In his seventh Netflix stand-up particular, “The Dreamer,” comedic heavyweight Dave Chappelle takes the stage on the historic Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C., reflecting on his journey from ticket giveaways to changing into one of many world’s most famous humorist.
Opening with a Thoreau quote on success, Chappelle’s black-and-white cinematic entrance, set to Radiohead’s“Daydreaming,” mirrors the depth of a champion coming into the ring. The venue’s nostalgia swiftly transforms right into a poignant story of his late father lacking out on witnessing his preliminary particular.
Chappelle then shares a humorous recollection involving the late Norm Macdonald and a surreal encounter with Jim Carrey on the set of “Man on the Moon.” The comedic icon was in character as Andy Kaufman, main Chappelle to lament, “That is how trans individuals make me really feel.”
Chapelle’s new and outdated obsessions
With an ear-to-ear grin, he declares a departure from trans-related humor. “I ain’t sayin’ shit about trans individuals. Perhaps three or 4 instances tonight, however that’s it. I am bored with talkin’ about them.”
Chappelle emphatically asserts his autonomy, exclaiming, “I do not want you. I received a complete special approach. You guys won’t ever see this shit comin’. I ain’t doin’ trans jokes no extra. You realize what I am gonna do tonight? Tonight, I am doing all handicap jokes. Properly, they don’t seem to be as organized because the gays, and I really like punching down.”
What the critics should say?
Chappelle’s “The Dreamer” guarantees an unfiltered and sudden journey into his comedic genius, difficult and entertaining audiences together with his distinctive perspective.
But, Rolling Stone’s assessment aptly captures the essence, noting that “It is unlucky that Chappelle’s The Dreamer is, like a few of his prior Netflix specials, obsessively fixated on the trans neighborhood, as a result of it isn’t an space he notably excels at, resorting to puerile premises and punchlines.”
Because the curtain falls on “The Dreamer,” audiences are left with the lingering realization that, as soon as once more, Chappelle’s comedy type “It is not simply drained however uninspired,” mentioned Rolling Stone’s Marlow Stern.
