So, now Dave Chappelle is in league with Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson?

According to Jon Lovett, he is

photo treatment by the author

What is it exactly that has ignited such hysteria over Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special The Closer? Is it the questionable content? Or, is it more about how the media is covering the protest?

As I stated in a prior piece entitled What Dave Chappelle (and JK Rowling) Got Wrong, I strongly object to the comedian’s mischaracterization of gender as “fact.” Too, I found his defensive posture throughout the special sadly uncharacteristic for a comedian of his stature, while being contextually dubious for a comedy special.

I had been reluctant to watch The Closer because media harangues about it insisted that (a) Chappelle’s jokes weren’t funny and (b) his material was transphobic to the extent that it could encourage anti-trans harassment and/or violence.

I watched it anyway

Ultimately, although things in the special did cause me some measure of discomfort, I found myself laughing. Because, well… in my opinion, Chappelle’s a funny guy. And, while it’s far from his best work, I heard absolutely nothing in The Closer that even suggested (intentionally or inadvertently) that he favors or promotes intolerance or anti-trans violence.