Dave Chappelle and the Power of Celebrity
Why we pay attention to the rich and famous
Dave Chappelle, in his comedy special, “8:46”, said that no one wanted to hear from celebrities regarding George Floyd’s murder, race relations, or Black Lives Matter. He couldn’t have been more wrong. And he probably was being somewhat facetious. At that point, around June 2020, Americans were looking for leadership. And, in fact, up to that point, we had gotten none. It had gotten so bad that many of us were willing to hear and consider viewpoints from those who — not so long ago — thought race was unimportant and called anyone fighting for Black Lives Matter “liberal snowflakes.”
In this instance, for Chappelle, it was not about being a celebrity, but about being a person.
As a Black man, Mr. Chappelle often shares true, but painful, experiences of discrimination that he has faced as a Black man in America. These are often eye-opening to young people out there.
Not all celebrities are viewed alike, and not all people view celebrities as ‘celebrities’. There are lots of people who identify with them as role models and leaders of industry — individuals whom they admire or want to emulate. People are hungry for leadership. Their disdain for their elected officials is so great that they will literally take a celebrity’s views…
