Fuck You, Dave Chappelle, That's Not What Consent Sounds Like

By Vivian Kane | Celebrity | November 7, 2016 |

By Vivian Kane | Celebrity | November 7, 2016 |

Last Friday, Dave Chappelle did an hour-long stand-up set in New York, which served to remind anyone who’d forgotten during his recent relative absence from the public eye that yup, Dave Chappelle is still an asshole. It’s been announced that he’s hosting this weekend’s SNL (although he’s already joking (?) that he won’t show up), but forgive me for not being over the moon at this idea. Because, again, Dave Chappelle is a goddamn asshole.

During his set at the The Cutting Room, he seemed to be trying to break some sort of record for douchebaggery. Much of his time was dedicated to how much he hates Hillary Clinton, although he said he did vote for her. He said she’s not “coin-worthy,” and that bugs him because she’s probably going to be on a coin or something some day. Cool story. He also had this commentary gem:

He likened voting for her to a hypothetical situation of actress Halle Berry breaking wind in his face during sexual relations. “I’m still going to go for it,” he said. “But I wish she hadn’t done that thing.”

Classy. TMZ is all in a huff because they say he insulted Trump, too, but the liberal media or whatever is only focusing on the Hillary stuff. Which, sure, maybe, but he also compared Trump to the Terminator, impressed with how he just keeps going despite the Access Hollywood tape leak which should have brought him down, and calls Trump “gangsta” because he owns up to abusing the American system for his benefit. You know, coin-worthy type stuff.

He also had some jokes at Caitlyn Jenner’s expense, says he doesn’t want to pee at a urinal next to “a woman with a dick,” and says people shouldn’t talk about feminism or gay rights in front of black people, because that implies prioritizing some issues of others.

But among all that, there’s one bit of bullshit that stuck under my skin more than any of the other bullshit. In talking about the Access Hollywood leak (which, by the way “You know that came directly from Hillary,” because you DID know Hillary has a basement full of old talk show live mic audio, right?), he didn’t get why we were blowing things out of proportion. Allow Chappelle to consentsplain this to you.

Sexual assault? It wasn’t. He said, ‘And when you’re a star, they let you do it.’ That phrase implies consent. I just don’t like the way the media twisted that whole thing. Nobody questioned it.

FUCK YOU, DAVE CHAPPELLE. Of all the awful things he said during this set, I think this one makes me apoplectic because I know so many people do actually believe this. They believe that what Trump said was “just words” and words can’t hurt you, but even if he was describing real actions, sure it may be gross, but it’s not assault. It’s just, at worst, a little pushy. Aggressive. Guy stuff.

What we’ve been hearing with the women coming out and telling their stories of being groped, cornered, kissed on the mouth, and raped by Trump, is that when Trump uses the word “let,” he’s using it wrong. He’s lying, and he’s a monster. To “let” someone do something, by the way, is not the same as consent. The absence of a no is not the same as a yes.

Many of these women describe being cornered by Trump and trying to maneuver out of rooms. That is not “letting” him do anything, although I’m sure that’s the word Trump would still use. Many more describe standing stock still with shock. Immobility from surprise and shame and fear is not “letting.” The 13-year-old raped by Trump described being tied up, begging him to stop, and being hit in the face. But sure, Dave Chappelle, go ahead and choose to side with Trump’s use of the word “let.”

If he says they let him do it, that’s your choice to believe what is clearly a lie, or at the very best, a fundamental misunderstanding of the word and a total disregard for other humans.

In short, go straight to hell, Chappelle.

From The Observer via DListed.