Angry, Funny Black Men

Dave Chappelle is back.

There was a time, long ago, before Kevin Hart was in every single film, commercial, comedy stage, when Dave Chappelle was the funniest angry black man in America, possibly on earth. Chappelle was brazen, he dissed everyone. Because everyone was fair game, he was the go-to guy when it came to understanding aspects of American life, black and white.

The only other funny, angry black man I consider to equal Chappelle is Eddie Griffin. He is sharp as a tack, horrendously and delightfully vulgar, and always a few minutes from espousing some deeply felt truth. There are whole days when I think in Eddie Griffin’s croaking voice. Chappelle and Griffin are quite different, but their oracular talents in forecasting the feelings and thoughts of their communities is something to note.

Whenever something bad happens in their community, they – Chappelle, Griffin, and others – become vocal about it. Part of their comedy is built on punctuality. Nobody wants to be the last person to a joke. Racism and police violence, the two things which plague black American life, are a source of constant discussion. Then there is growing up in poverty, the harshness and humour in growing up black in the US. Then there is sex, obviously, and then there are commentaries on gender. It is possible to tell the way feel about these issues from their delivery.

When they were younger, they thundered like preachers on stage, they protested through humour – it is easy to see why they rose to fame. Angry, funny black men are really funny. They really are, and the correlation between their resurgence and unpopular presidents should probably be a thesis topic somewhere. Dave Chappelle vanished for a long time while Griffin continued to work the comedy circuit. The Chappellian void was filled somewhat by Key and Peele.

But now he is back. Just in time for the Trump administration and, man, Dave Chappelle is one funny black man. His latest Netflix specials made me cancel abs day at the gym. He has aged, and with him, his material and his delivery. I think he is better, more honest, more relaxed. He is no longer the bean pole he was years ago. And he is not angry. The absence of the anger is what I like. What some reviewers see as fatigue from shouting about the black experience in the US, I see as quiet activism.

Because you cannot be an angry, funny black man forever. Sooner or later you get tired of being angry – it does not pay the bills. Choices have to be made. In some way, the banking down of the anger is an acceptance of the way things are, the way they have always been, possibly, the way that things will always be for black people in the US (and the rest of the world, given the reach of the black experience).

And because that anger has gone away, the jokes are funnier, and the truths hit and hurt much harder and last much longer.

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