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ADL slams Chappelle monologue: ‘Disturbing’ for SNL to ‘not just normalize, but popularize’ anti-semitism

November 14, 2022 | | Print Article

The Anti-Defamation League attacked “Saturday Night Live” over comedian Dave Chappelle’s opening monologue while hosting the show, delivering a scathing rebuke because he referenced rapper Kanye West’s ostensibly antisemitic comment against Jews.

“We shouldn’t expect @DaveChappelle to serve as society’s moral compass, but disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalize but popularize #antisemitism. Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?” tweeted ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt on Sunday, the day following Chappelle’s performance on SNL.

During Chappelle’s monologue, he gave what appeared to be advice to West concerning his comments on Jews.

“I denounce antisemitism in all its forms. And I stand with my friends in the Jewish community,’” he declared. “And that, Kanye, is how you buy yourself some time.”

“I got to tell you guys, [I’ve] probably been doing 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,” Chappelle remarked. “And those words are ‘the’ and ‘Jews.’ I never heard someone do good after saying that.”

Chappelle commented that he grew up around Jewish people and has a lot of Jewish friends, “so I’m not freaked out by your culture.”

The comedian also evidently noted NBA superstar Kyrie Irving, who is promoting an allegedly antisemitic film called “Hebrews to Negroes.”

“It’s a big deal, he had broken the show business rules,” Chappelle said referring to Kanye West during his show-opening monologue. “You know, the rules of perception. If they’re black, then it’s a gang. If they’re Italian, it’s a mob. If they’re Jewish, it’s a coincidence and you should never speak about it.”

“I’ve been to Hollywood. This is just what I saw. It’s a lot of Jews. Like a lot. But that don’t mean anything. I mean, there’s a lot of black people in Ferguson, Missouri,” he joked. “They don’t even run the place.”

“I would say if you had some kind of issue. You know what I mean. Might go out to Hollywood, might start connecting some sort of lines and maybe you could adopt the delusion that Jews run show business. Not a crazy kind of thing to think. But it’s crazy thing to say out loud in a climate like this,” Chappelle quipped setting the ADL and social media on fire.

(Video Credit: Saturday Night Live)

Jewish rights activist Rudy Rochman called the SNL skit “a meticulous & calculated move to desensitize the population from anti-Semitism.”

Time Out New York theater editor Adam Feldman contended, “That Dave Chappelle SNL monologue probably did more to normalize antisemitism than anything Kanye said.”

He went on to remark that “Everyone knows Kanye is nuts. Chappelle posits himself as a teller of difficult truths. It’s worse.”

Comedian Loni Love viewed the monologue differently and gave Chappelle kudos for his performance.

“The Dave Chappelle monologue on @snl tonight was the classic stand up he is known for … current events, timely and funny,” she tweeted.

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