The Closer (2021 film)
The Closer is a 2021 American stand-up comedy special written and performed by Dave Chappelle for Netflix. It was directed by Stan Lathan and recorded over the course of seven sold-out performances at The Fillmore Detroit, which ran from August 10 to 15, 2021.[1] The Closer is Chappelle's sixth and final special under his 2016 deal with Netflix, with the other five being Deep in the Heart of Texas, The Age of Spin, Equanimity, The Bird Revelation and Sticks & Stones.
The Closer
Sina Sadighi
Dave Chappelle
Jeff U'ren
- October 5, 2021
72 minutes
United States
The special contains segments that joke about the discrimination against the African-American community relative to the discrimination against the LGBTQ community. The special received a mixed reception from critics while some LGBTQ groups called for the special's removal from the service and some Netflix employees criticized and protested Chappelle's jokes about the transgender community.[2][3] Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos repeatedly defended the special as freedom of artistic expression.[4]
The special received various award nominations including for two Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Variety Special and Directing for a Variety Special.[5][6]
Synopsis[edit]
Chappelle jokes about the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, mentioning that he took the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and jokes that it was due to its relatively lower efficacy rate.[7] He talks about having contracted COVID-19 and being asymptomatic, comparing himself to Magic Johnson's HIV infection.[7] Chappelle laments that while in quarantine he was concerned about anti-Asian hate, particularly Black on Asian violence.
Chappelle shares his idea for a movie plot, about aliens claiming the earth as they were an ancient civilization who inhabited the earth once, then managed to explore space but after a long period things went terrible for them and they decided to go back and claim the earth... he calls it "space jews"
Chappelle jokes that he has written a series of children's books, similar to Clifford the Big Red Dog, except it is about a Black man who is shot by police in each installment. He calls the book Clifford, the Big Black Nigger.[8]
Chappelle jokes about controversy concerning DaBaby, and wonders aloud why the rapper was "canceled" for making disparaging remarks about the LGBTQ community but not for killing a man in a Huntersville, North Carolina Walmart.[9] Chappelle says that someone being gay does not mean they cannot be racist.[7]
Chappelle wonders if someone like Mike Pence is gay himself. He also mentions that older gay men are different than the new generation of LGBTQ people, as the older generation had experienced adversity like Stonewall.[8] Chappelle jokes that he likes the concept of a glory hole, and that it takes a lot of courage to use one. He jokes about Martin Luther King utilizing the glory hole as a method for racial unity.[8]
Chappelle then tells a story about getting into an altercation with a gay man who was videotaping Chappelle at a bar in Austin, Texas. The man called the police on Chappelle, and retorts that "Gay people are minorities, until they need to be White again."[8] Chappelle also relates a story of being in an altercation with a lesbian woman in a separate incident.[8]
Chappelle talks about his narrative with the transgender community, and voices his opposition to bills aimed at regulating trans bathroom use.
Chappelle celebrates the adoption of the Juneteenth holiday.[8]
Chappelle tells a story of meeting a transgender woman's mother and later the woman herself at two separate bars in Ohio.[8]
Chappelle discusses the MeToo movement, suggesting hypocrisy amongst celebrities.[7] He also explores the dictionary definition of feminism and by definition defines himself as a feminist. He mentions that J. K. Rowling is considered a "TERF" (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) and says that, since he is a newly appointed feminist, joked that he is "Team TERF".[7] Chappelle jokes about Caitlyn Jenner winning "Woman of the Year" in her first year as a woman. He proceeds to address the audience saying, of Jenner, that she “beat every Bitch in Detroit; she’s better than all of you.” After receiving laughter from the audience, Chappelle continued, saying, “Oh, I’d be mad as shit if I was a woman. I’d be mad if I was me.” He compares it to Eminem winning an award at the BET Awards for "Nigger of the Year".[8]
Chappelle then talks about Twitter, declaring it "not a real place", before finishing with a story about Daphne Dorman, a transgender comedian he had a role in mentoring. Dorman died by suicide after opening for Chappelle during his Sticks & Stones tour; Chappelle alleges she experienced online harassment from people in the trans community for defending Chappelle's comedy.[7]
Production[edit]
In 2016, Chappelle made a deal to release three stand-up comedy specials on Netflix.[10] The deal was extended to include more specials and The Closer marks the sixth and final show in the series.[11] The other shows were Deep in the Heart of Texas, The Age of Spin, Equanimity, The Bird Revelation, and Sticks & Stones. The Closer was written and performed by Chappelle. It was produced and directed by Stan Lathan who directed Chapelle's previous specials.[12] The special was recorded over the course of seven sold-out performances at the Fillmore in Detroit, which ran from August 10 through August 15, 2021.[1] Originally, the show was to run from August 10 to 12, but three additional dates were added "due to overwhelming demand".[13] In the trailer for the show Chappelle stated, "Comedians have a responsibility to speak recklessly. Sometimes the funniest thing to say is mean. Remember, I'm not saying it to be mean: I'm saying it because it's funny."[11]
The show was dedicated to the memory of comedian Norm Macdonald, who died shortly before its release.
According to leaked documents obtained by Bloomberg News, Netflix paid $24.1 million for The Closer.[14]
Music[edit]
The opening titles feature the song "Tribute" by Black Star.[15] The closing credits feature "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor.[7]
Release[edit]
The special was released on October 5, 2021, on Netflix.[16][17] The Closer ranked in seventh place for original content in streaming audience measurements from Nielsen ratings for the week of October 4–10, 2021.[18][19][20][21]
Reception[edit]
Critical reception[edit]
The special received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes The Closer has an approval rating of 40% based on reviews from 10 critics, and an average rating of 6.20 out of 10.[22] Some reviewers pointed out that while the special received poor ratings from professional critics,[23][24][25][26] The Closer had a 96% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.[24]
Eric Deggans of NPR, in a negative review thinks Chappelle goes too far, that his jokes treat oppression like a zero-sum game, and "untangling homophobia, transphobia, racism and white privilege requires a lot more effort and understanding than Chappelle makes here."[27]
Dan Di Placido of Forbes in a negative review wrote that The Closer painted the picture of a declining comedian, saying that Chapelle seems intent on defining himself using the controversy surrounding "Chappelle's habit of mocking the trans community, in a way that the community largely objects to." Di Placido stated that Chapelle's story about Daphne Dorman in the special felt out of place, and called the special "an hour of Chappelle insisting that he is right, and his critics are wrong."[28]
Craig Jenkins of Vulture gave it a mixed review, and wrote: "This time, [Chapelle]’s going for the predictable jabs and rehashing takes that were old hat five years ago … He needs new ideas.."[29]
Helen Lewis of The Atlantic in a mixed review wrote that "The emotion that defines The Closer is not laughter, but anger. Chappelle once delivered his most offensive jokes with a goofy, quizzical, little-lost-boy smile, removing some of their sting, but here the humor feels sour and curdled. The stoner who never gave a shit seems genuinely frustrated and goaded on by social-media pile-ons. An alternative title for the special might be A Response to My Critics." She compared Chappelle's special to a Rorschach test, describing his jokes are both funny and offensive, and that he is "entirely right to indict would-be censors for their wild inconsistencies and their capricious attitude to offense."[23]
Jordan Ruimy of World of Reel in a positive review wrote that "amidst all the brouhaha that has happened this last week over Dave Chappelle's latest Netflix special, “The Closer,” there lies a total and utter artistic act of subversive trolling from the comedian. The result is a blend of comedy and commentary that, when all is said and done, might very well define Chappelle's career — and it's not even close to being the funniest thing he's ever done."[30]
Jim Schembri in a positive review wrote "Chappelle presents himself as an unfiltered, unflinching free thinker, fully aware of the controversy he creates and totally unapologetic about it."[31]