Dave Chappelle is tired of the backlash he’s gotten from participating in the Riyadh Comedy Festival in October, and he’s especially sick of Bill Maher’s thoughts on the issue.
Chappelle called out the Real Time host by name in his Netflix special, Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable, which was released on short notice Friday night.
“You know, and Bill Maher, the famous comedian,” Chappelle said, “I’ve known Bill since I was like 18, 19 years old, and I’ve never said this publicly, but f--- that guy.”
Chappelle continued, “I’m so f---ing tired of his little smug cracker-a-- commentary.”
Chappelle was responding to Bill Maher saying during an October Real Time episode, “Dave Chappelle … was in the press today saying that you can speak more freely over here than in America. ... It is not true."
Maher dismissively told Chappelle to do some jokes about the Prophet Muhammad in Riyadh and see how that went for him.
Chappelle was joined at the Saudi comedy festival by comedians like Pete Davidson, Bill Burr, Aziz Ansari, Jimmy Carr, and Louis C.K. The participants drew heavy criticism for taking the gig, given the country’s authoritarian policies and its alleged role in 9/11.
In his new stand-up special, Chappelle responded to that famous quote of his about free speech in Saudi Arabia, clarifying, “I didn’t tell them to put this in the paper. I just said it on stage.”
Chappelle still stood by the comment, saying, “Don’t forget what I just went through.”
“Two years ago, I almost got canceled right here in the United States for transgender jokes. But I gotta tell you something: Transgender jokes went over very well in Saudi Arabia," Chappelle said.
Chappelle also responded to a popular critique that he betrayed his values by doing comedy for a government that famously murdered a journalist with no repercussions.
“They said, well, ‘Saudi Arabia killed a journalist,’ and rest in peace, Jamal Khashoggi,” Chappelle said. “I’m sorry that he got murdered in such a heinous fashion.”
“And also,” Chappelle joked, “I mean, look, bro: Israel’s killed 240 journalists in the last three months. So I didn’t know y’all was still counting.”
Chappelle also touched on the public murder of Charlie Kirk in September. Although Chappelle condemned Kirk’s death, he also mocked the MAGA comparisons between Kirk and Martin Luther King, Jr., who was also assassinated.
“They both got shot in the neck, but that’s about where those similarities end,” Chappelle said.
“Charlie Kirk is a motherf---ing internet personality,” Chappelle continued. “Fundamentally, he can’t function like Dr. King. Internet n----s are negative because they have to be. Because nobody will engage them unless they say s--t that makes them upset.”
“Could you imagine Dr. King was behaving like Charlie Kirk?” Chappelle said.
Breaking into an MLK impression, Chappelle joked, “Smash that like button and subscribe. Follow me for more content like this. I believe all Black people should be free. Change my mind.”
