted by ludwig_van at 7:31 AM on February 5, 2006


How many comedians got funnier after they became a 'hit?' Most of them go downhill (unless they have some wild excess/problem such as drugs, to bring back their edge.)

Well, filmgeek, the Smothers Brothers. The Marx Brothers. Woody Allen. Many others. Fuck, Danny Kaye. Don't smirk: he was one of the greats.

"Edge"? What's "edge"? Why is "edge" a prerequisite for being a good comedian? I think, maybe, that's one of the production problems Chapelle was hinting around at: being forced to do "controversial," "edgy" material when, really, stipulations like that shouldn't be placed on the writing process.

You've touched a nerve with me, I'm afraid to say. The expectation for comedians to be constantly "shocking" is what has bred a whole generation of Lisa Lampinellis and Nick DiPaolos and Colin Quinns and fradulent Bill Hicks...es. Edginess is fine, but only if it's funny.

Let Chappelle do what he wants to do. I mean, I'm a little dubious about his claims of people trying to drug him, and I DO wonder what his relationship is with Neil at this point in time, but come on. He's a funnyman. Let him be funny, without borders and without the constraints of "hipness" or "edginess" or "relevance."

(quoth the angry Nabokovian comedy writer, thinking of VN's famous statement: "Down, Plato, down: good dog," in Strong Opinions, re: social relevance of texts)
posted by ford and the prefects at 2:43 PM on February 5, 2006


To a much lesser extent, the topic of "edginess" in comedy has been discussed ad infinitum in the UK. To whit, the alternative comedy movement of the 1980s created a bunch of comedians who were far more interested in "edgy" comedy than making the mainstream laugh -- at a time when mainstream comedy was by far the most popular thing on British TV.

Fast forward 25 years. The Office is one of the most edgy sitcoms on UK TV and is widely popular - amongst those people who like their comedy edgy. Which isn't everyone. In the meantime, everyone else is desperately scrabbling to find that mainstream comedy audience which has since moved on to become addicted to soap operas and endless crime/hospital dramas instead.

As for the drug thing - if all your friends told you you were a manic depressive and needed to take Prozac, could that not be termed "All my friends were telling me to take drugs". Whether you believe your own brain or your friends, that's a judgement call for yourself.

Now will someone send me a Dave Chappelle DVD so I can see what all the fuss is about? ;-)
posted by badlydubbedboy at 7:51 AM on February 6, 2006


Why is "edge" a prerequisite for being a good comedian?

It's not a prerequisite, but it seems to help. Not "edginess" per-se, but hunger. Something about starving comedians brings out the best in them. Perhaps it's just artists in general, but the only comedians I can think of that continued being successful after their "edge" wore off were the ones that found some schtick to take over so they could run on auto-pilot (George Carlin, Woody Allen), moved to movies where they could have longer to "plan" their funny (Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Robin Williams), or just died before it could ever become an issue (Bill Hicks, Mitch Hedberg, Lenny Bruce, etc.).
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 4:31 PM on February 6, 2006


e40: (I should check back on threads I comment in more often.) What would it take for you to plan to check something out? Actually die while laughing?

Heh, I'm a rough crowd. There just wasn't that much else that made me laugh so much. And as you opine, if that was the show's pinnacle then it won't get any better. But I admitted I might give it another chance. If Comedy Central would keep the show at a regular time, I might have a better chance of getting into it. Hell, if they're having so much success with DVD sales, they might want to consider putting old seasons on iTunes. I'd definitely look into it more then.
posted by effwerd at 6:17 PM on February 6, 2006


Ford,

Let's just say that the 'edge' means that they're hungry, driven and willing to take themselves into new places and push themselves. Oh, and still have a sense of what's funny. Some sort of internal discriminator.

All of them became 'famous' and then their career..."stalled." They stopped trying...and I don't blame them. If I was making that sort of money, had an entourage and sycophants who said "Yeah, man, that's funny," I might lose my edge to tell what is funny that I'm creating...and what's not. That's what I mean by edge.

The list of comedians who have become complacent and now, boring, is a far, far longer list.
Eddie Murphy. Dennis Miller. Where is Joe Piscopo? Woody Allen (Has he done anything really challenging recently?) Mel Brooks. Ray Ramano. Jerry Seinfeld. Tim Allen.
posted by filmgeek at 6:41 AM on February 7, 2006


just for the record, here's the Oprah episode with Dave Chappelle.

it's worth watching for the sake of a Television Grandmaster chat with a young up-and-coming on 'the biz'. Oprah knows her mass-media theory and is able to couch it in lay terms on the fly while Chappelle confesses that the root of the "Oprah had my baby" sketch is a personal fantasy. Hilarious!
posted by carsonb at 5:37 PM on February 22, 2006


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