In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Dave Chappelle dropped The Closer, his ninth standup special overall (and sixth for Netflix). The hour-long set was recorded at The Fillmore in Detroit in August of this year.
via: New York Post
He’s thinking about how to end his five-year Netflix run, aviators on, with nothing but the sound of tires rolling on dirt and Morgan Freeman’s soothing narration.
That’s when he tells Freeman — in his classic, abrasive form — to “shut the f–k up.”
In the newly released teaser, Chappelle and Freeman promote the comedian’s last special for Netflix, which was released Tuesday.
Titled “The Closer,” the special is the sixth in the series since the beginning of his contract with Netflix in 2016.
Initial social media reactions to the show appeared to be overall positive.
“When you get Morgan Freeman narrating your trailer, you are a legend,” wrote a fan on Twitter, while numerous others called the comedian the “greatest of all time” for “pushing it to the limit.” Another early rising devotee said they were “already crying” while watching at 6:30 a.m.
Dave Chappelle is my favorite comedian of all time and when you got Morgan Freeman narrating your trailor, you are a legend ???? https://t.co/fB77pENqL3
— Jacob Espinoza (@jjsavage92) October 5, 2021
Dave chappelle really the goat ???
— ???? (@lasophroga) October 5, 2021
Out the gate Chappelle pushing it to the limit
— The Music Explorer (@TheWaterSeries3) October 5, 2021
https://twitter.com/FaranBalanced/status/1445338277716893699?s=20
Chappelle touches on racism, identity, sexuality and more on the show, which was directed by Emmy winner Stan Lathan, who has shot all of Chappelle’s prior Netflix specials.
The 48-year-old comedian announces in the special that this will be his last one for a while — as his contract with the streaming giant is coming to a close — and cracks a few jokes about contracting COVID-19 and getting vaccinated.
But Chappelle still didn’t shy away from his political views and stating his opinions — nothing that the transgender community “wants him dead” after he was accused of making transphobic jokes over the years and being subsequently canceled.
“Any of you who have ever watched me know that I have never had a problem with transgender people,” he says in the special. “If you listen to what I’m saying, clearly, my problem has always been with white people.”
Yet he continues to make jokes about trans women not being as “real,” defending J.K. Rowling’s remarks about transgender individuals and qualifying it by talking about Daphne Dorman, a white trans woman who was a fan of his.
He discusses her taking her own life, revealing that he has started a trust fund to pay for her daughter’s college education. Notably, he says he won’t be performing any more LGBTQ jokes “until we are both sure that we are laughing together.”
But earlier this year, Chappelle bashed late-night skit show “Saturday Night Live” for not being “woke” enough, while following up by saying, “No one can be woke enough.”
“I’m torn because I like a warrior for a good cause but I’m really into tactics,” the comedian said about Elon Musk’s May 2021 hosting gig on “SNL” and the backlash that ensued. “If you continue with this tone, even if you’re right, you’ll be very hard to hear.”
The Netflix special comes after the revival of his “Chappelle Show” on Netflix this year — after he’d asked for it to be removed, and then asked for a re-installment.
The final credits for “The Closer” show a montage of moments picturing Chappelle with a variety of notable people — Bill Murray, David Letterman and Bill Burr, to name a few — including the late comedian Norm MacDonald, who died last month at age 61.
“For Norm,” the caption on the screen reads.
Watch the trailer for Dave Chappelle’s The Closer, which is now streaming on Netflix, below.
