The Fear in Dave Chappelle’s New Special

Early into Sticks and Stones, Dave Chappelle’s newest Netflix stand-up special, the veteran comedian makes a two-part nostalgia play. “Tonight I’m gonna try some impressions out,” he says. Chappelle quickly notes that he has only two to offer, and that the first is a send-up of the Founding Fathers: “Hurry up and finish that Constitution, nigger. I’m trying to get some sleep,” the comedian grumbles, using the same mock-white voice that animated many of his Chappelle’s Show sketches. The line channels the sharp irreverence that made the series so beloved: Crass and vulgar though it may be, it also takes aim at the reputations of men who’ve been largely exalted throughout American history despite their participation in the brutal hypocrisy of slavery.

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