The midterm elections and the backlash from Kanye West’s antisemitic comments took centre stage in this week’s “Saturday Night Live” programme as host Dave Chappelle made his third appearance.
In preparation for his opening speech, Chappelle announced that he would “read a small statement” that he had written as he entered the stage. I stand with my friends in the Jewish community, and I denounce antisemitism in all its forms,” he said. To laughter from the live audience, he said, “And that, Kanye, is how you buy yourself some time.”
Chappelle was chosen to host SNL after the midterm elections, drawing criticism for his prior jokes about transgender people. Chappelle also hosted SNL after the presidential elections in 2016 and 2020. Some Netflix staff members who thought his jokes were transphobic staged a walkout when his Netflix special “The Closer” was released last year. According to a Page Six report from last week, several SNL writers were considering a boycott in opposition to Chappelle. A spokesperson for Chappelle told CNN that they had “not seen anything to justify media rumors of a writer’s boycott.” An early Sunday comment request did not receive a prompt response from NBC.
Over the years, Chappelle has made numerous jokes about trans individuals in ways that some have found to be insulting and dangerous. He has accused the media of misrepresenting the criticism by portraying it “as though it’s me vs [the LGBTQ] community, which is not what it is.”
The uproar over Chappelle’s jokes about trans people was not specifically addressed in Saturday’s programme, but he did touch on a number of other trending issues. He devoted almost half of his opening monologue to the criticism of antisemitic remarks and content shared by Kyrie Irving, a Brooklyn Nets guard, and Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West.
The two words in the English language that you should never pronounce together in sequence, according to comedian Dave Chappelle, are “the” and “Jews,” he jokingly observed. I’ve never heard of somebody acting well after saying that.
Talking about Kanya ‘Ye’ West
Ye recently lost lucrative sponsorship deals and received harsh criticism from all corners of the entertainment business for his anti-Semitic rants, which included a promise to commit “death con 3” on them on Twitter. Additionally, Irving was placed on indefinite leave by the Nets for tweeting a link to a documentary that the Anti-Defamation League claimed had “extensive antisemitism.”
Chappelle’s jokes appeared to draw from the same themes that got Ye and Irving into trouble, with one reference to the baseless antisemitic stereotype that Jews hold disproportionate power in particular sectors of the economy. Ye, according to Chappelle, violated “the show industry standards [of perception],” which are as follows: “If they’re Black, then it’s a gang. It’s a mob if they’re Italian. However, if they are Jewish, it is merely a coincidence, and you must never bring it up.
Additionally, he claimed to comprehend how someone with “some kind of issue”—Ye suffers from bipolar disorder—could “accept the idea” that Jews “control show business,” which is another racist cliche. I visited Hollywood, and this is what I observed. Jews are numerous. Much,” Chappelle remarked. But, you know what I mean? That doesn’t mean anything. The Black population in Ferguson, Missouri, is sizable. does not imply that they are in charge.
The second half of Chappelle’s monologue, as well as the majority of the rest of the show, focused on politics and the midterm elections, the results of which became more apparent after the episode started since a Democratic victory in Nevada allowed the party to keep control of the Senate. Determining who will run the House is still ongoing.
What is a Potato Hole?
When criticizing political and racial topics, Dave Chappelle treads the edge of political correctness in his distinctive brand of comedy.
However, Chappelle turns this around on his SNL castmates in the Potato Hole comedy. Let’s examine how Chappelle incorporated the term’s historical connotations into a sketch that focused on ignorance.
PM in the Afternoon skit on SNL sees hosts miss out on meaning
Willy T Hawkins performs with the hosts of the fictitious chat show PM in the Afternoon, Heidi Gardner and Andrew Dismukes (Dave Chappelle). The hosts find Hawkins’ current album, Potato Hole, which he is promoting on the programme, to be enduringly humorous. Until Hawkins clarifies what it means, that is.
Before learning what a “potato hole” is, the hosts and reporters make a number of jokes about the title.
The SNL staff comes up with a multitude of ways to include “potato hole” into their talk show segments after incorrectly presuming the title is a sexual allusion.
Dave Chappelle explains the historical meaning of ‘potato hole’
Willy T. Hawkins explains the meaning of the title succinctly after being questioned about it excessively.
A potato hole is a hole that slaves would dig to conceal their food and belongings from plantation owners, the character adds. Hawkins goes on to discuss the potato hole’s enduring influence.
He adds: The potato hole was their sole remaining sign of humanity, and as time went on, it came to represent the black people’s tenacity in the face of white oppression.
History gives the term “potato hole” additional meanings
While Dave Chappelle on SNL says that a potato hole was a hole used for valuables, there is another interpretation.
According to Arlington Magazine, individuals are also believed to have used potato holes. These areas served as hiding places for escaping slaves for several hours or days. According to legend, Harriet Tubman spent a week hiding from slave owners in a potato hole before escaping.
Potato Hole is the name of an actual album released by Booker T Jones
Booker T Jones is a real person; Willy T Hawkins may not be. Jones, a 78-year-old Memphis guitarist, published his CD Potato Hole in 2009. In order to conceal, keep cool, and store food, people excavated trenches into the dirt flooring of their slave houses, according to Jones, who revealed this to Anti-. These folks overcame their predicaments and prospered rather than just surviving.
“Potato hole,” he continued, “for me, is a funky place or joint where people go to have a good time, let their hair down, and groove to the music. We would go to a joint in the basement of a house in the neighborhood to drink, listen to records, and party while I was a college student in Indiana. Potato Hole is dedicated to that spirit, hence we called it “The Hole.”
This record by Booker T Jones was honored with the Best Pop Instrumental Album Grammy at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.