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This article is adapted from Joe Concha’s video commentary.
The on-stage assault of a comedian was not a matter of if, but when. Is this the new normal?
The comedian: Arguably the greatest of his generation, Dave Chappelle.
The venue: The iconic Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles.
Chappelle, the target of cancel culture not too long ago, was attacked during his performance before more than 17,000 in attendance. And before we laugh this off as Will Smith 2.0, know this: The attacker was armed with a replica handgun that contained a knife blade.
Dave Chappelle looks on during UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3 at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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This could have been very serious, even fatal.
Thankfully, security along with actor Jamie Foxx, a guy you would not want to deal with in this kind of situation, was there to pummel the guy into submission. And Chris Rock was there to lighten the mood, knowing how it feels to have the stage turned into a free-for-all.
But let’s say a comedian not of Chappelle’s fame is performing in a typical comedy club, where patrons are sitting only a few feet from the stage with no massive security.
Do comics suddenly have to rethink the jokes they tell? Do they have to become what Hollywood has, “politically correct,” and not even think about making a joke about anyone considered part of a minority group, all to avoid physical harm?
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Either way, the Oscar Academy and Will Smith are partly to blame for this horrific precedent. Smith walked up on stage to slap comedian Chris Rock, hard, and was allowed to watch the rest of the show, receive an award, and make an acceptance speech, which received a standing ovation, of course.
In this handout photo provided by A.M.P.A.S., Chris Rock is seen backstage during the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre on March 27, 2022 in Hollywood, California.)
((Photo by Al Seib /A.M.P.A.S. via Getty Images))
No accountability. Minimal consequences. It’s a lot like our justice system in Democrat-run cities these days. Commit the crime, don’t do the time.
Or on college campuses, where conservative speakers require hundreds of thousands of dollars, just to get to a stage safely. Or in the media, where the “speech is violence” line is constantly peddled.
Add it all up, and America is becoming one big safe space, that actually isn’t safe!
Because too many on the left believe there is no free speech. Just the right kind of speech and the wrong kind. Just ask Elon Musk.
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And if that’s the thought process, then that’s… a whole bowl of wrong.
