Dave Chappelle Wasn’t Allowed To Tell Jokes About Gaza Or Trans People During ‘SNL’ Monologue
Source: Theo Wargo / Getty
Last month, comedy legend Dave Chappelle delivered a more than 15-minute monologue on Saturday Night Live, as he has done in the past, including the first time Donald Trump was elected president. Some viewers might have noticed that Chappelle’s monologue, while still funny and entertaining, was a little more tame than some of his more recent appearances on various stages, including his series of Netflix stand-ups, which many have accused of being bigoted towards trans people.
Well, there’s a reason Chappelle’s SNL appearance might have seemed less edgy than usual: Dave wasn’t allowed to tell jokes about trans people or Gaza.
According to Deadline: “Per SFGate’s senior culture editor Dan Gentile, who saw the comedian at the first of his three San Francisco stand-up appearances at the Masonic, Chappelle alleged he was not allowed to speak about Gaza and transgender people.”
It was probably more noticeable that Chappelle’s monologue didn’t take any shots at trans people — considering the comedian has been on that tear consistently since his very first series of Netflix specials released in 2017 — but the comedian’s lack of commentary regarding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that has ravaged the Gaza strip, which Chappelle previously referred to as a “genocide,” probably flew under viewer’s radar.
However, it should also be noted that Chappelle’s set was completely devoid of pro-Palestine mentions.
“The presidency is no place for petty people, so Donald Trump — I know you watch the show — man, remember, whether people voted for you or not, they’re all counting on you; whether they like you or not, they’re all counting on you,” he said during the episode. “The whole world is counting on you. I mean this when I say this, good luck, please, do better next time. Please, all of us, do better next time. Do not forget your humanity, and please have empathy for displaced people, whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine.”
If you haven’t seen it yet, you can watch Chappelle’s full SNL monologue below.
