Dave Chappelle’s The Dreamer Needs To Hit Snooze
Among all of the things you could say about the unfiltered and legendary Dave Chappelle, there’s no denying that he is one of the best comedians of our time. From his innovative and hilarious sketch show Chappelle’s Show to his triumphant comeback on Netflix after a 10 year industry hiatus, he’s gained a collective admiration from comedy lovers around the world. Two years after said Netflix comeback, he was awarded the distinguished Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Being a huge fan of the comedian I grew up watching, it was safe to say I was elated to see his name pop up on my Netflix queue again with a new stand up special titled Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer. My overjoyed feeling quickly washed away, as this special was a far cry from the comic relief I’ve long experienced from Chappelle.
The Dreamer felt inherently lazy compared to his hysterical and quick-witted predecessors Equanimity & The Bird Revelation, Sticks and Stones, and The Age of Spin: Dave Chappelle Live at the Hollywood Palladium. From his start on Chappelle’s Show to his most recent stand up work, audiences have grown to love his fearless social commentary. And while you don’t know exactly what you’ll get from an archetypal Chappelle stand up special, you do know that you’ll leave deep in thought or perhaps having gained a new perspective on culturally relevant issues. The Dreamer special started with a transgender “joke” that’s grown tired, even to his most loyal fans. It felt like he was grasping at what he knew was once funny and would get a decent laugh from the audience in his preceding specials, but just like comedy and the fast moving world we live in, what’s deemed “funny” is ever changing.
For a skilled and mastered comedian such as Chappelle, I expected more. As a fan myself, I was yearning for what once made my abs sore from laughing and the stories that captivated me throughout his hour long specials. Rather, I found myself waiting because I’ve become accustomed to the expected comedic lens that he offers on our nations social affairs. Only 30 minutes into the special, I was still waiting. Sure, there were a few jokes that made me laugh out loud, but they were few and far between. What made his previous specials so great was his comedic timing and ability to intertwine a punchline throughout an entire hour-long special. The Dreamer doesn’t grant you that, instead it does the opposite. With no dignified punchline to end on, a coherent story, or any new jokes, it felt confused and lazy.
Toward the end of the special, Chappelle seemed less concerned about getting a laugh from the audience and more so about getting a point across to whoever would listen. With the start of his special beating down on an oppressed group that he’s tirelessly ridiculed to his long winded lecture at the end, The Dreamer appeared to be less so a comedy special and more so a teaching lesson for the comedian — and chalk-full of painfully outdated material. For someone as talented as Chappelle, I don’t think I’m alone in saying I wanted and expected more from this special.
