Did you guys hear the news? Dave Chappelle got canceled! I mean sure, he got paid $20 million for his special, and sure the special hasn’t been taken down (yet), and sure Netflix’s transgender employees are being suspended for expressing their dissent, and sure he’s still selling out arenas around the country, but according to the internet, he’s been “canceled”.
If you live in the real world, getting “canceled” is when a person faces real life consequences for their actions, warranted or otherwise. This can mean, losing their job, losing their income, being doxxed, harassed, or worse. Although if you’re a whiny, thin skinned comedian, getting “canceled” is when people express any sort of dissent towards what you have to say.
Personally, I enjoyed Chappelle’s special immensely, but I can understand why some people would be upset about certain parts of it. Even I found myself cringing once or twice.
To his credit, Dave Chappelle is anything but a thin skinned comedian, even he understands how silly it is to equate the media firestorm surrounding his special to getting canceled. Referencing the outrage during an appearance at the Hollywood Bowl this week, Chappelle said, “if this is what being canceled is like, i love it!”
George Carlin, who is considered by many to be the greatest comedian of all time, once said, “I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is and cross it deliberately.” This is something Dave Chappelle has done masterfully throughout his entire career. Both in his stand up and on his legendary sketch program Chappelle’s Show.
Comedy is an art, and art is a transaction. Audiences have an obligation to let the artist express what they feel, even if it makes them uncomfortable. Art shouldn’t make you feel all warm and fuzzy one hundred percent of the time, it should challenge you to see things from a different perspective.
This is not to say that artists should be immune to criticism, but it’s important that you criticize art in a constructive way that doesn’t degrade the artist or threaten their livelihood.
Comedians of Chappelle’s caliber typically have a very thick skin as it is virtually impossible to achieve that level of success without one. However, it seems to me that the less successful a comedian is, the more they worry about being canceled. It’s always the ones with the least amount to lose that worry about losing everything.
If there’s anything I learned in the brief part of my life where I did comedy, it’s that audience criticism is very important for a comedian’s growth and a lot of comedians need to get better at absorbing criticism, whether in person or online. You had the opportunity to talk and now it’s your turn to listen.
I think being a comedian requires a certain level of arrogance. There’s something very audacious about believing that you are so incredibly funny that people should have to pay to listen to you talk. Sure a little bit of ego is healthy, but it’s important that you don’t let it get so fragile that you don’t allow yourself to grow.
Part of the reason for Dave Chappelle’s success over the last 34 years is that he’s been able to balance his ego with his humility. He’s a man who knows his own worth as an artist, but refuses to believe that he’s inherently superior to anyone else. If more comedians could find that same balance, and get better at rolling with the punches that come with being a public figure, they likely wouldn’t have to worry about being canceled.