I want to dedicate this blog to the poetry that is  Dave Chappelle.  Not only is he an activist comedian but he’s the embodiment of courage in a world where fear of being stripped of the progressive nomenclature has inhibited us to dismantle the crippling co-optation progressive movements are enduring.

Comedians are not jokesters who use cheap punchlines to provoke instant reactions from their audience, but artists who transmit.

Their pain and suffering through an activism that seeps through the chore of so many battling within the same confines…through laughter. They break free from the impositions of discursive enslavement by deconstructing imposed notions of normalcy to underscore their “abnormal” existence in a feeble attempt to breach from the simplistic notions of empathy. We can only empathise within the realms of our understanding and perceptions the suffering of others, which might not be enough. Suffice to say this calling is not for all; for some comedians this is not the end goal but about an individual journey to success by predisposing oneself in a strategic vantage point to embellish a context that evokes bewilderment to the audience.

What strikes me the most about Dave Chappelle is his mastery at being the embodiment of contradictions while denouncing the subtle contradictions that impound the Feminist and Black Lives Matter movement. What I mean by that is the uncompromising acceptance of his past—as a suburban kid who rose to fame though comedy and renounced success because his values wouldn’t permit him to forcibly reconcile the paradoxes of reality. The vulnerability and strength he wittingly masters permit him to demystify the seemingly cohesive ideologies of white feminism while throwing puns and unpacking the distortions using the lens of those who thrive within the same distortions.

Dave Chappelle has always been enmeshed in controversy and misinterpretations. Decisions made throughout his career have sparked a multitude of reactions—from amusement, inspiration, revelation to bewilderment, offense and hurt. Instead of renouncing to laugh at his jokes, most are enraged by his existence. Makes me wonder if the phenomenon that is Dave Chapelle can be reduced to a single punchline and the momentary outrage can dissolve years of disruptive activism. Dave’s real strength is his commitment to reality, not the theoretical understanding of movements that deprive the reality of those bearing the brunt of discrimination and segregation, but the reality that acknowledges the gendered world we inhabit – how our language, our religion, our politics embrace solely men and evokes uncompromising power and privilege.

African women and other minorities are trying to mark their existence to ensure equitable rights for self-determination. Feminism is evolving; it attempts to underscore women’s struggle using an intersectional lens, and acknowledges the tiers of discrimination African women, women with disabilities, indigenous women, etc, are facing.  And yet the co-optation instigated by ideologies that discount overlapping, concurrent forms of oppressions are gaining momentum, hiding behind the same institutions/individuals that impose systemic subjugations to counter any occurrences or privilege being challenged.

In his last special Dave paid a tribute to a fan who committed suicide due to unyielding personal struggles, aggravated by the acrimony and contempt emanating from social media. Vile and contemptible messaging under the obscure pseudonym of hate-speech inflamed her personal lacerations. Their encounter was the pinnacle of alliance, as two individuals navigating a world in which all odds seem against them, bound by systematic oppression. They connected over a mutual acceptance of struggle as a binding human experience and resistance to hate as an everyday act of resilience. The struggle translated into poetry of resilience and solidarity which we all had the privilege to witness unfolding.  And yet the demise of one just goes to show the fragility of defiance. Her demise was directly/indirectly provoked by the solidarity expressed not just to Dave Chappelle, but his plight against oppression. As Dave framed it, she went against the will of her tribe to advocate for him and his tribe. And you know what he did?  He acknowledged her as one of his tribe. Tribe should not be understood as a primitive way of association based on kindship or blood ties, but one that transcends all predefined forms of association, ascribed by generosity of human understanding.

Dave’s grit is unconscionable. He is the embodiment of poetry—lyrics of pain and suffering enmeshed with plethoric devotion for the emancipation from subjugation, glorified by humility to the utmost riotous of sentiments: compassion. He is a master at leading a complex existence of jubilation and sorrow, with the courage and audacity to lift himself from the enslavement of cognizant obliviousness and reign victorious amidst voices of contempt. His purpose is twofold:  to dismantle the shackles of ethical pronouncement instigated by the same forces who flourish under the current status quo and to taut the pattern of co-optation replicated by the same voices who have been othered. His devotion to fight for his “tribe” is unfathomable, but his generosity is abundant; he recognizes the oppressed as quickly as he’s able to summon solidarity. His solidarity not only evokes strength of will but conjures integrity to disrupt with a purpose – to dismantle the web of censorship imposed on the oppressed.

And yet here “we” are…..

Deceive, mislead, misinterpret … then promote. This pattern of existing has been programmed into our mindset and ingrained into our souls as a distorted version of being that governs our existence. We’ve been programmed to decipher reality through a crooked lens of self-centred existentialism. What we conceive is limited to our understanding of survival. We embrace ideas and conditions which permit our existence and capitalize on progressive obliviousness, which guarantees the comfort of lavish ideologies and lifestyle. So little is asked of us: just retain the status quo. We dread discomforting truths that force us to enlarge our existence from our individual will, special and temporal limitations. We exist for ourselves and the version of the truth that allows our existence. There’s no space for others; if they defy our fortress of deception, annihilation is imminent. As long as we’re comfortable, the rest doesn’t matter. Makes me wonder how long this hallucination will last… how long we’ll exist denying existence to others.

 

Image Source: https://feminisminindia.com/2019/09/17/dave-chappelle-stand-up-show-isnt-funny/