Dave Chappelle. More than a comical genius.

One of the many reasons Dave Chappelle was as successful as he was is because he takes a huge issue such as race and recognizes that it is a bunch of bull and calls out people on it. I think one of his views on race is that once we get past our uncomfortableness about it, we are all able to get on with our lives. This is why he uses comedy to provoke these kind of issues. We all know these issues exist but no one was really able to put a finger on it and get us past the uncomfortable state. This may be a little inappropriate but it gets the point across. The only way we are going to get past stereotypes in society is just ignore them.

 

Comments

[Frank F.]

This is very similar to the Morgan Freeman video on why he doesn't like black history month. In order to get past racism we just have to stop identifying people by their race or by the color of their skin.

[Connor T.]

I understand what you are saying, and I think your argument ahs some validity, but isn't it also wrong to take a "color blind" approach that you are proposing? If we, as a scoiety, do not recognize any differences across racial lines, then haw are we going to solve cross-racial problems that are always bound to come up? I do not necessarily think my approach is correct, but solving racial issues is complex, and I do not think that a single tweak in societal behavior will solve the many racial problems that have been around for hundreds of years.

[Larkin N.]

I thought this video was great. I think that it's true, there is more than just race, it can be more of a cultural thing than a race thing. It's not about skin color but about the culture one may put themselves or find themselves in that defines their "background" or reputation.

[Daniel S]

I see Connor's point. Mr. Lessing's class last year read an article about women in society, but it most definitely applies for race too. The simile is that people are leaves on a tree. And the tree is racism or stereotypes. In order for the tree to die, all the leaves have to fall. Not just one or two. It is an extremely complex process, eliminating racism. The problem is that many people may change their minds, but there will still be people who remain racist.

[Katy O.]

I think that race shouldn't be ignored, but I believe it is our culture/religion that defines someone, not their race. Although race is a visible difference from one person to another, that is not what makes someone who they are. Their beliefs and ideals make up someone's true self.

[Jack B]

Ignoring stereotypes set forth by society is the only way to combat the rigid definition of race we hold. By paying attention to stereotypes and trying to fight racial discrimination as we have in the past, we only further construct race, fuel the basis for racial stereotypes, and distance races from one another. While ignorance may be impossible, forgetting about all preexisting stereotypes is the only way to eradicate our current notion of race. The only way to construct one human race is to forget everything that has defined race in the past (stereotypes).