Dave Chappelle on Trump, COVID-19, mass shootings in the ‘SNL’ monologue

Comedian Dave Chappelle returned to Saturday Night Live for the second time, addressing the day’s political news – and how it related to recent politics – in his opening monologue.

The November 7th episode was the post-election episode, the second time he had this world-class hosting spot. And just hours before the show aired, elections were scheduled for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and they were giving victory speeches in Delaware.

Chappelle began his monologue, which you can see above, by talking about his great-grandfather – a man he never met but had heard of his entire life, he said, and a man who was a slave for 10 years of his life, before he learns read and dedicate his life to education, black freedom, and Jesus.

“It was a pretty amazing story my great-grandfather had and I thought about him all day because I wish I could see him now,” said Chappelle. “And I wish he could see me. Because I wonder what he would say. ”

While the feeling was sweet and serious one minute, Chappelle’s usual sharp humor turned it the next when he noticed both Netflix and HBO Max were streaming a show bearing his great-grandfather’s name (“Chappelle’s Show”), and he did not do it. I don’t get paid for it. “If he could see me now, he would probably say, ‘This has been bought and sold more than me,” he said.

He also spoke of a friend in London who contacted him earlier in the day and told him she thought the world was a “safe place now that America has a new president”. His answer was that “America doesn’t”.

“Do you remember what life was like before COVID?” He asked the studio audience. “It was a mass shooting every week. … thank God for COVID. Something had to lock up those murderous whites, keep them inside. ”

Chappelle also reflected on his final months during the pandemic, playing stand-up comedy on corn fields in the small town he lives in. While in some ways he said the shows saved the city, he also pointed out that his neighbors have complained that his shows are too loud.

“They had a whole Zoom meeting all over me,” he said. ‘My kids are trying to sleep and all they hear is the n word.’ I said, ‘Did I say it or was it you?’ ”

And he commented on how he didn’t understand why “poor whites” don’t want to wear masks: “You have no problem wearing them to the Klan rally, wear them to Walmart too.”

Chappelle mentioned that some people got paid more from a stimulus check than their actual paychecks, which made them not want to work, and pointed out that things reminded him of Ronald Reagan and how he claimed to be black “Social workers and drug addicts”. How does that sound now?

“We’re trying to move forward, these white N – hold us back. Don’t you wanna wear your mask Try to wear the mask I’ve been wearing all these years, ”he said. “I can’t even say anything true unless there’s a punch line behind it. You are not ready. You are not ready You don’t know how to survive yourself. Black people, we’re the only ones who know how to survive this. Whites, come on, hurry up; Come and get your n – lessons. You need us You need our eyes to save yourself from ourselves. ”

Chappelle, who said Trump was gone, received huge applause, whereupon he said, “I thought the guy was at least an optimist” and admitted that he wasn’t that optimistic. “There are bad people on both sides,” he said. When the answer was lukewarm, he said, “All right, just try it out.”

But he called Trump a “racist, weird son of a bitch” for the former president, who called the coronavirus “kung flu”.

“Donald Trump is a wild guy,” he said, referring to what he suspected about how to cure coronavirus during a pandemic. “How about some bleach? Some bleach directly in our body. Oh man, the Secret Service has to childproof the White House now … “Mr. President, don’t touch that furnace, it’s hot; Turn the scissors around, Mr. President, if you want to walk around the house. «

Trump got COVID-19, which Chappelle called “weird” because “it was like Freddie Mercury got AIDS; nobody said, “Well how did he get it?” This guy was running around like the breakout monkey; It looked like a 1970s penis just tracking the earth. ”

Chappelle also asked the audience to think about what kind of man, let alone leader, makes people fight and die while prioritizing himself. “A white man,” he said. “I don’t want to apply that to the whites, but I’ve been black for a long time, I’ve noticed a pattern.

“But if you’re a good white man and you really want to help, join me,” he continued. “My plan is called the Kindness Conspiracy – random acts of kindness for black people. Do something nice for a black person just because they’re black and you have to make sure they don’t deserve it … just as you’ve been doing terrible things to black people all these years just because they’re black and they haven’t earned. ”

He was also referring to the last time he hosted and how bad it felt for many people who had just learned that Hillary Clinton would not be the 45th president. Then he took part in a sketch that showed a group of friends how the results came together. They started out high-spirited but got more and more confused and excited – aside from Chappelle’s character and a surprising guest appearance by Chris Rock who saw it coming. Now he begged people to remember that this is how half the country feels now and that it is important to be a humble winner. But he also pointed out that white America’s life expectancy is falling due to drug addiction and suicide. He addressed the “white agony” that comes with feeling that nobody understands something and promises to know what that feels like.

“But here’s the difference between me and you: you hate each other for it and I don’t hate anyone. I just hate that feeling. That’s what I struggle through. I suggest that you find your way, ”he said, telling people“ to find joy in your existence despite this feeling. And if you can’t, get these n – lessons. ”

Saturday Night Live will broadcast live from coast to coast on NBC on Saturdays at 11:30 PM ET / 8:30 PM PT.