Celebrity
Dave Chappelle Sold Out Show Cancelled By First Avenue In Fear Of Controversy
“We lost sight of the impact this would have.”
First Avenue announced that they’re canceling Dave Chappelle’s show in Minneapolis just hours before it takes place. Their full statement reads that the venue feared the backlash of people after Chappelle’s Netflix Special became more controversial.
“To staff, artists, and our community, we hear you, and we are sorry,” the statement begins.
“We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls.”
“The First Avenue team and you have worked hard to make our venues the safest spaces in the country, and we will continue with that mission. We believe in diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression, but in honoring that, we lost sight of the impact this would have.”
“We know there are some who would not agree with this decision; you are welcome to send feedback,” the statement ended.
Their decision to cancel had sparked debates under the tweet before it was locked due to Chappelle, who’s always under fire for making jabs at the LGBT community.
Previously, activists have announced their plan to protest outside First Avenue during the sold-out show. Since their announcement, Rolling Stone reported that they’re moving to Varsity Theatre.
Netflix has also received criticisms and requests to take down ‘The Closer,’ Chappelle’s stand-up special where he openly sided with J.K. Rowling. Viewers were angered by his constant jokes and puns that had degraded into derogatory language and transphobic statements.
The streaming service had chosen to stand its ground, arguing that stand-up is a creative expression by comedians who should always try to push the boundaries. Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos added, “Chappelle is one of the most popular stand-up comedians today, and we have a long-standing deal with him.”
“We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe ‘The Closer’ crosses that line. I recognize, however, that distinguishing between commentary and harm is hard, especially with stand-up comedy, which exists to push boundaries.”
“Some people find the art of stand-up to be mean-spirited, but our members enjoy it, and it’s an important part of our content offering,” added the co-CEO. But despite his words, hundreds conducted a mass employee walkout in October to protest against the controversial stand-up show.
