Dave Chappelle and Philosophy: When Keeping It Wrong Gets Real

by Mark Ralkowski (Editor), John V. Karavitis (Contribution by)

Overview

The New York Times have praised Dave Chappelle as “an American folk hero” for his ability to communicate across lines of race, class, and culture at a time when Americans are more polarized than they have ever been. Dave Chappelle and Philosophy brings together twenty-five chapters by philosophers of diverse backgrounds and varying points of view, looking closely at the hilarious, annoying, exhilarating, upsetting, and thought-provoking aspects of Chappelle’s wonderfully rich output. This volume of the Series serves as an invitation to think about some of the most urgent moral and political questions of our time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781637700020
Publisher:	Open Universe
Publication date:	07/06/2021
Series:	Pop Culture and Philosophy , #1
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Mark Ralkowski is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Honors at George Washington University. He edited Louis C.K. and Philosophy: You Don’t Get to Be Bored (2016) and Curb Your Enthusiasm and Philosophy: Awaken the Social Assassin Within (2012). He has written numerous scholarly works on Heidegger and on ancient Greek philosophy, the latest being Plato at Syracuse (2019).

Table of Contents

Why You Can't Cancel Dave Chappelle Mark Ralkowski xi

I When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong 1

1 My Money, My Choice Luis Felipe Bartolo Alegre 3

2 Is Dave Chappelle a Good Role Model? Andy Wible 15

3 How Old Is Fifteen, Really? Dave Lyrewood 25

4 Who Is John Gait? Dave Chappelle! Roger Hunt 33

II Going Hard in the Paint 45

5 A Master of Comedic Irony Raymond Perrier 47

6 Dave Chappelle Knows Better than That Mia Wood 55

7 Introduction to White Stupidity: Philosophy 101 Mukasa Mubirumusoke 63

8 Dave Chappelle's Positive Propaganda Chris A. Kramer 75

III Everything's Funny Until It Happens to You 89

9 Blouses and Pancakes Mona Rocha James Rocha 91

10 Upsetting the Alphabet People Zoe Walker 99

11 Is Dave Chappelle a Feminist? Christopher M. Innes 111

12 Why Chappelle Needs to Get Over His #MeToo Headache Neha Pande 123

IV Overwhelmed by the Irony 131

13 Clayton Bigsby and the Social Construction of the Self Richard Bilsker 133

14 The Many Contradictions of Dave Chappelle Duncan Gale 145

15 Well, Look No Further, Fella, You Found Me! John V. Karavitis 153

16 Dave Chappelle Meets Sigmund Freud Dru Graham Bennet Soenen Adam Barkman 161

V Speaking Recklessly 169

17 Revolution or Illusion? Brandyn Heppard 171

18 Dave Chappelle Does Not Trust Us Steven A. Benko Scout Burch 183

19 Hard Truths and Dangerous Jokes Lauren Olin 195

20 Dave Chappelle Says He Doesn't Mean It, So Just Shut Up Already Steven Burgess 207

VI Revealing People to Themselves 217

21 Why Do You Feel Guilty for Loving Dave Chappelle? Eliza Wizner 219

22 How Dave Chappelle and Saint Augustine Help Us See Ourselves Conor W. Hanson 227

23 Original Gangsta Marisa Diaz-Waian 237

24 How Dave Chappelle Uses Absurdity to Make Us Think Alex R Gillham 249

VII Standing Back from the Elephant 259

25 Dance Like Nobody's Watching Mark Ralkowski 261

Bibliography 271

"The Worst Motherfuckers" 279

Index 285

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Whether you love Dave Chappelle or detest him, this volume is a must-read. Picking up with ponderous questions about race, sex, gender, American society, and the utility of humor that his oft-controversial humor leaves hanging in the air for a thoughtful audience, these exceptional essayists offer invaluable direction to those of us bamboozled by the landscape Chappelle lays before us.”

—Tom Wilk, Widener University

“This wonderful collection approaches Chappelle as ‘the most talented comedian in the world’ and humor as ‘one of the most valuable things in life’. Explaining why we’re drawn to Chappelle’s comedy despite its flaws, this remarkable study of the value of comedy, its relationship with truth, and its ties with freedom succeeds in unraveling the unique job of comedy through a close and engaging analysis of a controversial phenomenon in contemporary culture.”

—Lydia Amir, Tufts University, author of The Legacy of Nietzsche’s Philosophy of Laughter (2021)

“Whether up or down, humor cannot do without punching. In the twenty-first-century US of A, no stand-up comedian has attracted such large audiences as Dave Chappelle, whose anarchic brilliance and scorching satire have been the source of much controversy, commentary, commendation, and commercial success. In this essay collection, twenty-nine scholars discuss Chappelle’s artistry from a fistful of ethico-political and socio-cultural perspectives.”

 

—Giorgio Baruchello and Ársæll Már Arnarsson, authors of Humour and Cruelty (2022)

Editorial Reviews

“Dave Chappelle. Truth-teller or out of touch? Progressive or retrograde? Timeless or tired? Feminist or misogynist? Ally or apologist? Iconic or infamous? The philosophers gathered here confront these questions and more, offering readers a deeper appreciation of Chappelle’s art and a better understanding of Chappelle as an artist. Dave Chappelle and Philosophy is a portrait of the artist as a middle-aged man and anyone interested in comedy, and potentially some who aren’t, will enjoy and benefit from this book.” 

—Sheila Lintott, Professor of Philosophy, Bucknell University

“Hunkered down in our various ideological bunkers, we live certain in our knowledge of who’s on our side and who’s the enemy. Dave Chappelle is unique in his ability to make us laugh while scrambling the lines, making everyone uncomfortable. This is also what good philosophy does. Put the two together and the result is this volume, full of challenging, insightful discussion.” 

—Steven Gimbel, author of Isn’t That Clever: A Philosophical Account of Humor and Comedy (2020)

“Dave Chappelle and Philosophy is a wide-ranging deep dive into the most distinctive and creative comedian of our generation. Anyone interested in a deeper philosophical appreciation of Chappelle’s work should read this book.”

—Luvell Anderson, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Syracuse University

From the Publisher