In 2021, comedian Dave Chappelle came under fire for making a joke about transgender people in his Netflix special, The Closer. Chappelle referred to trans people as ‘transgenders,’ misgendered a trans comedian, and stated that gender is a fact. He was met with backlash from trans-rights activists who protested his special and sought its removal from the streaming service. Netflix stood by Chappelle.
“I do think that the inclusion of the special on Netflix is consistent with our comedy offering, it’s consistent with Dave Chappelle’s comedy brand and this is…one of those times when there’s something on Netflix that you’re not going to like,” said Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos in an Oct. 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Dave Chappelle went on to continue his bit on transgender people, resulting in outcry following his Dec. 2023 Netflix special, The Dreamer. Chappelle began the special describing his 1999 visit to Jim Carrey while he was filming Man on the Moon. Chappelle recalled feeling disappointed that he could only speak to Carrey while he was pretending to be his character Andy Kaufman, and said he feels the same when he speaks to trans people.
The term “cancel culture” has been especially prevalent in comedic spaces, particularly amid Chappelle’s recent special. The most common complaint is that comedians are held to ridiculous standards in order to avoid “cancellation,” and the threshold for offending someone is far lower than it once was. While it may be true that people get offended more easily, this must be contextualized with changing political atmospheres. Over the past 50 years, progressively greater emphasis has been placed on the discrimination of marginalized groups in entertainment. The effects of prejudicial jokes are therefore more widely understood, and social movements have emerged which directly challenge “punching down” in comedy. People are not more easily offended, they’re offended according to evolving social principles.
“I feel that comedy has definitely changed over the years, and people are generally more limited in what they can joke about, but overall the differences are for the better,” said junior Jaylan Jellabi.
The actual degree to which people get offended appears to be greatly exaggerated by critics of cancel culture. X, formerly known as Twitter, is one of the hot seats for cancellation. Upon Dave Chappelle’s release of his 2023 special, he quickly landed on the site’s trending page and even received criticism from rapper Lil Nas X. At first glance, it may seem his career has been significantly damaged by his recent controversy. However, when Chappelle experienced the exact same reaction to The Closer in 2021, he came out unscathed. Following his 2021 controversy, Chappelle went on to book numerous shows worldwide in 2022 and 2023, receiving ratings consistent with those throughout the scope of his time in comedy. This success is often the case of supposedly canceled celebrities. For example, British comedian Ricky Gervais has long been the subject of controversy and faced backlash in 2022 following transphobic comments in his Netflix special SuperNature. Despite this, Gervais went on to release his second special with Netflix, titled Armageddon, and broke box office records on his comedy Armageddon Tour in 2023.
Cancel culture itself has become somewhat of a myth among major celebrities. However much backlash one may face, very seldom is their career ended, or even harmed. Despite this apparent lack of consequences, celebrities still have a responsibility to be aware of their rhetoric.
“I think the concept of cancel culture is ineffective. I also just don’t see how anything could be so important to inspire such a reaction,” said senior Daya Gomez.
Comedy is a form of social commentary, but it’s also a form of entertainment. It therefore must break the boundaries of what is considered socially acceptable. Comedy is meant to discuss the taboo, and it is meant to satirize the controversial. Comedians simply cannot do their job if they limit themselves to what is considered ‘politically correct,’ but they must be careful in their approach. If one is constantly advocating prejudiced viewpoints in their comedy, they will likely influence discrimination against the groups they are targeting. If one jokes about a marginalized group without using discriminatory language or ideology, they can easily discuss and joke about social issues without perpetuating harmful sentiments.
“I don’t think cancel culture is necessarily a bad thing. It’s important to keep celebrities in check. Many of them have massive platforms and can influence so many people with their words and actions,” said junior Audrey Ren.
Cancel culture will long remain a heated topic, but it appears evident that regardless of its existence or impact, comedians should be diligent in their approach to controversial topics. Reactions to charged statements have inflated overtime, but major celebrities generally face the same repercussions that they have in years past. Controversy is a pillar of comedy, and no culture is capable of taking that away.