Entertainment Article: Dave Chappelle: Success and Controversy
When you think of the most influential comedians to ever grace the television screen, somewhere on that list there is bound to be Dave Chappelle. His hard working comedic style and ability to connect with audiences has won him the respect and admiration of his peers as well as the international public.
Behind every legendary career is a story, and with Chappelle this is no exception. He has enjoyed some of the best times a comedian can imagine having gotten his own TV show, rave reviews of his stand-up routine, fame for his hilarious impressions of Rick James, and more. Mixed in with these incredible upswings of success and increased fame came their counterparts, those times when things didn’t go so well.
One of these times occurred when Chappelle left his own show smack dab in the middle of it’s third season. This turbulent time came after he encountered a crowd in Sacramento, California during one of his stand up performances that continually yelled “I’m Rick James, bitch!” referring to a line out of his famous Rick James impression. Becoming increasingly annoyed at this, Chappelle responded by talking about how he disliked his stint working on the show and how he felt it was ruining his life. He talked in front of the audience about working 20 hour days and about having to haggle with network executives.
In 2005, Dave walked away from his own show and stated that he was displeased with the direction that the show had taken, and that he needed to get away from the distractions of fame. He then did a short time of performing at the Gaylord Palms Hotel and the Convention Center in Florida, which he claimed cleared his mind of the clutter he had experienced while during his grueling television schedule.
He then returned to the show, which again premiered in early 2006. Although he would continue to speak publicly about his disdain for the shows direction, he ended up making some changes to the working environment, and continued to be more outspoken about these issues in general.
One thing that becomes apparent about Dave Chappelle, is that despite the fact he is bombarded as a celebrity every day, and hailed as a big character in the media, he stays true to his feelings and gut. He is not afraid to be outspoken if he doesn’t like the way things are being done, and staying true to your own vision in his industry of comedy and television is a tough thing to do.
Dave Chappelle continues to entertain audiences the world over through his TV appearances and clever stand up routine, never being afraid to do things his own way.
Photo courtesy of entertainmentrx.com.
About the author: David C. is the webmaster of http://famousquotesindex.coms, a website containing close to 30,000 famous quotes and inspiring biographies from renowned authors.
