Candace Owens and Don Lemon have both addressed what Dave Chappelle had to say about them in his new Netflix comedy special, "8:46," about George Floyd's murder and the subsequent protests, and neither of them are too upset about his comments. In his new special, which premiered at midnight on Friday (June 12th), the comedian discusses the police killing of George Floyd and everything that came after, all the while putting a few public figures on blast for how they've handled the situation. One of the targets of Dave's ire was right-wing pundit, Candace Owens, who sparked outrage recently after making disrespectful comments about George Floyd.
"Candace Owens, that rotten b*tch, she’s the worst. I can’t think of a worse way to make money. She’s the most articulate idiot I’ve ever seen in my f*cking life," Dave said, among other critiques he made about her. Candace heard that Dave had brought her up in his special, and insisted on Twitter that she wasn't offended at all.
"To every Democrat tweeting me the clip of #DaveChappelle insulting me: I’m not a leftist. I have a sense of humor & I think comedians SHOULD make fun of people," Candace tweeted. "Dave Chappelle is one of the greatest comedians of all time and I made it into one of his specials. That’s POWER!"
"We’ve arrived too suddenly into a culture where people can’t laugh at themselves, or want to restrain comedians," she continued. "I will never be a part of that culture. Dave Chappelle—you are legend and I’d love to meet you and challenge you to say any of that to my face! All love!"
Dave also went after Don Lemon in his special for publicly naming celebrities who had yet to speak out on George Floyd's death at the time. "Do you want to see a celebrity right now?” Dave asked, in response to Don's plea. “Does it matter about celebrity? No, this is the streets talking for themselves, they don’t need me right now…Why would anyone care what their favourite comedian thinks after they saw a police officer kneel on a man’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds?” Don responded to Dave's comments on-air, indicating that, "I actually agree with Dave Chappelle."
"I agree that I think the establishment has been a bit behind—and I consider myself part of the establishment because I am over 40 years old," Don said. "They think that part of the world that we created and what we did, maybe we didn't move fast enough and we weren't strong enough and so they are out there fighting...I think they're not only speaking to the white people in this country, but also to all of us in the establishment. I think it's a moment we should all be using our platform to do whatever we can."
Elsewhere in his Netflix special, Dave took aim at Fox News host Laura Ingraham for her hypocrisy in supporting Drew Brees speaking out on politics but telling LeBron James to "shut up and dribble" back in 2018.
Dave Chappelle Goes After Candace Owens, Don Lemon, & More In George Floyd Special
Dave Chappelle called out a number of public figures in his new Netflix stand up special, in which he discusses the recent police killing of George Floyd.
Dave Chappelle returned to the stand-up stage in a new surprise Netflix special about the recent police killing of George Floyd, subsequent protests against police brutality and systemic racism, and everything in between. The special aired without promo in the early hours of the morning on Friday (June 12th), and sees the comedian laying into the media for how they’ve handled the murder of George Floyd and begging America to get on board with these protests.
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Dave begins the special by describing why this police killing of a Black American in particular was the last straw. “When I watched that tape I understood this man knew he was going to die,” he said, noting that it took him a week to finally be able to watch the horrific footage. “People watched it, people filmed it and for some reason that I still don’t understand, all these f*cking police had their hands in their pockets. Who are you talking to? What are you signifying? That you can kneel on a man’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and feel like you wouldn’t get the wrath of God? That is what is happening right now. It’s not for a single cop, it’s for all of it, f*cking all of it. I don’t mean to get heavy but we gotta say something.”
He goes on to ridicule CNN’s Don Lemon for famously calling out certain rich and powerful celebrities who hadn’t spoken out on this issue at the time. “[Lemon] says, ‘Where are all these celebrities? Why are you not talking?’ This n***a said, ‘Everybody.’ I was screaming at the TV, ‘I dare you to say me, n***a, I dare you!’ Has anyone ever listened to me doing comedy? Have I not ever said anything about these things before? So now all of a sudden this n***a expects me to step in front of the streets and talk over the work these people are doing as a celebrity.”
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“Answer me: Do you want to see a celebrity right now?” he continued. “Do we give a f*ck what Ja Rule thinks? Does it matter about celebrity? No, this is the streets talking for themselves, they don’t need me right now. I kept my mouth shut. And I’ll still keep my mouth shut. But don’t think my silence is complicit…Why would anyone care what their favourite comedian thinks after they saw a police officer kneel on a man’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds?”
Dave also ripped into the right-wing media by calling Fox News’ Laura Ingraham “a regular-ass white b*tch with a platform” and “a c*nt” for insisting Drew Brees has a right to his opinion about politics while telling LeBron James to “shut up and dribble” in 2018 for his activism. Next, Dave targeted Trump-supporting “free thinker” Candace Owens for her insensitive and disrespectful comments about George Floyd.
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“I’ve seen Candace Owens try to convince white America, ‘Don’t worry about it. He’s a criminal anyway,’” Dave says. “I don’t give a f*ck what this n***a did. I don’t care what this n***a did. Candace Owens, that rotten b*tch, she’s the worst. I can’t think of a worse way to make money. She’s the most articulate idiot I’ve ever seen in my f*cking life.” He goes on to drag her for suggesting that Black America had “chosen” Floyd to be their hero despite his past.
“‘Why does the black community make him a hero? Why did you choose him as a hero?’ We didn’t choose him; you did,” he tells Candace. “They killed him and that wasn’t right, so he’s the guy. We’re not desperate for heroes in the black community. Anyone who survives this nightmare is my god damn hero.” Watch the full special, titled “8:46,” below:
10 Recent HBO Comedy Specials You Should Watch
Some great one-hour specials you won’t be finding on Netflix.
Following all the love our Netflix Stand-Up Comedy Specials feature received, we figured why not give the people more of what they want. In addition to Netflix’s wealth of comedy talent and Amazon’s burgeoning roster (Jim Gaffigan, Ilana Glazer), HBO remains relevant as it continues to shepherd in a new crop of comedians on the rise. Equal parts hilarious and offbeat, HBO utilized 2019 as a year to embrace the unexpected in comedy. Whether it was a Muslim comedian discussing casual sex, a Salvadoran comedian performing miniature prop comedy, or a celebrated young comedian opting to make a two-part documentary about his family – HBO remained in the forefront of comedy during a period when over-saturation and bingeing became king.
Ramy Youssef: Feelings
Between the breakout successes of his debut hour-long HBO stand-up special and critically acclaimed Hulu sitcom, comedian-actor Ramy Youssef (Mr. Robot) had the year of most comedians’ dreams. And the praise only continued as 2020 kicked off with Ramy winning the Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy. But this whirlwind year all started back in April of 2019 when Youssef filmed his first HBO special, Ramy Youssef: Feelings to a diverse crowd full of hijabs and hipsters. This dichotomy is essentially Youssef’s demographic sweet spot – contemporary Muslim Americans and woke Millennials. At the heart of this social Venn diagram you will find Ramy and his budding brand of comedy chock-full of faith and vulgarity. Whether he’s discussing Islamic customs, comparing Michael Jackson to LeBron James, or complaining about white Uber drivers – Ramy Youssef: Feelings is an immediate triumph and one of, if not the best hour of stand-up released last year.
Julio Torres: My Favorite Shapes
Julio Torres is another young comedian coming off a career-shifting year. This past June, the former Saturday Night Live and The Chris Gethard Show writer created, wrote, and starred in the Spanish-language supernatural-themed HBO comedy, Los Espookys. The 6-episode series currently maintains a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and has been renewed for a second season. Shortly after the success of Los Espookys, HBO released Torres’ debut stand-up special My Favorite Shapes. As bizarre as it may sound, My Favorite Shapes revolves around the goofy stories and hilarious anecdotes Torres pulls from his favorite shapes including crystals, miniature furniture, a cactus, and a Ferrero Rocher chocolate. To describe this special as anything other than odd or unorthodox would be an understatement, as Torres even states: “I just need to show my shapes. That’s all this is for.” His dry wit is matched by the sheer silliness of each shape and the seriousness with which he approaches it all. My Favorite Shapes will have you cackling and scratching your head at the same time. But one thing is for sure, Julio Torres is one of comedy’s newest and most unique voices ready to blow at any moment.
Lil Rel Howery: Live in Crenshaw
Beginning with a soulful a cappella rendition of the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and a performance by the L.A. Youth Step Team – Lil Rel Howery’s debut HBO stand-up special, Live in Crenshaw, emanates a pep rally on a hot day in LA. Filmed inside a sunlit gymnasium at Susan Miller Dorsey Senior High School in the heart of the south Los Angeles neighborhood of Crenshaw – Lil Rel regales his audience with a variety of stories spanning from the viral video of two families brawling at Disneyland to paying for his uncle’s funeral. Loud, physical, and full of chuckles, Lil Rel will keep viewers laughing along with the audience for the entirety of this one-hour special – even as the sun begins to set on the high school gym.
Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh
With Gary Gulman’s HBO hour-long debut and first special in four years, there was already a great deal of pressure on the nearly 50-year-old comedian. Add to it the fact that Gulman had been in and out of hospitals for clinical depression over that extended period and was now performing new material on the topic makes Gary Gulman:The Great Depresh one of the most important comedy specials produced in recent memory. Directed by Michael Bonfiglio (Jerry Before Seinfeld), executive produced by Judd Apatow (Knocked Up), and released during Mental Illness Awareness Week, this 75-minute stand-up special/documentary is much more than jokes about being sad. Infusing documentary interludes touching on his struggle with depression, anxiety, and hospitalization – Gulman described the special as “a hybrid, where I do some documentary about my recovery, treatment, and my hospitalization, and then I do stand-up surrounding that.” The documentary moments include interviews with his wife, mother, and psychiatrist. Filmed at Roulette Intermedium in Brooklyn, the special branches out to less “depressing” topics such as Millennials’ take on bullying, participation trophies being a metaphor for life, and how his mother’s voice is constantly in his head. Not your traditional HBO comedy special, Gary Gulman:The Great Depresh is an important watch for anyone who has personally experienced, or known someone who has struggled with depression.
Amanda Seales: I Be Knowin’
Amanda Seales begins her hour-long HBO special self-admittedly stating that this special is for the ladies. This is made even more apparent throughout the special when the cameras reveal a nearly all-female and predominantly black audience – which makes for a great crowd particularly when Amanda initiates a sing-along to the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Throughout the special, Seales runs through a bevy of topics that raise audience members from their seats including the pointlessness of catcalling, the comedic styling of Harriet Tubman, and what it’s like being the only black girl at a sleepover. Filmed at the Edison Ballroom in New York City by Stan Lathan (Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones) – I Be Knowin’ celebrates all of Amanda Seales’ hilarious qualities in one succinct hour of comedy. Whether you know her from Insecure, Get Your Life, or The Real – I Be Knowin’ is sure to have her on your comedians-to-watch list for the indefinite future.
Dan Soder: Son of a Gary
A comedian many may have never heard of performed HBO’s final stand-up special of the decade. While Dan Soder might not be one of the biggest names in comedy, any viewers willing to take a chance on this special covering dead dads, drugs, and Denver will quickly convert to fans. Perhaps best known for his Sirius XM Radio show with Big Jay Oakerson, The Bonfire, or his role as Mafee on the Showtime series Billions – Dan Soder’s comedy ascendance has been slowly building up to this moment. And to relish in the apex of his first hour-long HBO special, Soder opted to spend the majority of his time telling jokes about his deceased alcoholic father, Gary. If even the mentioning of this sort of dark humor has piqued your interest, then immediately go watch Son of a Gary.
Daniel Sloss: X
Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss’ fourth stand-up special and first for HBO also happens to be his 10th solo show – hence the aptly titled X. Written, directed by, and starring the notoriously dark humored 29-year-old comedian – X was filmed in front of packed audience at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney, Australia. Prefacing his performance with a quick suggestion to “Get comfortable. If you’re not comfortable, don’t fucking worry about it. I’m about to provide plenty of material that’s going to make most of you very fucking uncomfortable.” For those unacquainted with Sloss’ humor, this is the perfect introduction to his hour of jokes ranging from sex education to the male ego and what it’s like telling another man you love him. Still considered a comedy prodigy with over ten tours and four specials before the age of 30, Daniel Sloss is an acquired taste worth trying out. But as the second half of the special shifts to more speaking than joking, your attention span may be tested.
Pete Holmes: Dirty Clean
Airing a month before what would end up being the third and final season of Crashing, HBO premiered Dirty Clean, the series’ star and creator’s latest special. Named for the fact that as a former Christian comic, he still can’t perform dirty material without receiving admiration for his clean humor – Holmes delves into topics that may finally lift this label. In his latest hour of comedy, Pete discusses the topics of pooping, masturbating, and his wife Valerie’s large breasts, yet as portrayed in Crashing, he’s still labeled by his Christian upbringing, going to Christian camp and college, and briefly performing on the Christian comedy circuit. Directed by Marcus Raboy (Friday After Next) at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon – Pete Holmes is one of the few comedians today who exude joy during his stand-up. And while I love a sarcastic and depressed comedian as much as the next guy, the brand of humor Holmes has perfected over the past few years is a refreshing change of pace needed within today’s comedy world.
2 Dope Queens [season 2]
For the second season of this popular podcast turned four-episode HBO special, co-hosts Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson took their hosting, special guests, and stand-up comedians to the next level. Similar to the first season, each episode has its own theme that the girls dress for and riff off between one (sometimes two) special guest(s), and three (or two) stand-up sets. The four themes of season two are “Fashion,” “Nostalgia,” “Music,” and “Regal AF.” The special guests to get excited for are Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Daniel Radcliffe, Janet Mock, Lizzo, and Keegan-Michael Key. Some of the female, people of color, and LGBTQ stand-up talent you’re bound to fall in love with include Janine Brito, Jamie Lee, Bowen Yang, Shalewa Sharpe, Pat Brown, Rory Scovel, and Jacqueline Novak. Unfortunately it’s now been nearly a year since the second season aired with no formal announcement of a third season from HBO. But you can always go back and re-watch all eight episodes, or listen to their two and a half years worth of podcasts to get your 2 Dope Queens fix.
Jerrod Carmichael – Home Videos/ Sermon on the Mount
Following the breakout success of Jerrod Carmichael’s first two HBO stand-up specials: Love at the Store directed by Spike Lee and 8 directed by Bo Burnham – you’d think the 32-year-old comedian from North Carolina would quickly plot his return to the stage. Instead he convinced HBO to go in the exact opposite direction, allowing him to create two short-form documentaries about his family. The first, titled Home Videos and running less than 30-minutes, features Carmichael interviewing the female members of his family including his niece, sisters, and mother about topics involving school, black beauty, and fidelity. He bluntly asks his sister, “You still been on your pro-black, pro-women shit? Or are you off that this week?” She later tells him, “The fact that you as a black male wants to listen to black women, that’s the start.” Far from a comedy special, Home Videos is smart, intimate, and full of funny people having serious conversations.
A month and a half later HBO released the second half of the documentary, Sermon on the Mount. Now speaking with the men of his family, Carmichael candidly shares conversations with his nephews, brother, cousins, uncle, and father about what it’s like to be a black man in America today. These discussions are shot alongside Carmichael’s mother seeking guidance from her preacher. Longer and less poignant than Home Videos, Carmichael’s Sermon on the Mount serves as a fitting ending to the narrative he’s documented – respectfully giving his father a chance to speak for himself in the film’s final moments. Any fans of Carmichael’s comedy or viewers interested in an authentic portrayal of the black family experience will get more out of this documentary than your average comedy special.
Leslie Jones Cussed Out Chris Rock For Getting Her "SNL" Audition
He told to "shut the f*ck up" and to go on the audition before he hung up on her.
If you're a comedian and your famous friend helps you get an audition in one of the most popular sketch comedy shows in the world, you don't turn them down. Leslie Jones is a beloved cast member of the long-running series Saturday Night Live, but prior to being a show staple, she was a touring stand-up comedian on the rise. Chris Rock was on the hit show from 1990 to 1993 and after seeing Leslie perform live, he thought she'd be a perfect addition. Leslie, on the other hand, did not.
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"I didn't come to get the job—Howard, I literally went to tell them how dope I was and was gon' tell 'em no," Leslie said. "I really came out so people can see me and maybe that was gon' give me some opportunities, but I had all plans of saying no." She also explained, "[Chris] saw me at The Comedy Store one late night doing a spot and he was like, 'Yep, she's next level. She's ready.'" Chris then wrote down her name in his "funny book." Leslie added, "I think he called me and was like, 'Hey, I just talked to Lorne [Michaels], I just had dinner with Lorne. Somebody from SNL is gon' contact you for an audition."
She couldn't believe it and initially, she was upset. "Why the f*ck would you do that?" Leslie said she asked him. "I am not a sketch [comedian]. What the f*ck, Chris?! I don't do that sh*t. The f*ck am I gon' do? I'm a f*ckin' stand-up. I'm not gon' be able to do that sh*t." In true Chris Rock fashion, he told her to "shut the f*ck up" and go impress SNL. "And he hung up."
Watch Leslie share the funny story and explain what happened when she went on stage during her audition below.
Jamie Foxx Returning To Stand-Up, Wants To Tour With Eddie Murphy
Speak it into existence.
The world was taken by surprise when Eddie Murphy announced that he’d be returning to the standup circuit. The award-winning comedian shared that he was working on a standup special, as well, but it looks as if he’s not the only one who is ready to pound the pavement and return to the mic. Jamie Foxx also got his start in entertainment as a standup comedian, and on a recent visit to Ellen, he revealed that he was going back to his first love.
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Ellen DeGeneres asked Jamie if it was true that he and Eddie were planning on hitting the road together. The audience cheered at the possibility, but Jamie quickly shut that down, stating it wasn’t so. However, he would be thrilled at the possibility of taking to the stage with the celebrated comedy icon.
“I would go on tour with Eddie! I want Eddie…” Jamie said before he began stumbling over his words. He then did the signature Eddie Murphy laugh. “I would love to go on tour with Eddie because I think, it’s our time. You haven’t heard from him in a minute and you haven’t heard from me. And I got it. I got some super-duper jokes and I’ve been working on my impersonations.” He then gave a sneak peek at his Jay Z and The Rock impressions.
Jamie said that his tour is already set up and it will begin at the small clubs he performed at when he was launching his career. “I want it to be intimate,” the Just Mercy actor said. “There’s some storytelling. There’s some stories of the first time I met Kanye [West]. I got stories being on Django [Unchained], things like that. So, I wanna take you on a little bit of an adventure.” Check out his interview below.
Eddie Murphy’s Sneaking Into Comedy Clubs To Test Out Jokes: Report
Eddie Murphy’s working on something good!
Eddie Murphy is back and fans can rejoice. The beloved comedian made his return with last year’s Dolemite Is My Name and while the 58-year-old attended a number of interviews in light of his applauded performance, he made it clear that he’s working on his standup return since inking a deal with Netflix for a special. “I’m gonna start kinda working [it] out in the beginning of the year and then when it’s ready, you know, I’ll try to give myself eight or nine months to get it ready,” Eddie previously told Ellen DeGeneres.
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Sources tell Page Six that Eddie’s words on how he’s going to test out his chops on small audiences and venues are very much true since the actor has apparently been sneaking into comedy clubs in New York to gauge the audience’s reactions to his jokes. We can’t confirm which clubs exactly Eddie has hit up and what kind of content he’s playing with but he recently called his past homophobic jokes “cringey.”
“Some of it. Some of it, I cringe when I watch. I’m like, oh my God, I can’t believe I said that!” he said when reflecting back on his 1983 Delirious days.
Anthony Anderson Recalls Hilarious Heckling Story Of First Stand-Up Experience
Heckling comedians in a room full of comedians won’t get you far.
Every stand-up comedian has a horror story about a time they took to the stage and something awful occurred. Even those that we celebrate as some of the greatest comedians to ever touch the mic have sat down to share a moment that was the worst of their career, but most will say that don’t regret those moments because it helped shape them into the performers they are today.
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Anthony Anderson is known to bring in laughs with his roles, and when he was first getting his start in comedy, the actor said it was a bumpy road. Anthony caught up with The People’s Party with Talib Kweli and talked about the first time he ever tried his hand at stand-up comedy and it was cringe-worthy, to say the least.
“You can never have a good run of comedy when your name is Tasty Tony,” he said. “Tasty Tony the one and only, if there’s another, he’s a phony.” Everyone erupted in laughter. “Regency West, the Comedy Act Theater. All of the greats had gone through there. And everybody was like, ‘You funny, you should get onstage.’ I was like, ‘Okay.’ I never saw myself being a stand-up comic. I’m an actor and I just happen to be funny.”
So, Anthony decided to take a stab at stand-up. “I had my whole support team with me one day and too many people on the list before me. So I didn’t get called to do open mic. The next week, I went nobody could make it, but I was like, that’s cool I’m not doing it for them, I’m doing it for me. I got there extra early. The first two comics that got up ahead of me were horrible and I heckled them. And I was f*ckin’ hysterical as a heckler.”
Then, his name was called as the audience was still laughing at his heckling jokes. He was unsure if he should actually get up and tell jokes since he was being praised in the audience. Additionally, the room was filled with comedians, a few of which he heckled, so making his way to the stage was like a “dead man walking.”
As soon as he told his first joke, he immediately was targeted. He was pelted with insults so quickly and so harshly that he couldn’t get through any of his jokes. “Literally, 15 seconds, if that, they shut my mic off,” Anthony said. “They were saving me the embarrassment so they shut my mic off.” He tried to continue without the mic, but the venue shut the stage lights off, too.
“So I’m just standing there in darkness as everybody is sh*tting on me, rightfully so,” Anthony admitted. “So, my first time touching a mic onstage, I was onstage maybe 20 seconds and I left.” Watch to him recall the hilarious—and heartbreaking—story below, and make sure to tune in for his full interview on Monday, January 6.
