Jerry Seinfeld responds to Dave Chappelle’s ‘SNL’ monologue
Actor Jerry Seinfeld has responded to the recent controversy surrounding Dave Chappelle‘s SNL monologue.
Comedian Chappelle is the most recent celebrity to host the popular sketch comedy show, Saturday Night Live. However, in an attempt to make a joke about antisemitism, he is now being accused of making antisemitic remarks himself.
During his opening speech, Chappelle discussed rapper Kanye West’s antisemitic remarks. West’s comments on how “Jewish media is to blame” for many misdeeds have taken a lot of career opportunities away from him and resulted in public callouts.
The stand-up comedian opened his appearance with: “I denounce antisemitism in all its forms, and I stand with my friends in the Jewish community. And that, Kanye, is how you buy yourself some time.”
He then compared reactions to groups of Jewish people working together to those of other racial and ethnic groups in the entertainment industry. The comedian sets the joke up with, “if they’re Black, then it’s a gang. If they’re Italian, it’s a mob.”
Chappelle then delivered the ‘punchline’: “But if they’re Jewish, it’s a coincidence, and you should never speak about it.”
He then added: “But that doesn’t mean anything. There are a lot of Black people in Ferguson, Missouri. Doesn’t mean they run the place.” Seinfeld, who has been open about his Jewish identity, responded to this difficult and heated joke by stating, “I did think the comedy was well-executed”.
The actor also shared how he believes “the subject matter calls for a conversation that I don’t think I’d want to have in this venue”. When asked to directly state how the monologue made him feel, Seinfeld simply retorted: “It provokes a conversation which hopefully is productive.”
The Seinfeld star then confirmed his relationship with Chappelle before his SNL appearance. He revealed that “we’re friends”; however, it emphasises that “it’s not a close relationship.” He continued to state that Chappelle’s comment that “the delusion that Jews run show business” isn’t “a crazy thing to think, but it’s a crazy thing to say out loud in a climate like this” has triggered accusations he is platforming such detrimental views.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, took to Twitter to respond publicly. He wrote: “Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?” in regards to Chappelle’s monologue.
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