Dave Chappelle's Jab At People With Disabilities Warmly Received By Former Congressman
By Afouda Bamidele on January 3, 2024 at 11:00 AM EST
It seems Madison Cawthorn's love for Dave Chappelle will never die!
The former North Carolina Representative reportedly loves Chappelle's new comedy special even though the stand-up comedian took a swipe at people with disabilities like him. According to United States media, Cawthorn allegedly finds the routine acceptable, humorous and a part of "living in a free society."
Madison Cawthorn Has Nothing Against Dave Chappelle
In his latest Netflix stand-up special, "The Dreamer," Chappelle once again took aim at the transgender community and people with disabilities. For the routine, he declared, "Tonight, I'm doing all handicapped jokes. They're not as organized as the gays, and I love punching down."
Including a bit about meeting Cawthorn, using a wheelchair after a 2014 car crash that left him partially paralyzed, he joked, "I just walked away. I wanted him to see me do something he couldn't do. I skipped."
Instead of being offended by the jokes, the former congressman disclosed that he enjoyed being humorously roasted by Chappelle. He further claimed that he found the jokes about his wheelchair fair game, especially since he is a public figure.
Touching on another topic involving Cawthorn, Chappelle referenced the infamous claim about the politician being invited to an orgy during his term in Congress. Just like the wheelchair jabs, the politician remained unfazed, mentioning that the 50-year-old's joke about sex parties did not bother him.
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As it turned out, the 28-year-old was aware beforehand that he would be a target in the special as friends who caught Chappelle's set in Nashville gave him a heads-up. Cawthorn also revealed to TMZ that Chappelle is his favorite comedian, and he attended one of the comedian's shows in Tampa to hear the jokes for himself.
He shared that Chappelle was surprised to see him in the audience and invited him backstage after the show. There, Chappelle introduced Cawthorn to his family and shared some drinks with him.
As for his swipes at the transgender community, The Blast noted that the "Home Improvement" star began by reminiscing about meeting actor Jim Carrey on the set of the 1999 film, "Man on the Moon," where Carrey portrayed the late performer Andy Kaufman.
"I was very disappointed because I wanted to meet Jim Carrey and I had to pretend he was Andy Kaufman all afternoon. It was clearly Jim Carrey. I could look at him and clearly see it was Jim Carrey. I say all that to say… that's how trans people make me feel," Chappelle quipped.
After recalling his meeting with Carrey, Chappelle proceeded to address the controversy surrounding his anti-trans jokes, saying:
"If you guys came here to this show tonight thinking that I'm going to make fun of those people again, you've come to the wrong show. I'm not f—ing with those people anymore. It wasn't worth the trouble. I ain't saying s— about them. Maybe three or four times tonight, but that's it. I'm tired of talking about them. And you want to know why I'm tired of talking about them? Because these people acted like I needed them to be funny."
He continued, "Well, that's ridiculous. I don't need you. I got a whole new angle coming. You guys will never see this s— coming. I ain't doing trans jokes no more."
Disobedient Show Attendee Led Chappelle To Drop His Mic Earlier Than Planned
Meanwhile, The Blast reported that Chappelle walked out on one of his recent shows after an attendee failed to respect his rules. According to the report, during the latter part of Chappelle's December 27 performance, he interacted with an audience member and noticed someone recording near the front row.
He promptly singled out the individual, criticized them for recording, and explained his no-phone policy to the audience. During his tirade, the controversial comedian compared a phone pointed at him to a weapon and alerted security.
Following his speech, Chappelle left the stage visibly shaking his head in frustration. It is no longer news that Chappelle has a strict policy prohibiting cell phones and recording devices during his shows.
Attendees were made aware of the no-phone policy when purchasing tickets, and reminders were prominently displayed throughout Hard Rock Live with signage emphasizing the restriction.
To comply with this policy, attendees had to place their phones in Yondr bags upon entering the venue. These bags were then securely locked and could only be opened at designated areas outside the theater.