In Michelle Buteau’s new special, which debuts on Netflix this Tuesday, the comedienne has some good advice for fellow comedian Dave Chappelle.
Chappelle received backlash from the trans community for a joke he made in his 2023 Netflix special, “Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer.”
Michelle Buteau further highlighted this criticism in her Netflix special, “Michelle Buteau: A Beautiful Heart at Radio City Music Hall.”
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Michelle Buteau wants Dave Chappelle to “make it interesting”
According to Variety, Buteau wants comedians to “make jokes about the trans community funny.”
During the Netflix special Michelle Buteau: A Beautiful Heart at Radio City Music Hall, the 47-year-old comedienne criticized Chappelle for making jokes about transgender people.
The “Survival of the Sixth” actress appealed to Chappelle to let fans know that she can be funny about the trans community without being disrespectful.
“It can be done. We can make it interesting,” Buteau said. “You just have to work on it, right? And if you run into Dave Chappelle, could you please let him know? I don’t think he knows about it.”
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Michelle Buteau’s Netflix special ends December 31st
Buteau’s special was released on Netflix on New Year’s Eve.
The comedienne praised Chappelle for being an iconic comedian, calling him “The Goat,” but also criticized Chappelle’s transgender jokes, saying that for Chappelle, “The Goat” is “the best of all time.” He claimed that it meant “to attack.”
She also accused Chappelle of making transgender people feel unsafe.
“I can’t believe there are people out there who make millions of dollars by making people feel unsafe. It’s just so unconventional to me,” Buteau said. variety. “Tonight, I’m saying this: This is a takeover of Radio City Music Hall, and I want to make millions of dollars to keep people safe, seen, safe, heard, and entertained. Masu.”
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“Dreamer”
“Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer” also debuted on Netflix a year ago on New Year’s Eve, and the comedian was widely criticized for comments he made about transgender people during the special.
Chappelle made a transgender joke while talking about meeting comedian Jim Carrey on the set of Andy Kaufman’s biopic Man in the Moon.
Carrey played the deceased comedian in the film, but Chappelle said Carrey met with him on set to do some method acting, and the actor remained in character. The 51-year-old “Half Baked” star said he was grateful to have witnessed Carey’s creative transformation, but added that it was “disappointing” at the time.
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“Looking back, how lucky I was to be able to watch one of the greatest artists of our time immerse himself in one of the most difficult processes of all time. ?I was very lucky to see it, but when it became reality, I was very disappointed,” he said. Chappelle.
“I had to pretend I wasn’t Andy Kaufman because I wanted to meet Jim Carrey,” he continued. “All afternoon, he was clearly Jim Carrey. When I looked at him, I knew he was Jim Carrey. Anyway, all I’m trying to say is… It’s about making you feel like that.
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Chappelle was addressing the ongoing controversy stemming from the 2021 comedy special
Chappelle was referring to the ongoing controversy between comedians and the trans community, stemming from a transgender joke he told in his 2021 comedy special The Closer. Amplifying his humor, the comedian continued by saying he won’t be making any more transgender jokes.
“I don’t have anything to do with those guys anymore,” he joked. “It wasn’t worth the trouble. I’m not giving a crap about them. Maybe three or four times tonight, but that’s it. I’m tired of talking about them.”
“Honestly, I’ve been trying to repair my relationship with the transgender community because I don’t want them to think I don’t like them,” he continued.
“You know how I’ve been fixing that? I’ve written plays. I’ve written them, because I know gay people love theater,” he joked. Ta. Sadly, it’s tear-jerking and she dies alone because the white liberals don’t know how to talk to her. ”
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Michelle Buteau makes history at Radio City Music Hall
According to , Buteau was the first woman to film a comedy special at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall. USA Today.
The comedienne told the media she wanted others, including the LGBTQ community, to feel “seen” in the Netflix special.
“I never asked my team, ‘Can we do this?'” Buteau said. “I thought, ‘How can you help me with this?’ I don’t want to hear the word ‘I can’t.’ This is insane. How do you exist as a black, brown, queer, or fat person? Just do it. Stop listening to people who try to keep you down. ”
Buteau also said in the feature that Chappelle’s way of joking was “dangerous.”
“I’m not saying you shouldn’t say things. I’m just saying, ‘Can you make it funny?’ Because that’s not funny,” Buteau said. spoke. “You’re hurting people and putting them at risk. And it’s not just Chappelle — it’s a part of the culture that I don’t understand. When you’re told, ‘You can’t do what you used to do.’ Yeah! Slavery was once legal. Sometimes you have to move on, and I’m sorry if I’m wrong, but please think about it for a moment. ”