Dave Chappelle's third and final stand up special for Netflix takes on, headfirst, the controversy generated by his previous one, "Sticks and Stones." That one was roundly criticized for being transphobic.
In this one, Dave tries to explain himself. He digs himself a little deeper in the shit, because trans people don't like to be made fun of. Coming out as trans is fundamentally different than coming out as black, a distinction Dave doesn't seem to appreciate. In the special he talks about several trans people he's known and admired, and repeats the tired old trope about "gender is real."
Well yeah, it is until it doesn't match how you feel.
I cannot imagine what it's like to be trans, since my sexual identity is such a big part of who I am. But I can cringe when a rich, celebrated, successful black man makes jokes about it.
Dave's heart is in the right place, and he's not hateful. But he's still ignorant and speaking from a platform of ignorance.
The best joke in the show -- which was more observational humor than joke humor -- came from a trans fan of Dave's named
Daphne Dorman. That says something.
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