I wrote this song a long time ago...

here's to looking at you, kid--

the last of Chappelle's Show "Lost Episodes" aired last Sunday, and unfortunately, not much of it was especially memorable--both for me and others alike. as you may know, Chappelle left the set of the show last year, and Comedy Central cobbled together three episodes (out of maybe one episode of material) and had Charlie Murphy and Donnell Rawlings host. While both are entertaining with Chappelle, both were painfully awkward as hosts, especially with Rawlings trying to imitate Chappelle's characters by screaming every punchline.

fortunately, despite these shortcomings, the one skit that I found memorable was hip-hop themed (how appropriate...). dave pokes fun at 2pac's ability to release more music postuhumously (four double albums, one single album, and a couple of live albums--not to mention all the Makaveli material floating around the internet) than he did when he was alive. on a side note, 2pac had to be one of the hardest working musicians ever--in a biography I read, his associates have reported that he wrote at least two songs a day, and on days when he was in the zone, he'd write up to seven. and college students complain about papers...

anyway, without further ado, the Chappelle Show skit--
my favorite part would have to be George W. Smith, who ran for Oakland City Council in '93--you probably didn't hear about him :)
Chappelle left because he felt that he was hurting race relations, and was also uncomfortable with his fame and money--he wanted 50% of DVD sales (Season 1 on DVD is the best-selling TV on DVD of all time) to go to charity.

in response to Chappelle leaving the set of the third season, the media immediately began circulating speculation that he had entered a psychiatric ward and/or a drug rehab program. while he did flee to South Africa to "level his head." while abruptly leaving his show for South Africa is unorthodox, it certainly shouldn't make him crazy, especially when he feels that his show reinforces racist behavior.

Chappelle is one of the rarest kinds of celebrities--he's uncomfortable with both the spotlight and the wealth that his comedy has brought him, to the point that he rejected both. we're so accustomed to the overcommercialization of stars that plaster their faces on everything from billboards and albums to lunchboxes and action figures that when someone rejects that, the immediate notion is to label them insane. who wouldn't want that kind of money?

since his departure from the show, he's been performing stand-up in small clubs and returning to his roots in comedy, while not having to deal with the intense media focus--but sacrificing the money and fame that he could have if he wanted.

Comedy Central has said that their doors are always open to Dave, but that he has to call, and thus the public is left to wonder why he couldn't have just done his show the way he wanted--if it was Comedy Central rejecting his new direction (unlikely, given that anything he touches is gold for them) or if Dave didn't feel like he could live up to the success of the first two seasons while still maintaining his integrity. a very interesting study in human nature and humanity.

also, I would not suggest purchasing the Lost Episodes on DVD--3 very mediocre episodes (if you've seen the "rejects" episode at the end of season 2--where they show skits that didn't make it--all three are less funny than that one) for $26. besides, chapelle didn't want these episodes aired, and assumedly isn't getting paid for them.

that's a long-winded entry, but perhaps I'll be back to talk about happier things later.

until next time,

ck