When Does Comedy Cross the Line?

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🗓️ 26 November 2022

⏱️ 15 minutes

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Summary

Every time stand-up comic Dave Chappelle gets in front of a mic, he seems to reignite a debate over when, or whether, a comedian can go too far. Chappelle has been heavily criticized for jokes about gay people and the trans community. Most recently the comedian came under fire while hosting SNL. During his monologue, he made comments that critics say elevated longstanding, prejudiced tropes against Jewish people.

Can a joke become harmful, can comedy cross the line? Who decides what happens when that line is crossed?

NPR's Eric Deggans speaks with Roy Wood Jr, a comedian and correspondent for Comedy Central's The Daily Show, and Jenny Hagel, a writer and performer for Late Night with Seth Meyers and head writer for the Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Should comedians ever have to apologize for a joke?
0:02.8	I believe you should only apologize if you feel remorse.
0:09.0	I think anything else is disingenuous and bullshit.
0:13.2	comedians are the ones testing where the line is.
0:16.6	We can't always be perfect.
0:18.4	Comedy is, I do think, is the, you know,
0:21.3	supposed to push the line, push towards the lines in the medium.
0:24.0	There are more people now who will let you know if they think you went over the line
0:27.6	than ever before.
0:28.2	Don't I know it.
0:29.0	When does comedy go too far?
0:31.4	The question has probably been around since the first person decided to step on a stage
0:35.6	and tell a joke.
0:36.8	And in any discussion about where that line is and who gets to decide whether it's been crossed,
0:42.2	one name is bound to come up.
0:44.4	Superstar Stand Up Comic, Dave Chappelle.
0:47.4	Chappelle has been heavily criticized for jokes about gay people in the trans community
0:51.6	and recently he hosted Saturday Night Live with an opening monologue that addressed
0:56.2	anti-Semitic remarks made by rapper Yeh.
0:59.3	Formerly no, this Kanye West.
1:01.5	In early in my career, I learned that there are two words in the English language
1:06.1	that you should never say together in sequence.
	...

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