The Downfall Of Dave Chapelle
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Toltech replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 12:26am |
 Coolness: 145420 | |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» El_Presidente replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 1:25am |
 Coolness: 299325 | i wouldnt be surprised if this was true. Oprah is a fucking bitch |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» neoform replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 5:04am |
 Coolness: 339665 | yeah, about that.. there's absolutely no sources sited, and it was writen by a total conspiracy theorist.. i mean:
"The image, allegedly taped by Winfrey, and transmitted to Chappelle's house under the direction of Robert L. Johnson who called in some favors with Chappelle's local affiliate station manager, terrified Chappelle." what the hell kinda BS is that? They recorded that and beamed it into his house? right.. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» El_Presidente replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 12:44pm |
| Coolness: 299325 | and hey KNEW he was gonna watch oprah. come on, he's black |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» BA_Baracus replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 12:58pm |
 Coolness: 121035 | the dark crusaders
be afraid be very afraid |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Corey_K replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 1:44pm |
 Coolness: 96455 | the funny thing is, it's the theory itself that is more racist and degrading to the black community than anything chappelle has ever done. the dark crusaders??? please.
Corey |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Morphine replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 1:53pm |
 Coolness: 50970 | yeah because we really dont have the technology to do that kind of thing, nor to intercept ANY communications signal. and snuff porn doesnt exist either. get real.
chappelle's comedy challenged racist stereotypes, forced people to look at them and laugh. i think it was very forward thinking comedy and contrary to what oprah and her team of stormtroopers say, i think chappelle's comedy if anything, was moving things forward for black people in america. it was the status quo system that made oprah and cosby and sharpton and farrakhan the moguls that they are today. of course they would want to maintain the system that made them fabulously rich. i call bullshit on the lot of them and allege that THEY are in fact keeping civil rights from moving forward and THEY are the ones making sure that the lines of prejudice and racism are always clearly delineated so that they can lord their money and power over everyone else and convince their countrymen that its all the white man';s fault. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» BA_Baracus replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 2:25pm |
| Coolness: 121035 | so wait 1 sec, is it true that the david chappelle show season 3 is cancelled?
wow what a long read...they blocked his credit cards , wayne brady a good friend of oprah? |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» timmytork replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 2:52pm |
 Coolness: 49670 | GOD Oprah's ritch!!! |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Morphine replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 3:01pm |
| Coolness: 50970 | independant of this story, for anyone doubting oprah's power, don't forget she took on arguably the most rootin tootinest bunch of rich white men in america, the beef industry, and won.
you have to read that damn website with a magnifying glass though, the text is so small....i'm gonna copy it and repost it here in a sec.... |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Morphine replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 3:10pm |
| Coolness: 50970 | A Word Before you Begin
This account of Dave Chappelle's fall from grace has been pieced together by me, a retired public relations executive who wishes to remain anonymous. my contacts, many of whom were closely related to the individuals involved, enabled me to fairly accurately recount the events that took place. You can take this for what you wish, but it is the truth — the abhorrent byproduct of the industry I used to hold to such a high esteem. I have written this account without the need for embellishments or exaggerations for the truth is appalling enough. Let this site serve as a drawn curtain to the entertainment industry which is blindly adored by the entire world. Introduction, Page One On August 3, 2004 comedian Dave Chappelle signed a contract with Comedy Central valued at $50 million. The contract committed him to two more seasons of his hit television series Chappelle's Show. Chappelle's Show was a runaway success. It was lavished with praise by mainstream and underground media alike, and was Comedy Central's most talked-about series. It was a juggernaut on DVD — selling more than 1.7 million copies of its first season, a record for any television show. All seemed right in the world of Dave Chappelle, and all seemed right with Chappelle's Show. After years of hard work, Dave had reached the pinnacle of his chosen profession, largely on his own terms, and had been rewarded handsomely for it. Personally, Dave's life was also prosperous. He had a beautiful wife and lovely children, and was close to both his mother and father, though the two had divorced years earlier. He was also a devout Muslim, and his faith had been a source of strength throughout the tumultuous production schedule of the first two seasons of Chappelle's Show. But nothing, not even religion, could prepare him for what lay ahead. Next Page » Introduction, Page Two After signing the contract, Dave looked forward to returning to his rural Ohio home to spend some time with his family before hunkering down to begin work on show's highly anticipated third season. But Dave was haunted by a secret. One that only he was aware of, and one he couldn't share with anyone, lest his comedy empire crumble. He knew that at the same time he was signing his record-setting deal, there was a secret cabal of powerful African-American leaders from the business, political, and entertainment industries working together to ensure that the third season of Chappelle's Show would never happen. At one time or another, each member of this loosely knit, informal group had played a key role in Chappelle's rise to stardom. They had been instrumental in securing movie and television roles, offering counsel, and simply aiding Chappelle financially when his stand up work couldn't pay the bills during his lean early years. Over the last two years, they had watched warily as Chappelle's Show had become Comedy Central's premiere show, eclipsing even South Park and The Daily Show in terms of buzz. Introduction, Page Three It was reported that they had voiced their concerns about Chappelle's Show to Dave many times over those two years, showing their displeasure with the direction that the show was taking. However, their actions could not steer Dave away from the comedy that was most natural to him. Collectively, they felt Chappelle's Show reinforced negative stereotypes about African Americans, and that its content was, in the words of group leader Bill Cosby, "setting race relations back 50 years." The $50 million deal that Chappelle signed was the straw that broke the camel's back. The group — informally known as "The Dark Crusaders" — knew that a deal of this magnitude would guarantee increased attention for the third season of Chappelle's Show, not to mention sending his already robust DVD sales through the roof. In what was an attempt to ensure that this would not happen, the group was seen holding a closed-door meeting at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta's affluent Buckhead neighborhood over the weekend of August 7th. During that weekend meeting, recovered documents by the hotel's staff revealed that they finalized a comprehensive five point plan to bring an end to what some of the members had termed the "Chappelle Problem". This complex, well funded, and well thought out plan was to employ a "by any means necessary" approach to ensure that the 3rd season of the Chappelle's Show would never air on Comedy Central. What follows is the story of the events that led up to, and ultimately were responsible for Dave Chappelle's fall from grace. Introduction, Page Four The "Dark Crusaders" An ad-hoc organization whose members were all an integral part of Dave Chappelle's early life and career, the group known as the Dark Crusaders came together to sabotage Chappelle's career because they felt the material on Chappelle's Show was not reflecting well on the black community. Using a mix of measures, the Dark Crusaders achieved its primary goal — the cancellation of Chappelle's Show third season, and the near crippling of Chappelle's comedy career. Al Sharpton Bio: Former Mayoral, Congressional and Presidential candidate, civil rights activist, reparations advocate, Pentecostal minister. Sharpton spearheaded the controversial efforts to bring Tawana Brawley's rapist to justice, and continued to do so even after authorities unearthed evidence that Brawley's accusations of rape were fabricated. Connection to Chappelle: Was a rabid fan of standup comedy who took an early liking to Chappelle and offered support and encouragement early on in his career. Jesse Jackson Bio: Former Martin Luther King confidant and Presidential Candidate. Founder of the Rainbow Coalition, and prominent Civil Rights leader for over forty years. Presidential hopes were dashed when it was revealed that he once referred to Jews as "hymies" and New York as "hymietown" during an off the record conversation with reporters. Has been dogged by controversy ever since, including accusations of infidelity, and unethical behavior while securing a Budweiser distributorship for his two sons in the lucrative Chicago market. Connection to Chappelle: Friend of Chappelle's mother, Yvonne Seron, and has known Chappelle since he moved to Washington, D.C. with his mother after his parent's divorce. Louis Farrakhan Bio: Leader of the African American Nation of Islam, Founder of the Million Man March, and former confidant of both the Honorable Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X. Rumored to have been involved in the assassination of Malcolm X. Has elicited controversy by espousing his views that the white race was invented by an evil scientist named Yacub in one of the craters on the dark side of the moon, and by publicly stating that "Hitler was a great man." Connection to Chappelle: Has advised Chappelle on spiritual matters related to the Islamic faith. Bill Cosby Bio: Philadelphia-born star of I Spy, Fat Albert and The Cosby Show. Purveyor of respectable black family television. Cosby has raised the ire of the black community recently by being openly critical of low-income blacks, whom he believes are deprioritizing education in favor of sports and fashion. He has been accused of fathering an illegitimate daughter, and drugging and groping former female acquaintances. Connection to Chappelle: Helped secure the role of "Achoo" in Mel Brook's Robin Hood: Men in Tights for Chapelle. Advised Chappelle against taking the role of "Bubba" in the film Forrest Gump. Whoopi Goldberg Bio: Academy Award winning comedic actress and staunch civil right supporter. Goldberg broke into show business with her one woman Broadway show — The Spook Show — and ever since, has been one of the leading proponents of charitable causes in Hollywood. She has managed to remain relatively controversy free throughout her career — save for the infamous "blackface" incident involving her then boyfriend, Ted Danson. Connection to Chappelle: Gave Chappelle one of his early breaks when she offered him the chance to appear on Comic Relief VI in 1994. Introduction, Page Six Oprah Winfrey Bio: Billionaire talk show host and the most powerful women in show business. Winfrey has successfully defended herself against a spurious lawsuit brought by the Texas Cattlemen's Association, brought Dr. Phil and William Faulkner to unsuspecting middle-American housewives, and single-handedly bought the Hermes Corporation to its knees. She has also supported black charitable causes throughout her career, and strives to convey a positive image for the community. Connection to Chappelle: Worked briefly with Chappelle when he was an extra on the set of The Women of Brewster Place, and offered mentoring early on in his career. Robert L. Johnson Bio: Founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), first black-controlled company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. First black owner of a major sports franchise — the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats. Serves on the Board of U.S. Airways, Hilton Hotels, and General Mills. Divorced from Sheila Johnson, yet still remains a staunch supporter of family values. Connection to Chappelle: Used his influence in corporate America to help broker deals for Chappelle to be the pitch man for both Pepsi and Coca-Cola at different times in his career. The Theory Timeline The first episode of Chappelle's Show aired on January 22, 2003. It was a lightly promoted thirty minute show that Comedy Central executives hoped would perform as well as earlier shows such as Strangers with Candy, or The Man Show. The budget was modest, the stars were modest — Chappelle's biggest success up until this time had been the cult stoner comedy Half Baked — and expectations were modest. Chappelle was looking forward to the show's debut, but was nonplussed about its chances for success. Clearly, neither Comedy Central nor Chappelle had any inkling of the impact Chappelle's Show would have on pop culture. January 22, 2003 Chappelle's first show set the tone for much of the content of the upcoming series. It featured a sketch on a blind, black white supremacist, Clayton Bigsby, who was raised by white foster parents and taught from a young age to abhor the black race. The sketch, inspired by the true to life circumstances of Chappelle's grandfather, was considered the high point of the show, and concluded with Bigsby taking off his KKK-hood at a Klan rally and shouting "WHITE POWER" to the horrified reactions of his fellow Klansmen. According to Nielsen ratings, the show was seen by approximately 2.5 million viewers in on its opening night — a small, but respectable, audience for the debut of a basic cable show. One of viewers that night was Bill Cosby, an old friend of Chappelle who had helped him secure movie roles early in his career. Bill later recalled being eager to watch the show to see how Dave's career was progressing. To summarize an interview with Cosby by the Philadelphia Metro, he wasn't pleased. January 29, 2003 The show's' second episode aired, featuring the debut of what will soon become one the show's most identifiable characters, Tyrone Biggums — crackhead. In his first appearance, Biggums lectures at a grammar school's drug awareness week. The wisdom he dispenses to children includes that dog food is delicious, and that he has sucked dick for crack. Bill Cosby had tuned in to this show as well, and according to friends of his, was reportedly livid with the portrayal of the black community that Chappelle was foisting on viewers. This may have been when he began to think about doing something to send a message to Chappelle about the "show's outrageous tone." February 5, 2003 Chappelle's Show third episode featured a take off on the making of Roots, a topic that many upper-income, baby-boomer blacks hold sacred. Soon after the airing of this show, a friend of Minister Louis Farrakhan recalled a heated phone call discussion between Farrakhan and Cosby. It appeared that, already upset from having seen Chappelle's Show before, Cosby had been pushed over the edge and decided to seek out help from his influential friends. Chappelle remained blissfully unaware that he was a topic of heated debate amongst some of the most powerful members of black American society — in interviews it seemed he was completely engrossed in the growing success of his show. February 12, 2003 Episode four of Chappelles's Show, which by this time was beginning to pick up a head of steam with the public and critics alike, featured a sketch fantasizing about what would happen if black people were given reparations. The outcome was that Tron, a ghetto hustler, supplants Bill Gates as the world's richest man, and stock market prices for fried chicken related companies surge. It's about this time that Al Sharpton, a staunch reparations supporter, and longtime fan of Chappelle, noticed the show's growing popularity. Sharpton began writing letters to his contemporaries concerning Chappelle, unaware that Cosby was also displeased and taking action. February 26, 2003 Episode six of Chappelle's Show featured the sketch "It's a Mad Real World" a take off on MTV's Real World series. In the Chappelle version, a white, suburban male rooms with six black inner city youth, and is terrorized throughout his stay. His dad is stabbed and his girlfriend is molested by his inner-city, African-American roommate Tyree. Robert L. Johnson, alerted by the rumblings coming from the Cosby, Farrakhan, and Sharpton camps, decided to tune into this show to see what Chappelle had been doing that was getting so many black leaders rankled. After watching the show, Johnson reportedly thought to himself, "Bill, Al and Louis may be right — if this really blows up, it sets us up to be minstrels again." Just as Cosby and Farrakhan did, Johnson decided to get involved as well. March 5, 2003 Episode seven of Chappelle's Show skewered the Star Wars franchise. It had a bit based around sexual molestation that occurs at the Jedi Academy. A reportedly furious George Lucas, demanded that his secretary place a call to Whoopi Goldberg, a long time friend of Lucas as well as an early benefactor and friend of Chappelle. Lucas wanted her to see if she could get word to Chappelle that he is not amused. According to Lucas's secretary, it seemed as if Goldberg — like Bill Cosby — did not agree with the message that Chappelle's Show was sending to the African-American youth. March 12, 2003 Episode eight of Chappelle's Show saw the reemergence of the Tyrone Biggums — crackhead character. During his appearance, Tyrone is lured to an intervention with the promise of free crack. After the show's conclusion, a reportedly furious Cosby got Farrakhan and Al Sharpton — who he had heard was also concerned about Chappelle's effect on the African American community — on a conference call. The three men decided to meet for lunch at Farrakhan's Chicago residence to discuss what action to take. March 19, 2003 Episode nine of Chappelle's Show was the one that captured the attention of Black America's biggest power broker — Oprah Winfrey. The sketch that alerted Goldberg to the growing Chappelle phenomenon came to Oprah's attention in a roundabout way. "The Player Hater's Ball" sketch featured an aside by the Silky Johnson character talking about how Rosie O'Donnell wears "underwear with the dickhole in them." O'Donnell mentioned the remark while lunching with Winfrey at the Palm in West Hollywood the next day. Winfrey, who had supported Chappelle early on, had her staff get a tape of Chappelle's Show so she could take a look at the sketch. She was appalled at the subjects Chappelle mined for humor, and immediately began calling friends in the black entertainment and business communities to see what they thought of the show's content. March 26, 2003 The season's 10th episode features the R. Kelley "Piss on You" video. This contraversial sketch ignited a world of criticism and, unsurprisingly, caught the attention of Bill Cosby. In a call on March 27, Cosby voiced his concerns directly to Chappelle. In an aside to a co-worker, Chappelle reported telling Cosby how he was thankful for his insight, but while the show was riding a wave of acclaim, he didn't want to tinker with a successful formula. He believed Cosby was just over-reacting and didn't think much of the phone call. April 9, 2003 The season finale of Chappelle's Show featured a sketch spoofing the popularity of "mate-swap" reality television programs. It revolved around a black family and a white family trading spouses, and plays on long held stereotypes about black male virility, while willfully promoting racial miscegenation. Louis Farrakhan, most likely under the direction of Cosby, sought out the opportunity to speak with Chappelle. Farrakhan, who had advised Chappelle on his conversion to Islam in 1998, visited Chappelle on location days after the episode aired. His concerns fall on deaf ears, as Chappelle was resistant to pressure to tone down the show's content. April 1, 2003 While in Philadelphia, visiting her good friend Patti Labelle, Oprah Winfrey was seen meeting with Bill Cosby, who was also in town attending a function at Temple University. The two of them were witnessed dining at the exclusive Walnut Street eatery Le Bec Fin. While the two were catching up, Cosby was overheard casually mentioning his concern over Chappelle's Show, and his failed attempts to convince Dave to change his brand of humor. "...funny you should mention that, I've had the same concerns," Winfrey reportedly responded. The two spend a long dinner talking about how to exert covert pressure on Chappelle to change the show's content. Winfrey offers to reach out to friends she's spoken with regarding Chappelle. And just like that, the Dark Crusaders are born. April 20, 2003 With Chapelle's Show on hiatus before production for season two commences, Chappelle took some down time at his Ohio area farm. It was here that he received a strange package. As told by Dave himself, at around noon, in the middle of an early season Cincinnati Reds game, there was a knock at his door. Chappelle was a bit concerned, as no one except his close family and friends were aware of where he was. When he opened the door, all he found was a crudely wrapped package, with the inscription "For Chappelle" on it. Inside the package was a voodoo-doll style replica of Chappelle dressed as Clayton Bigsby — the African American Klansman from his first show. The doll was riddled with safety pins, and had a noose tied sharply around his neck. Accompanying the doll was a message in a childlike scrawl that read, "what you're doing is hurting the African American community — it needs to stop." Chappelle was extremely bothered by the development, but later chalked it up to a local group of black nationalists — "probably some college kids from Antioch [a nearby University] looking for kicks." Though Chappelle was unaware of it at the time, this was the first assault by The Dark Crusaders aimed at shutting down his comedy career. July 4, 2003 While enjoying a holiday weekend with his wife at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara, Chappelle alerted the staff that he received a late night phone call to his room that told him "If you know what's good for you, you'll stop using your show to denigrate African-Americans." While telling his wife about the package he received in Ohio, Chappelle began to think that maybe the voodoo-doll package was not an isolated incident, but part of a larger, coordinated campaign. Shaken by the phone call, he stayed awake with his wife and executives of the hotel for the rest of the night. August 31, 2003 As Chappelle began production on the second season of Chapelle's Show, strange things started to occur. Scripts for the sketches began disappearing, featured players weren't showing up on the set, and illnesses were plaguing key members of the crew. Additionally, Chappelle voiced his concern to one of the extras of the show that one of the replacement cameramen looked like the Nation of Islam bodyguards Farrakhan had with him when he visited the set earlier in the year. Upon confronting him, Chappelle learns that the replacement cameraman was originally from Chicago, was a fellow Muslim, and was a member of Farrakhan's congregation. After this incident, Chappelle confided in cast member Charlie Murphy and head writer Neal Brennan that he thinks some powerful black people are out to get him to tone down the show's content, and that they may have infiltrated the set. Both tell him not to worry — that it's just the pressure getting to him. But personally, both worry that the pressure to succeed may have been getting to Chappelle, and |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» BA_Baracus replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 4:30pm |
| Coolness: 121035 | yo, is the chappelle show cancelled? doesnt look like it on the comedycentral site
[ www.comedycentral.com ] |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Morphine replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 4:35pm |
| Coolness: 50970 | yeah i amend my earlier statements. its gotta be a marketing ploy for season 3.... |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» trashandsuicide replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 5:45pm |
 Coolness: 75270 | Yeah.. there's no new episodes thusfar... it's all re-runs. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» beercrack replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 6:25pm |
| Coolness: 71435 | i read it this morning and i was kind of spooked.
this whle thing is a mindfuck but on who |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» trashandsuicide replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 6:26pm |
| Coolness: 75270 | You.. it is a mindfuck on YOU. It's probably written by some quack like Mel Gibson. |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» beercrack replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 6:28pm |
| Coolness: 71435 | thank you jesus |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» Mico replied on Tue Dec 20, 2005 @ 7:05pm |
 Coolness: 150460 | Originally posted by MORPHINE...
yeah i amend my earlier statements. its gotta be a marketing ploy for season 3.... That's what I thought... |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» BA_Baracus replied on Wed Dec 21, 2005 @ 2:21pm |
| Coolness: 121035 | i d love to find more 411 about oprah and her dark crusaders |
| Good [+1]Toggle ReplyLink» HumanBoing replied on Wed Dec 21, 2005 @ 5:50pm |
 Coolness: 39970 | That was a fun read. Anyway Season 3 isn't likely to happen considering he's still in South Africa somewhere heh. |
The Downfall Of Dave Chapelle
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