Dave Chappelle is once again prey to the politically correct inquisition: his show at the First Avenue club in Minneapolis has been surprisingly canceled, despite the fact that tickets sold out right away.
"We believe in diverse voices and freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that we lost sight of the impact this would have", reads the canceling club's stupefying explanation. "We know there are some who will disagree with this decision; we invite you to send comments".
We hear you. Tonight’s show has been cancelled at First Avenue and is moving to the Varsity Theater. See our full statement for more. pic.twitter.com/tkf7rz0cc7
— First Avenue (@FirstAvenue) July 20, 2022
It seems that, in the face of complaints from some users of social networks, First Avenue made the decision to put freedom of expression on the back burner, ignoring the interest of those who wanted to enjoy the comedian's performance.
Read these comments. You’re platforming someone who is deliberately choosing to target trans people at a specific historical moment in which those actual people’s actual lives are in actual danger (even more than usual). That context matters. Or at least it should.
— KTM aka Guante (@elguante) July 19, 2022
Several users commented on the news of the cancellation.
"We believe in diverse voices" ...except the voices we don't agree with. 🤡
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) July 21, 2022
This is ridiculous. I hope you realize you are now setting a new standard/precedence. How many artists have performed at First Avenue that have been "offensive" towards other groups of people? Like women, for example? You basically just cancelled half of Rhymesayers' group.
— Just John (@J_Mo52) July 20, 2022
For the moment, neither Chappelle nor his representative have commented on this new outrage.
The king of controversy
Dave Chappelle is an actor, comedian, screenwriter and producer. Netflix pays him more than $20 million for his comedy specials. One of them, The Closer, unleashed a hurricane in the company: at least 100 employees protested on the grounds that it promoted homophobia and transphobia. But the head of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, resisted the censorship pressures and supported the artist. "While some employees disagree, we strongly believe that the content does not directly translate into real-world harm," he explained.
Chappelle doesn't shy away from trans inquisition and has gone so far as to state in his shows that "gender is a fact" with an explanation very characteristic of his style, "Every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to go through the legs of a woman to be on Earth. That's a fact."
GLAAD, an LGBTQ media advocacy organization, condemned Chappelle's comments on The Closer and questioned the position Sarandos took.
Chappelle is the subject of threats of all kinds from those who have declared war on him. But he has not folded. Not even after being stabbed last May, while giving a comedy recital in Los Angeles (California).
