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Caloroga Shark Media. Hey Air, I’m back. I’m Johnny Mack with your Daily Comedy News, a daily briefing on stand up comedy, comedians and the comedy industry. Which is a sentence you would say if you were trying to train the Spotify transcription algorithm. But we don’t have time for that right now, because Dave Chappelle has released a surprise special.
Yeah. The other night, it’s a Mill of the Night. I wake up with the Mill of the night, go to the bathroom like us old guys do. Then I gotta settle myself. I pull out my phone and I’m like, Dave Chappelle released a special.
Yeah, there was this boxing thing on Netflix, and then in the middle of that, they’re like, oh yeah, after the show stick around, there’s a Dave Chappelle special. What stop doing that. We’ll talk about that in a minute. Some people are saying this is the greatest Dave Chappelle special of all time. I don’t agree.
Now. I put this thing on and I was psyched for it because Chappelle’s always great and this is a very good special, but it’s not number one. But i’d seen some early reviews of it and people were raving about it. I’m like, oh, okay for this thing, and I hit play on it, and it just looks great. It looks like a big time comedy special should look like, like if you compare it to the hilarious Kamil Nanjiohanni, it’s a guy on a stage that that just kind of shot.
This looks specials, This looks big time. This looks like one of the old HBO comedy specials. And Dave comes out and he’s throwing heat, and to me, it felt like one of those nights when you’re watching a baseball game and the starting pitchers out there and you’re like, this guy’s gonna throw a no hitter tonight. No one’s gonna touch him. He’s gonna strike out fifteen guys.
This is one of those nights. This guy’s untouchable. And that’s how I felt about Chappelle for probably the first half of this special, and then by the end, I feel like it’s one of those nights where that same picture eventually gives up a hit and why is it throwing seven innings and giving up two runs, which is a really good start, but not what you had in mind an hour ago. Does that make sense. I feel like the special just didn’t land at the end, but the front half pretty strong.
I don’t understand the timing of the release. Don’t understand the strategy at all to announce something in the middle of a fight that hey, this thing’s coming out in a couple hours, So you wind up getting press on the Saturday before Christmas, which I think if you tried to time it, you couldn’t do worse. How they even shot this thing without word getting out is kind of surprising. Maybe they shoot every Chappelle show, and the cameras did seem like they were a little far away and zoomed in and not the usual handhelds in the middle of someone’s face, and maybe they were able to hide it that way. But I just don’t understand even the Netflix strategy of hey, here’s a surprise drop, like why not tease it the Saturday before Christmas is weird.
Like even if you host a comedy podcast, it’s like, dude, it’s the Saturday before Christmas. I have to spend time with my family. I’ll try and watch this thing tonight, which is what I did. I found time around five o’clock on Saturday to watch it so none of that makes sense to me. So yeah, in the middle of the night, Dave Chappelle jumps on Instagram posts.
I wanted to shout out to my hometown Washington, DC and think everybody that came out in October to support me at the show. Just want you to know the show will be streaming on Netflix tonight. After the fight, my new special drops and I hope you love it. Thank you very much. Okay.
The special is one hour fifteen minutes. The description Facing a World Gone Sideway is comedy Icon. Dave Chappelle delivers bold truths and potent punchlines and this no holds barred special it is Dave’s eighth special with Netflix. I’ll give you a couple vibe spoilers here, then I’m going to get into specific spoilers. So if you haven’t watched the special yet, I’ll warn you one more time before I do it, but you might want to bail.
In the second half of today’s episode, i’ll talk about bon Yang. Did Dave joke about transgender people? He did in one segment, and I think it’s the best joke of the night. I don’t want to spoil it, but he didn’t ignore it, nor did he dwell on it. Dave puts some facts into evidence along the way that I’m not sure I agree with his premises.
I do appreciate that Dave always has something to say. Now I’ll get into specific spoilers. So again, if you haven’t seen the special and you would like to watch the special without Johnny Max spoiling it, why don’t you hit stop on the podcast right now. I don’t want to ruin it for you, but I am about to spoil it. In three two and one spoilers ahead.
Dave Chappelle did discuss his appearance at the ri Odd Comedy Festival. That’s set up some pretty strong materials, some of the strongest material of the night. But here’s Dave Chappelle himself talking about it. I did edit an effer at the very top of this clip. The rest is intact.
These mothers act like because I did a comedy festival in Saudi Arabia, I somehow betrayed my principles. Well, no, no, I know, I didn’t. I know, no, no, no, no, no. Let me come on, everybody, let me do this, and I’m sure i know I’m all right. Now, everybody calmed down, now, I’m sure I’m right.
First of all, what did they say they sent they said, well, they said well, they said, well, Saudi Arabia killed a journalist and rest in peace, Jamal Kashogi. I’m sorry that he got murdered in such a heinous fashion, but and that, but like you know, period.
Also, I mean, look, bro, Israel’s killed two hundred and forty journalists in…
Dave continues to joke about Riod and says, you know what my new job is, I sit by the phone and wait for the Arabs to call me a great joke. At one point, Chappelle calls out Bill Maher and says, you know Bill Maher, the famous comedian unknown Bill since I was like eighteen nineteen years old, and I never said this publicly, but f that guy, so effing tired of his little smug cracker ass commentary. Chappelle was upset with Bill Maher commenting on Dave playing Riod. Now, Dave makes some points. He says, two years ago, I almost got canceled right here in the United States for transgender jokes.
But I got to tell you something transgender jokes went over very well in Saudi Arabia. Chappelle also does a chunk about Charlie Kirk being compared to doctor Martin Luther King Junior. Some good laughs out of there. Chappelle breaks into an MLK impression, saying, and I won’t do it, but smash that like button and subscribe follow me for more content like this. I believe all black people should be free change my mind.
Very good segment there. Chappelle then moves on to Jimmy Kimmel’s cancelation free speech, government control Puffy Combs, and then Dave kind of stops down and says he’s going to do the longest closer in the history of his career. He asked the audience to stay quiet and focused and says he’ll do two closers, one for the d C crowd and another that he had performed in Saudi Arabia. GQ explains no spoilers, but what follows as a wild odyssey spanning nineteen ten to twenty twenty four that manages to fold in American history, legendary zeitgeist moments, and his own lore well described watch a special let Chappelle tell it Chappelle closes the show by telling the crowd, no matter how much of this government or anyone else puts pressure on you, keep your wits about you. I’m here just to remind you that we’re a community and we will stay sane together.
We’ll take care of each other, and we will wait. Now. As for the title of the special, you’ll see it slugged in the Netflix key art as the Unstoppable. You’ll see it referred to as the Unstoppable. Johnny Max is going to refer to it as the Unstoppable.
The full name of the special is actually the unstoppable N word act. I think this special is evidence of Dave Chappelle being the best comedian in the game right now. Again, I don’t think it’s the best special of the year. I have it at fifth. My current list is Mark Maren, Kevin Hart, Robbie Hoffman, Matt Rife, and Dave Chappelle at five.
Those are the top tier, and then a drop down at Jin Jefferies and the rest of my previously discussed list. Again, very strong, Chappelle has something to say. Chappelle as the top of the class. But I just felt like the second half of the special my thumb started grabbing my phone, and that’s always one of my tails. Whereas Kevin Hart Special, I think is end to end laughs.
Kevin Hart’s not going for art, Dave Chappelle’s going for art, and I think Mark Maren Special nailed the combination of laughs and having something to say. Bowen Yang has finished up his tenure on Saturday Night Live. Prior to the episode, he released a statement in which he said, I loved working at SNL, and most of all, I love the people. Was there at a time when things in this world started to seem futile, but working at thirty Rock taught me the value and showing up anyway when people make it worthwhile. I’m grateful for every minute of my time there.
I learned about myself bad with wigs. I learned about others generous, vulnerable, hot. I learned that human error could be nothing but correct. I learned that comedy is mostly logistics, and that it will usually fail until it doesn’t, which is the best. With Fors’s, thank you to every single person who shut up their friends and co workers and audiences and hosts.
Thank you to Lorne for the job, for the standard, and for bringing everyone at work together. They all care deeply about the people in the room, any room, enjoying themselves. I can’t believe I was ever included in that the show doesn’t go on because it’s ready, But shoot, I hope I am. During the final sketch on Saturday, Bowen Yang got teary eyed. In the sketch, various cast members came up to him posing as holiday travelers, and it soon became clear that the skit was a vehicle to send bowen Yang off.
He told fellow cast members, this is my last shift. It’s sad. I’m going to miss everything about this place. At one point, Bowyang broke down while expressing gratitude, saying, it just feel so lucky that I ever got to work here, and I just wanted to enjoy it for a little bit longer, especially the people I’ve loved. Every single person who works here.
Snl off for the holidays. We’ll return on January seventeenth. Other than that, bowen was lightly in the episode. It was also the holiday joke swap between the Jay and chose to maybe we’ll get into that on Tuesday. Monday’s episodes already in the can.
I normally don’t record Sunday, same day for Sunday. But you know, someone woke up in the middle of the night and dropped a comedy special on me. So here’s my question for Bowen Yang. Is this the Kate McKinnon trap? Like Bowen Yang is great, but bow and Yang without SNL is the anchor.
Let me ask you some difficult questions. Are you going to go see the bow and Yang movie? Is that something that excites you, especially in twenty twenty five, twenty twenty six, where even going to the theaters isn’t a thing anymore? Like is a Bowen Yang movie exciting? Is a bow and Yang sitcom exciting?
Or are you kind of making the critical face that I am. Now We’re like, oh, Bowen Yang’s doing a sitcom? So then what some sort of Netflix show, a variety show, some sort of James Cordon esque type show. Yes, I know he has lost Culturistas. Yes, I know this is the last Culturalista’s Awards.
Am I a fan? Yes? Does he tells? Yes? But like in twenty like, what do you do now?
Like, what’s Kate McKinnon doing? She was fantastic? I’ll make her the comp here? What’s Kate McKinnon even doing so. I don’t know.
I wish Bowen well while we’re here recording an extra episode, let me get the lilt out of my voice, because this is all kinds of horrible. The media is reporting that Conan O’Brien stopped a friend from calling nine to one one during the fight between Rob and Nick Reiner at Conan O’Brien’s holiday party last week. You may recall multiple attendees I’ve reported witnessing Rob and Nick having an argument. One source tells The Daily Mail that the fight was so intense that at least one guest suggested calling the cops to intervene. The insider says they gotten an argument the father and son.
I got so bad and loud. Someone want to call the police report it, but Conan stepped in and said, it’s my house, my party, I’m not calling the police, and talk them out of calling the police. That’s all kinds of horrible. A source close to the LAPD said there were no nine to one to one calls from Brian’s house on last Saturday night, and added only the murderer is responsible. But it must be gunt wrenching for Conan to learn that this is how things turned out.
I’m sure that night is replaying for him over and over. It’s just so awful and sad. I mean, what do you even say? They’re all kinds of horrible, and I feel like this is going to be a big story that continues. And while we’re here, I did watch Kamil Nanjiohanni’s special.
It’s pretty funny. I’ve always liked his stand up. It’s good to see him back on stage. I right now have it at number eleven, with Dusty Slay’s special being better and Bert Kreischer’s special being slightly worse. So right now I have Maren Hart, Robie Hoffman, Rife Chappelle, Jim Jefferies, Justin Willman’s Magic Lover, John Marco, Moe Ammer, Dusty Slay, and Kamil Nanjiohanny.
So I like the special lot, but it just had me saying that these people that had that at number one, like, oh my god, this is the most incredible special of the year in a year where we had Maren never mind Chappelle, because that just came out, But the people who had that at number one, I really was wondering, is Hulu paying people to review specials? Because there’s just no way, Like, there’s no way that’s number one. It’s a perfectly fine, funny hour, but like, just compared to Maren Special, how could you possibly have Camail at number one? It just boggles the mind. And I saw several sits just raving about this special.
Is it funny, yes, is it good? Yes? But is it, like, you know, the greatest thing of the year. Not a chance, So I don’t know there anyway, pretty busy for an extra episode on a Sunday or earlier today. I thought today it was gonna be a holiday weekend thriller kind of day, so I dropped Daily Comedy.
Who’s unwrapped? These stories I talked about the most during the year, And if you go back and you listen, you’ll even hear me say, hey, we didn’t really talk about Dave Chappelle this year, and I feel like we’ll talk about Chappelle a lot for the remainder of the year. In a normal episode in the morning that I had recorded on Friday, I don’t even remember what I talked about. Okay, I’m gonna go enjoy my weekend, Appreciate you, thank you for listening. Go watch Chappelle’s special.
Watch Camil too. It’s really good. It’s just it’s not number one. Hularius. Relax see tomorrow