Comedian Dave Chappelle has addressed the September murder of the Turning Point USA founder and conservative media personality Charlie Kirk in his new stand-up comedy special, The Unstoppable, saying “that’s a reach” to any comparison between the fate of Kirk and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968.
The performer specifically took umbrage at the move by some to call Kirk, “this generation’s Martin Luther King.”
“If you talk for a living and see Charlie Kirk get murdered that way, Imma be honest, n—-: I was shook,” Chappelle said in the Netflix stand-up show. “I mean, Charlie Kirk was the wholesome white guy. And they killed this motherf—er? I said, ‘These whites…never seen ’em like this. They’re playing for keeps!’”
The comedian outlined he doesn’t know what to make of Kirk’s death. “I’m not making light of Charlie Kirk dying, but I’m not sure what it means, and I’m not sure I believe what they say it means,” he said on the special.
“I’ll tell you what I don’t believe, and the whites were quick to say this. They said, ‘Charlie Kirk is this generation’s Martin Luther King [Jr.]’ No, he’s not! Yeah, that’s a reach.”
Chappelle further slammed Bill Maher, saying he is tired of the backlash he’s received for taking part in the Riyadh Comedy Festival in October, and he’s especially sick of Maher’s thoughts on the subject.
“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 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,” as Breitbart News reported.
Maher told Chappelle to do some jokes about the Prophet Muhammad in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and see how that went for him.
The Riyadh Comedy Festival featured performances by Bill Burr, Kevin Hart, Pete Davidson, Russell Peters, Gabriel Iglesias, and Louis C.K. as well as Chappelle.
As Breitbart News reported, a backlash quickly followed against the comedians, accusing them of profiting from a totalitarian regime.
Lesbian comedian Jessica Kirson has since apologized to fans for performing there, claiming her intention in going to the Muslim-majority Middle Eastern country was to “help LGBTQ+ people in Saudi Arabia feel seen and valued.”
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