‘Saturday Night Live’ viewers criticise Dave Chappelle hosting announcement
Saturday Night Live viewers have criticised the show following the announcement that Dave Chappelle will return to host this week.
The comedian is set to host the show on November 12, which marks his first time hosting since 2020 when he appeared for a post-general election SNL special after Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump.
It’s also Chappelle’s first time hosting since the release of his Netflix special The Closer, which featured material that some perceived as transphobic.
Following the latest announcement, one viewer wrote: “Ugh why is #SNL bringing back Dave Chappelle again? So he can make more transphobic jokes?”
Another wrote: “Wonder how SNL’s first nonbinary cast member this season must feel about them platforming Dave Chappelle next week. Disappointing but not surprising. Feeling for Molly Kearney right now.”
You can check out more reactions below.
Ugh why is #SNL bringing back Dave Chappelle again? So he can make more transphobic jokes?
— Alexis (@arosoff) November 6, 2022
Sigh. Just exactly what no one needs right now. https://t.co/zL8XCqlxQk
— David Dennis Jr. (@DavidDTSS) November 6, 2022
Wonder how SNL’s first nonbinary castmember this season must feel about them platforming Dave Chappelle next week. Disappointing but not surprising. Feeling for Molly Kearney right now
— JULIA! (@S0UNDOFMETAL) November 6, 2022
Having Dave Chappelle host SNL again is a slap in the face to trans people, including one of their own new cast members. What the hell Lorne?!
— Kara
(@Runningactor) November 6, 2022
Why is SNL so fucking enamored with Dave Chappelle, of all people? A man who so smugly loves to demean the trans community at every opportunity? Enough already.
— tomas (who is not doing no-nut november) (@cinema_gay) November 6, 2022
Why are we giving this man a platform?#ProtectTransKids
— Tom Soares (@tommyverse) November 6, 2022
In The Closer, Chappelle declared he was “team TERF” (trans-exlusionary radical feminist) and said “gender was a fact” when discussing the controversy around Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling.
Earlier this year, a venue in Minnesota cancelled one of his stand-up gigs following the backlash. Chappelle addressed the criticism during a speech at Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington D.C., which was released on Netflix, where he claimed those critical of his comments disregarded his “artistic nuance”.
“This is my biggest gripe with this whole controversy with The Closer: that you cannot report on an artist’s work and remove artistic nuance from his words,” Chappelle said. “It would be like if you were reading a newspaper and they say, ‘Man shot in the face by a six-foot rabbit expected to survive,’ you’d be like, ‘Oh my god,’ and they tell you it’s a Bugs Bunny cartoon.”
Chappelle will be joined on SNL by the recently reunited Black Star as musical guests.
The post ‘Saturday Night Live’ viewers criticise Dave Chappelle hosting announcement appeared first on NME.
Adam Starkey
NME
