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Dave Chappelle has been given many labels over the years but two that stick are ruthless and prescient. And his mini-special 8:46 that dropped on Netflix’s YouTube channel over the weekend proves how and why that still holds true, writes Naman Arora.
In case you woke up from a three-week long coma – first off, welcome back to the craziest time of our lives. Don’t worry - the riots, virus and impending economic doom are still here.
Secondly, the US is still playing host to the anger in response to the viral video death of African-American US citizen George Floyd’s death after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin arrested him and kneeled on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds (cue ‘Aha’ moment about the title of Dave’s special).
Thirdly, just like in any “American moment” where public anguish and anger lasts longer than a week, American media have been increasingly turning to the country’s celebrities to unite people and solve the crisis with that one tweet, one song or one cool commercial.
Now that you are caught up, let’s talk about how Dave’s new half-hour special cuts deep into this “new normal.”
Right off the bat, something feels surreal in 8:46. It’s an outdoor venue, people are wearing masks, donning dark clothes and social distancing. It feels more like a funeral than a comedy special.
And when you hear a 24-year-old song, Stressed Out by A Tribe Called Quest Ft. Faith Evans (I really know how it feels to be, stressed out, stressed out/ We’re gonna make this thing work out eventually/ Yo I ain’t one to complain but there’s things in the game/ (What’s your name?) Consequence, I’m tight, burnt like flames/ (And why’s that?) American dreams, they got this ghetto kid in a fiend) playing, you know you are in for a hypothermic dose of paradigm-shifting reality.
The first words out of Dave’s mouth on stage – “This is weird,” kick off a stand-up that feels like an earnest monologue, a resigned self-dialogue and open-heart surgery all at once.
Dave has the prescience to cut straight to the core, pull out a complex issue and present it in a way that is both completely unique and yet obvious, once you hear it.
This is definitely not a polished stand-up special. He is on stage with his notebook, punch lines have not been sharpened into spears and most importantly, you can feel the gravity of his grief.
After all, amongst all the Twitter storms and #BLM protests today, it is easy to forget that for Black rappers, comedians and athletes, this is Rodney King, L.A. Riots and OJ Simpson all over again.
Except back then, they were the angry young women and men in the streets. Even Dave addresses this: “We saw ourselves like you see yourself.”
And while other celebrities shift uncomfortably under the weight of their fame or pretend like it doesn’t exist, Dave is the first in this moment to bear the burden of the celebrity bubble while turning his voice into a microphone for the forgotten screams and wails that haunt the racism and slavery-filled annals of human history. All while reminding America why it should not be making kings and queens out of celebrities.
Dave Chappelle is not the king of stand-up because he has the funniest jokes or the best delivery. He is the king because his throne is the therapy couch that he needs as much as his audience, for the emotional rollercoaster of a lifetime. And that’s why everyone, in and out of America needs to watch this special.
