8:46

If you know me then you know that I love comedy ( and if you didn’t know well there you go). So when I was scrolling through my Instagram when I saw TMZ posted what seems to be a new stand up comedy from Dave Chapelle. Dave Chapelle is one of my top 3 favorite comedians just because he hits you with truth and wraps in the bow of humor. So, of course, it was only fitting that I checked out the stand-up. The first thing that shocked me was the environment of the stand-up, chairs are separated following the social distancing rules ( oh yah COVID is still out there ). Normally we would see it being held at an indoor venue but this time it was at an outdoor location ( again...COVID). The name of his latest stand up is called 8:46 and it came just days after the passing of George Floyd so you can only imagine what the comedy special was centered around. I watched the 27-minute stand-up and was nodding through and through. I wasn’t sure if I would call it stand-up or a church sermon, cause the man was preaching all types of truth. So if you haven’t watched the special. STOP NOW !! because there will be spoilers.

The stand up was raw as Dave expressed his anger toward what happened to George. He explained that being a man watching another man lose his life will mess you up and how no one can watch that video without it affecting them in some way. Seeing George plead for air for the officer to get off him and eventually calling out for his deceased mother is a hard visual for anyone that has a compassionate heart . Dave also mentioned how Don Lemon is calling our celebrities and asking where are they during these times? I am going to be honest when George passed away I was outrage, I was full of anger I was sad but not once did I think where are celebrities. At that moment all I wanted was justice. Eventually, people started noticing the lack of comments coming from black celebrities. Here's how I see it, there are those that have been talking about it day in and day out every time there is an injustice another unarmed black person killed they use their platforms to talk about it. Here's the thing imagine doing it over and over and over again every time a new name pops up eventually people get weary and tired because as much as you advocate for change, it just doesn't happen. The protest will last a few days..and then that's it! Eventually, you see patterns, an unarmed person gets killed, people protest, it fizzles out after a few days, things return to normal with no change. Another side of me doesn't give a rats ass about celebrities because they get to live their life with money and a certain level of privileged. Would it be nice to have celebrities out in the trenches with those that are protesting? Hell yeah! But they are not our leaders and they are definitely not our saviors. They do not speak for us. It is up to us, the community, the streets, to do what is necessary to get the rights that are owed to us, basic right we are entitled to. It is up to us to demand change. It is up to us to demand justice. It's up to us the challenge the system challenge the status quo. If we want change then we need to fight for it!

Dave also mentions about how he was born at 8:46 and made a link to George Floyd being knelled on for 8 minutes and 46 seconds (8:46). The one particular part that stood up to me was when a particular white woman ( Lauren Ingraham) told Lebron James to 'shut up and dribbled'. I always wondered when we are no longer there to entertain and want to speak up about social issues, social injustices you silence us and basically say we didn't ask for your voice go back to what you were paid to do. Picture this (humor me ) you are being abused by your partner you finally come out to someone and tell them that you are being abused and that person responds with " oh you being dramatic I'm sure it didn't happen like that " sounds dismissive doesn't it? Honestly, I am not surprised at the comment Lebron received, it happens a lot, with friends in the corporate world.

Dave also mentioned that the cop that pulled him over was the same cop that killed John Crawford, the next day. Think about how chilling that is, pretty messed-up right?

Overall, I enjoyed the 27-minute video, I am questioning if whether there is more to the stand-up or was this it with the main focus to just drop truth bombs. Let me tell you if you were looking to laugh this wasn't it. Nothing in the sketch was funny but more so to educate people, and let's be real, Dave probably had a few things on his chest that he needed to get out ( okay, the Azealia banks one I chuckled). Was it smart for him to this? I will definitely say it was risky, this could have gone badly. From the looks of the audience, there were a few white people he could have been heckled. I am sure at this point in life and his career he isn't too worried about being heckled ( I could be wrong ).

So, would I recommend watching it? I would say definitely, hands down, no questions asked! I am so glad that he did this special because it broke it down in a way that explains how black people have felt for years. All within 27 minutes. Maybe it will bring some clarity for those that do not understand the protest, the black lives matter movement have that eureka moment. He was definitely right about one thing 2020 will be in the history book, for sure.

#DaveChapelle #Newstandup #Blacklivesmatter #eightfortysix