Did Dave Chappelle’s ‘The Closer’ Go Too Far? Fans React
Dave Chappelle’s The Closer hit Netflix Tuesday and the comedian is receiving some backlash on the remarks he made towards the LGBTQ+ community.
“Gender is a fact. Every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on earth. That is a fact,” Chappelle said in The Closer per PEOPLE.
“As a trans woman, I have usually defended Dave Chappelle’s specials because I think they’re hilarious and his jokes about trans women never felt intentionally malicious,” one viewer wrote adding, “The Closer changed my mind on that. That special felt so lazy and disingenuous and I’m really disappointed.”
As a trans woman, I have usually defended Dave Chappelle’s specials because I think they’re hilarious and his jokes about trans women never felt intentionally malicious.
— Taylor Ashbrook 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@taylor_ashbrook) October 5, 2021
The Closer changed my mind on that. That special felt so lazy and disingenuous and I’m really disappointed.
Chappelle also got backlash from members of the Black queer community as he seemed to make a blunt distinction between the two groups.
“Any of you who have ever watched me know that I have never had a problem with transgender people,” the comedian said. “If you listen to what I’m saying, clearly, my problem has always been with white people.”
One viewer wrote, “I hate that Dave Chappelle talks about the disparities between the gay struggle and black struggle like black gay people just…don’t exist.”
I hate that Dave Chappelle talks about the disparities between the gay struggle and black struggle like black gay people just…don’t exist.
— KASH BONE (@thisiskashmir) October 5, 2021
The comedian then referenced rapper DaBaby who landed himself in some trouble as well with the LGBTQ+ community after his homophobic rant during his Rolling Loud performance in Miami.
“Until we are both sure that we are laughing together. I’m telling you, it’s done. I’m done talking about it,” he said of the LGBTQ+ community. “All I ask of your community, with all humility: Will you please stop punching down on my people?”
He added in reference to DaBaby: “In our country, you can shoot and kill a n—- but you better not hurt a gay person’s feelings.”
The comedian then proceeds to say, “I’m team TERF!” in reference to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s transphobic remarks. TERF is a term that stands for a trans-exclusionary radical feminist. “TERFs” believe that trans women are not women.
See some of the divergent reactions to the comedy special:
🗣️Trans women are women.
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 6, 2021
Trans men are men.
Non-binary people are non-binary.
CC: Dave Chappelle
I really hope you watched The Closer. And I hope you really listened. Dave Chappelle. The Poet, The GOAT, The Human pic.twitter.com/AGqIiB7VKH
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) October 6, 2021
dave chappelle defending dababy, jk rowling, and calling himself a TERF is just pic.twitter.com/R1PnhmJkXm
— quarter life crisis (@thicc_flair) October 5, 2021
https://twitter.com/itsHugo_22/status/1445328294317019144
#DaveChappelle's last special for Netflix is not for brittle ears but hear him out till the very end! Some powerful, artful storytelling. This line was the killer! #TheCloser pic.twitter.com/LLwdxeWFBo
— Shibbir Ahmed (@Shibbir1) October 5, 2021
Feminist and Twitter warriors watching Dave Chappelle new special pic.twitter.com/QFOAxcmLff
— Rubyn Warren II (@rubynwarren) October 6, 2021
