Is all this fuss an overreaction here?

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As you can see, the dark history of minstrel shows in American culture has cast a dark shadow over the entertainment industry. What we find funny, amusing, humorous, and what we don’t has changed and continues to change over time. What was once acceptable, does not always stay acceptable as we grow and evolve as a society. As a culture we continue to struggle and argue with issues stemming from ethnic humor and stereotypes in comedy. The debate in comedy lies between artists who champion freedom of speech, artistic license, and want to confront and battle the forces of censorship, against the voices who call on these artists and comedians to think, act, and be socially responsible with their talents, their art, and the power and influence they hold over audiences. For an artist and a comedian, these are not easy issues to balance as they tightrope walk over the boundary lines between good taste, social responsibility, and reinforcing stereotypes for cheap laughs. As for the audiences watching, our dilemma lies in whether or not laughing at stereotypes or ethnic humor reinforces and perpetuates social stereotypes, giving them an extended life for future generations. As an audience, we must decide if in laughing at jokes and questionable humor means we too are engaging in the reinforcement and perpetuation of stereotypes. Does laughter at a stereotype in a comedy show make us complicit in the reinforcement of stereotypes too? Or is the onus to be socially responsible solely on the performer?
An excellent case in point with this dilemma is the Dave Chappelle show from 2003 to 2004.
Chappelle had a smash hit comedy sketch show on Comedy Central in 2003. After 2 seasons of about 12 episodes, Dave was ready to cash in with a huge contract for more seasons and more shows. Then one day he snapped and quit the show and the business for a while and left to Africa to reflect on his life and career. Audiences and fans were shocked and saddened because they loved the controversial, edgy show – and edgy and controversial was what this show was about from day 1!
In both the article below and in an interview with Oprah, Dave basically conveys that he felt he was performing “socially irresponsible” humor. Do you agree or disagree? Many others felt that the need to defend his show and his brand of edgy humor as a parody of social stereotypes and making fun of the intolerance and ignorance of prejudiced forces in society. Others tried to defend his humor as a commentary and indictment on the institutionalized racism that runs deep in our culture.
The only opinion that matters here is Dave’s reflection of himself and his conscience. He states in the interview and article below, that he felt socially irresponsible, so he ended the show.
Before we discuss this together, let me go over the following resources to help you understand this important issue.
Resource #1) the first clip is a sample sketch of the controversial and edgy humor that defined his show. This sketch is often referenced as the sketch that drove him to quit his own show. This is the pixie sketch that recalls so much of the painful minstrel show history, to the point where Dave himself is made up in blackface. The original sketch actually has 2 pixies in it. The other pixie plays banjo music and they talk to each other in minstrel speech. Warning, this sketch contains very graphic, explicit language. If you prefer to read the closed captions, see resource #2 below.
Resource #2) This is the same clip of the same Pixie sketch above, but this version contains closed captions. The first clip does not have closed captions.
Resource #3) is Dave’s interview with Oprah after he returned from his trip to Africa. You can watch the entire interview, or if you want to get to the social responsibility part, jump ahead to 5:30 on the time bar.
Resource #4) is the first interview Dave gave explaining his actions and his feelings. It’s from Time Magazine.

In one paragraph, share your thoughts and reactions to the pixie skit, the Oprah interview, and the Chappelle article in Time magazine. Please make specific references to either the Oprah interview or the Time article in particular. Then explain how YOU reacted to the controversial pixie skit? Did you laugh? Did you feel guilty for laughing? Was Dave right to end his show? Or do you believe he should revive the show and bring it back?
In a follow up paragraph, are there any male or female comedians that come to mind that still use exaggerated minstrel-style speech patterns in their acts today? Do you still see these minstrel show speech patterns [dialects] in pop culture today? Where? Who? If you can’t think of a comedian, what about a musician or rap artist that uses minstrel show speech dialects and patterns? Who comes to mind for you if any at all? If you could speak directly to these entertainers, what would you say or ask of them? By laughing at their act, or purchasing their music, or supporting their careers, does that implicate you too in helping to reinforce/perpetuate these historically rooted stereotypes? Or do you disagree with that premise? If you don’t believe these speech patterns are still alive and reinforced, please explain your reasoning.
In a final paragraph or two, address the other parts of this ongoing debate. After all, isn’t laughter just a natural part of life? Is all this fuss an overreaction here? How are we supposed to hold back our laughter? If we begin to censor satire or free speech, doesn’t that do more harm than good in the long run? Should performers have the right to create an act that reinforces stereotypes? Or do you feel performers have a responsibility to use their platforms responsibly? What are your thoughts on any or all of these questions posed here.