‘SNL’ Slammed for Dave Chappelle Monologue: “Popularizing Antisemitism” - Hollywood Reporter

Dave Chappelle was connected TV again.

This time, the divisive comic spent the bulk of an extended monologue connected Saturday Night Live giving his thoughts connected Kanye “Ye” West’s rants astir the Jewish community.

On Sunday, the Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt criticized the NBC program, accusing the late-night staple of “popularizing antisemitism.”

“We shouldn’t expect @DaveChappelle to service arsenic society’s motivation compass, but disturbing to spot @nbcsnl not conscionable normalize but popularize #antisemitism,” helium wrote connected Twitter. “Why are Jewish sensitivities denied oregon diminished astatine astir each turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?”

The Jerusalem Post tweeted: “The American comedian Dave Chappelle said during his SNL monologue that helium ‘denounces antisemitism successful each its forms’… earlier promptly engaging successful antisemitic tropes.”

While Time Out New York theatre exertion and professional Adam Feldman tweeted: “That Dave Chappelle SNL monologue astir apt did much to normalize anti-Semitism than thing Kanye said. Everyone knows Kanye is nuts. Chappelle posits himself arsenic a teller of hard truths. It’s worse.”

Yet Tangle News laminitis Isaac Saul tweeted: “Let maine beryllium the archetypal Jew to say: Dave Chappelle’s SNL unfastened past nighttime was hilarious, timely, honest, and a reminder that helium inactive understands this state amended than a batch of radical whose full occupation is to recognize the country. It’s good to admit determination are a batch of Jews successful media and Hollywood. And similar Dave said, you tin simultaneously enactment that it’s precise anserine to deliberation this means they are successful immoderate cabal controlling the world.”

Chappelle’s 15-minute monologue has racked up 3.2 cardinal views successful little than 24 hours connected YouTube – much than immoderate different SNL video since past May. It included comments specified arsenic Chappelle saying Ye broke “the amusement concern rules of cognition … if they’re Black, past it’s a gang. If they’re Italian, it’s a mob. But if they’re Jewish, it’s a coincidence and you should ne'er talk astir it.” (For afloat context, the monologue is below).

He added: “I’ve been to Hollywood … this is what I saw: It’s a batch of Jews. Like, a lot. But that doesn’t mean anything! There’s a batch of Black radical successful Ferguson, Missouri. Doesn’t mean they tally the place.” The comedian said helium understood however idiosyncratic could “adopt the delusion” that Jewish radical “run amusement concern … it’s not a brainsick happening to think. But it’s a brainsick happening to accidental retired large successful a clime similar this.”

Chappelle besides discussed NBA prima Kyrie Irving, who precocious was suspended from the Brooklyn Nets aft helium shared a nexus to the documentary Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, a movie that contains antisemitic sentiments. “He was dilatory to apologize,” Chappelle said. “And past the database of demands to get backmost successful their bully graces got longer and longer, and this is wherever I gully the line: I cognize the Jewish radical person been done unspeakable things each implicit the world, but you can’t blasted that connected achromatic Americans. You conscionable can’t.”

Before the monologue, Chappelle unfolded a portion of insubstantial and work a dutiful connection — “I denounce antisemitism successful each its forms, and I basal with my friends successful the Jewish community” — and past added, “And that, Kanye, is however you bargain yourself immoderate time.”

The uproar follows Chappelle receiving considerable blowback for 2 Netflix specials wherever helium criticized the trans rights question and made jokes that galore felt were transphobic.

Last year, Chappelle won an Emmy Award for, ironically enough, hosting Saturday Night Live.

The Hollywood Reporter has reached retired to NBC for comment.