Laughter wasn't the point of Dave Chappelle's powerful SNL monologue

The Undefeated

"At the root of comedy lives the obligation to tell the truth," says Justin Tinsley of Chappelle's marathon 16-1/2 minute monologue. "Especially when it hurts. And especially to a country that inflicted the pain that became the source for the art. Chappelle has always done that. Sometimes to a fault, as when he says what some might consider the wrong thing to the wrong crowd at the wrong time. But these conversations, like the one he had last night, reinforce the truth that is self-evident: Much of the best comedy over the last half-century revolves around being Black in America and America’s complex history in addressing that topic. With Saturday night’s monologue and 8:46, Chappelle’s societal dissertations stand in a class of their own. And he needed less than a combined 45 minutes of running time to do it. This is why Chappelle on SNL mattered. Biden and Harris addressed the nation two hours before him. Their message was what it was supposed to be: about healing a divided nation, pledging to lead the country through uncertainty and celebrating an election that brought the first Black woman to the vice presidency. Chappelle’s message, like the ones from the president-elect and vice president-elect, was what it was supposed to be, too. Get your act together, America." ALSO: Chappelle slammed for telling a Freddie Mercury AIDS joke.