The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) denounced NBC and beleaguered comedian Dave Chappelle for his recent hosting gig on Saturday Night Live.
The ADL is an international Jewish non-governmental organization specializing in civil rights law. They are headquartered in New York City.
In October 2021, Chappelle, the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, was slammed for making jokes that were largely perceived as homophobic and transphobic on his Netflix show, The Closer.
The backlash from The Closer episode led to Netflix employees staging a walkout in support of the transgender community–claiming that Chappelle's set was an example of the potentially harmful rhetoric leading to transgender inequality and violence targeting transgender people.
Some students of Chappelle's alma mater Duke Ellington School in Washington D.C. also spoke out against the comedian.
Following the comedian's SNL appearance, the Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt–a former Obama administration official–tweeted:
”We shouldn’t expect Dave Chappelle to serve as society’s moral compass, but disturbing to see [NBC and ‘SNL’] not just normalize but popularize antisemitism."
"Why does our trauma trigger applause?”
SNL previously satirized The Closer controversy during a "Weekend Update" segment from a November 2021 episode, stating:
"A Washington D.C. art school is postponing renaming its theater, after alumni Dave Chappelle's Netflix controversy."
"Well, of course, because God forbid, you should name a building after someone problematic in Washington D.C."
SNL writers considered a boycott after Chappelle's hosting duties were announced.
An insider told Page Six:
"They're not going to do the show. But none of the actors are boycotting."
In his opening remarks, Chappelle read from a prepared statement:
"I denounce antisemitism in all its forms, and I stand with my friends in the Jewish community."
He then referred to disgraced rapper Ye's antisemitic tweet last month about going "death con 3 on Jewish people."
Chappelle continued:
"And that, [Ye], is how you save some time."
He added:
"I gotta tell you guys, I've probably been this for 35 years now. And early in my career, I learned that there are two words in the English language that you should never say together in sequence."
"Those words," continued the comedian, "are 'the' and 'Jews.' "
"Never heard someone do good after they said that."
Chappelle made no mention of the transphobic jokes that previously got him in hot water.
You can watch Chappelle's SNL monologue here.
Dave Chappelle Stand-Up Monologue - SNLyoutu.be
Twitter shared their divided thoughts in response to the ADL CEO's concern regarding NBC's hiring of Chappelle for the SNL episode.
Some, however, thought all the hate against Chappelle was unwarranted.
Chappelle also mentioned Black GOP Georgia Senate nominee Herschel Walker–who will be going head to head with Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock in the runoffs next month since neither candidate reached the state's required 50% of the vote in the general election.
Said Chappelle of the post-midterms climate:
"All of humanity depends on it. The most ominous sign of the midterms I believe would be Herschel Walker, who I don't want to speak badly about because he's Black."
"But I have to admit, he's observably stupid."
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