Dave Chappelle

Everyone seems to know funny man Dave Chappelle and within the comedic realm his often times coarse antics have won him the spot light. On more than one occasion he can be seen on his Chappelle Show portraying a celebrity in the most outlandish of ways. Crossing the line or not with the infamous “Pee on You,” jingle or his Rick James impersonation and costume scramble. He’s taken his stand up to the next level with his misfit skits and for the most part fans are gobbling it up. Conversely in this phase of Dave Chappelles life he changes his course. He creates a Block Party in the mist of Brooklyn, NY on September 18, 2004 on Downing Street in the Clinton Hill neighborhood on the corner of Quincy. His life long dream manifested itself into the mainstream through documentary. Bringing together a collection of Musicians, old and new school. The line up included Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, The Roots, Kanye West, Common, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap,The Fugees, Bilal, Dead Prez,Cody ChesnuTT, John Legend and Central State University’s Marching Band.

Dave was the Producer & Writer as well as funded the film with his own money. Along side director Michel Gondry, whose work load includes Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), The Science of Sleep (2006) and Be Kind Rewind (2008). They were able to create Chappelle's Block party, inspired by Wattstax (1973 documentary). Just as in Wattstax, here we get even more of that life likeness and relatable feel that is in some instances more experimental. It doesn’t look overly flamboyant like most movies that hit the big screen. Its has its own appeal, reeling in comedic and concertgoers alike. The environment was unlikely and because no one saw Chappelle’s block party coming it made it all the more shocking. Everyone wanted to know why. And for those who knew about it and actually went to Chappelles concert they were able to respect it more. Because it was a collective experience and brought together people that before may have never even associated with certain ethnic groups. For me it got me to thinking about the little block parties the neighborhoods have. Its probably the one time everyone is able to come together. But unfortunately having said that, there is a entirely different experience and expectancy when seeing anything on the big screen. There are certain aspects of life one has to experience in order to receive the total message.

Given that clause Chappelle's Block party came out at a time when people were just getting over the 2001’s September 11th attacks. Some people were still in mourning. I can honestly remember all the God Bless America signs and the United States flags hung in every window and posted in every front yard, swaying from side to side. Some people may have thought that Chappelle’s movie came at a bad time because it could have easily been seen as, “He’s throwing parties in NYC when soldiers are off to war, hasn’t he got anything better to do?” Then we have other occurrences in 2005 that split the country even more. It fostered to the old ways when relief efforts more than just failed. The people in New Orleans were practically left to die. Bodies surfaced, and could be seen in the massive floods clutches. And news stations monitored it everyday. We saw people practically begging for help, asking when aid was coming and where is the government. One disturbing picture was that of Former President George W. Bush flying over the scene, staring out his window. FEMA failed to adhere to their policies. People were dying of starvation, heat, and even looting to survive. And every now and then we’d see someone being rescued from a roof. Military action was also administered to keep the peace amongst any hostile behavior.

It was a tragic ordeal. Hurricane Katrina, was no joke and Chappelle Block party in a way may have made it seem so. Other accounts included the runaway bride scandal, then later on came Dave Chappelle’s abrupt disappearance. Rumors surfaced that the comedian had a drug problem and that he checked into a mental institution in Durban. What had happened? Was it the pressures of Fame? Or perhaps something more prominent, internal that drove him to leave? He was offered over 50 million dollars for his comeback season. Something traumatic had to have occurred. I mean with the success of his movie, and his career status escalating, one would think Chappelle had no worries. And when he left, people that once backed him and who he called friends practically sold him out.

Doing some research I discovered that during the filming of one of Chappelles sketches (the incomplete season), a white crew member was laughing in a way that made him feel uncomfortable and ultimately rethink the show. Chappelle said "it was the first time I felt that someone was not laughing with me but laughing at me.” It happened during his pixies sketch. Where pixies appear to people and encourage them to reinforce stereotypes of their races. In the sketch, Chappelle is wearing blackface and is dressed as a character in a minstrel show. Which historically a minstrel show represented the satirical attack on black people in contemptuous ways and characterizing them as ignorant, lazy, buffoonish, superstitious, joyous, and musical.

But with Dave Chappelle’s Block Party we see him doing something totally different. He’s bringing people together, and for the most part avoiding injudicious behavior. Which if he hadn’t that could have been taken in a ton of ways, and in a lot of ways his block party became a truly positive thing. What I think happened was that he reverted back to older times when black portrayal was a practically negative image in society. He didn’t see himself as entertaining anymore, but more so feeding a monster. The crises that African Americans have often had to battle, self identity, stereotypes and racism.

Whenever it comes to the African American cultural experience nobody wants to hear of the tyranny of long ago. Horrendous tales of Slavery, Jim Crow, and Segregation. These issues are considered old news. Or the chains that weigh down the black individual. Some might say what's the basis? We live in a modern era where things like racism and ethnic notions no longer exist. It’s said time and time again that to move forward as a people African Americans must see past all the hurt and inhumane treatment of the past (and not just slavery). But that is what’s anticipated.

Over the radio I can recall a caller, clearly of Caucasian decent telling Black people to, "Get over it." And for the most part African Americans are over it; slavery and all its negative impulses. It's in fact the society, mass culture, pop culture and the media who've not. There are portrayals of the black individual that float around as clear as day. Negative connotations that anyone could easily turn a blind eye toward. And instead of most drawing the line, we instead hear, “Oh it’s funny, so it okay or Its only comedy.”

We have the Rap artists of today who are practically nesting on a fortune of rhymes that are not only derogatory towards women but are very polluting to the young minds. Who are already pounded with enough subliminal messages as it is. Isn’t it just a little too convenient how for every African American music video there’s a constant reminder of how they should act, look, talk, behave, and even think. Or perhaps how the acceptable more ideal beauty is lighter than the more darker toned person. In a study I saw not to long ago in a program entitled “A Girl like Me,” one portion of the video did a study on young African American children. Innocent boys and girls were asked which doll they preferred, the white or the black doll. Most of the children picked the lighter doll. But what was truly shocking was that one little girl in particular was asked which doll looks bad? She answered the black doll. And when asked which looks good she pointed the white one. Then when asked which looks like her she handed the speaker the darker doll. Its disturbing. This child may grow up hating the color of her skin. There’s definitely a warped sense of, mentality, self worth, identity and the ideal beauty. She was only a preschooler.

Then we see young black men practically thrown into a world of drugs in order to become like they’re musical idols, their favorite rappers. Its seen as okay, to be hustlers, that supposedly grind to make ends meet, to help a mother or to help themselves to get the latest name brand items. Because you’ve got to look fresh to be cool. And if you don’t then you’re a loser. Dropping labels in a song has become common place, and because a celebrity is rocking the latest fit then its imperative that the fans do so as well. It ultimately feeds into the materialistic grapple that not only plagues the black individual but anyone else who buys into it. It’s easy to get caught up in the storm.

Haunting words and images that were representational of the black community, the black individual as it seems are forever standing, no matter how muted it maybe these issues find there way back into the lime light. Dave Chappelle had to have seen this. In one statement he said he’d had enough. And that he was embarrassed with himself. He was looking through a narrow vantage point when it came to black culture, stereotypes and self improvement. Chappelle had to rise above his own stereotype, the stress of fame and what really matters. He did this with his movie. Back in his interview with Time magazine after his disappearance Dave Chappelle reported that he was staying with his friend Salim, and not in a mental institution or on drugs. He said he went to South Africa to find "a quiet place" for a while. He stated what he can do there is think, eat, sleep, and laugh.


(I saw Dave Chappelle Sundance Channels Iconoclast with Maya Angelou and he looked truly happy.)