The mere idea of comedian Dave Chappelle still sweeping floors as a FAO Swartz stock boy simultaneously turns the stomachs of thousands of college students. But before Chappelle made a living doing standup, he was lining up Holiday Barbies next to Cabbage Patch Kids.
“It wasn’t a bad job per se,” said Chappelle. “But I found my niche in standup.”
And thanks to the foresight of casting directors and movies such as “Con Air” and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” Chappelle took one more step away from the toy store and toward stardom.
This February that exposure paid off. Now every Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. on Comedy Central a multitude of twenty-somethings find their niche on cable television with “The Chappelle Show.”
This isn’t the first time Chappelle tried to work in television. He starred in “Buddies,” a short-lived ABC sitcom. After several failed pilots Chapelle almost gave up on television work.
“There is a big difference between network and cable,” Chappelle said. “Cable gives you much more freedom.”
The liberties Comedy Central has given Chappelle allow him to have the final decision on the show’s content.
“I’m not going to do anything on the show I don’t want to do,” he said.
Many of the skits on his show are highly controversial. A blind, white supremacist black man and a parody of “Roots” are just a few of the sketches. According to Chappelle’s fan site, several viewers are offended by Chappelle’s liberal use of the “n” word.
“That word has a lot of different meanings for a lot of people,” he said. “I am from an era where young black men call each other that, and the word carries no malice.”
The taboo nature of The Chappelle Show is intentional but not a priority.
“First, I want the show to be funny more than a statement. I don’t want the show to be all preachy,” Chapelle said. “I feel like a lot of the time with a younger audience [they are] smarter than most people think. Tom Brokaw with his “Greatest Generation;” they never had to deal with AIDS and crack.”
Chappelle and Neil Brennan, the forces behind Half Baked, are the only writers on the show. Given their limited man power and the musical guest at the end of the show, many fans complain the show’s 30-minute spot is too short.
“I think it should be longer too. But I would rather make it shorter than longer,” Chappelle said. “It is a lot of work and man, that [30 minutes] is murder.”
Despite the success of “The Chappelle Show,” the comedian still is touring. He will be in Dallas on Feb. 27. His love for standup is courtesy of his biggest influence, Charles Burnett.
“I spent the summer of 1992 with this dude following him around the Washington State Park. He would do standup for money,” he said. “He would entertain these people with no cover charge and no drinks.”
Burnett died of AIDS in 1995 and Chappelle’s dream is to make a movie chronicling his life.
“Even if all this stuff doesn’t work out, I know because of [Charles] I could make it working on the streets,” Chappelle said.
Chappelle is a long way from street standup. His witty and straightforward social commentary will secure his place as a comedic icon for this college generation.
So what else should Chappelle’s fans prepare for?
“That Michael Jackson interview disturbed me on many different levels,” Chappelle said. “The jokes haven’t come yet, but they are there.”