For comedian Dave Chappelle, the opening monologue he gave as the host of Saturday Night Live after the 2016 presidential election isn’t something he regrets. He had the chance to reflect on it during a conversation with comedian Mo Amer for the Actors on Actors series for Variety.
“I haven’t watched it in a while, but I remember it fondly,” Chappelle said at the 27-minute mark of the conversation, which was shared Wednesday (June 4) after Amer asked him about his perspective on it from back then to now. The monologue went viral, as Chappelle declared that “an internet troll” had won the White House, also pointing out his history of sexual assault. He would then segue into how he felt after former President Barack Obama won in 2008. “And it made me very happy about the prospects of our country,” he said then. “So, in that spirit, I’m wishing Donald Trump luck. And I’m going to give him a chance. And we, the historically disenfranchised, demand that he give us one, too.”
“Oh, I remember that part,” Chappelle said. “You know what? I look at it like a photograph. That’s what it felt like in that moment. Now, if it ages well or not, I don’t get mad if I look at a picture because it’s not today. That’s what it was at that time.” He continued, “You might look at an old set and cringe, but you could just cringe because of how you were at that time. And in that sense, I’m fine with it.”
Chappelle’s conversation with Amer is one of the rare moments he’s opened up for media – he has declined direct interviews in the wake of brushback from jokes he made against the transgender community in his 2021 Netflix special The Closer. But he and the Palestinian comedian bonded during the COVID-19 pandemic, making this a keen opportunity for the two to talk about comedy and their perspectives on the current times particularly with Amer’s hit Netflix show. “As you know, I notoriously don’t like to do press,” Chappelle said, “but today I wouldn’t have missed, because it’s you.”
Check out the entire conversation above.
Dave Chappelle Reflects On 2016 Trump ‘SNL’ Speech
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