Dave Chappelle: The Mark Twain Prize

I caught Chappelle’s exceptional acceptance speech for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor last year, but I decided to watch the entire ceremony Netflix has recently released. In addition to touching words from other comedians including Sarah Silverman, Neal Brennan, and Jon Stewart, Netflix highlights some of Chappelle’s works. From his early performance on Star Search to his acting on the Chappelle’s Show to various standup specials, Chappelle has been great at what he does for so long because he never afraid to speak honestly about how he felt. In one particular segment, in which I found intriguing, he sat on a stool and told his audience:

Everybody gets mad at me because I say these jokes. You understand that this is the best time to say them. More now than ever, you have the responsibility to speak recklessly. Otherwise my kids may not know what reckless talk sounds like. The joys of being wrong. I didn’t come here to be right. I just come here to fuck around.

Now that is some truthful shit. Chappelle definitely deserved this prestigious award. He is a living legend in the world of standup comedy, which is truly an American art form I have come to appreciate.