Dave Chappelle emotionally speaks on killing of George Floyd in surprise special
Dave Chappelle is speaking out on the killing of George Floyd in an emotional new stand-up special.
Netflix has dropped a surprise half-hour special from Chappelle on YouTube called 8:46, a reference to how long a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on Floyd's neck. Filmed just days ago, the special sees Chappelle launch into the topic on everyone's mind right from the top, saying he's "very proud" of those who have been doing "amazing work" protesting police brutality.
The comedian, illustrating how long 8 minutes and 46 seconds is, then tells a story about once thinking he was going to die during a "terrifying" earthquake that only lasted about 35 seconds.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"This man kneeled on a man's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds!" Chappelle says. "Can you imagine that? This kid thought he was going to die. He knew he was going to die. He called for his mother. ... And for some reason that I still don't understand, all these f---ing police had their hands in their pockets. Who are you talking to? What are you signifying, that you can kneel on a man's neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds and feel like you wouldn't get the wrath of God?"
Chappelle reflects on the fact that he couldn't bring himself to watch the video of Floyd's killing for a week, but when he did, "I understood, nobody's going home. Anyone who sees this, well, they're going to be furious."
But Chappelle also blasts those like CNN's Don Lemon who had been calling for celebrities to address Floyd's death, asking, "do you want to see a celebrity right now? ... No, this is the streets talking for themselves. They don't need me right now." He concludes the special by reiterating, "These streets will speak for themselves, whether I am alive or dead." Watch the full special free on YouTube below. Brendan Morrow
