Released on YouTube by Netflix Is A Joke - the streamer's comedy and stand-up "brand" - the audience could be misled into thinking this was another installment of Chappelle's latest run of hilarious stand-up specials, like Sticks and Stones.
The name 8:46, inspired by how long the police officer who killed George Floyd's knelt on his neck, should give viewers an indication that this half-hour shouldn't be as filled with laughs as other times Chappelle got up on a stage. The brief description -
"Normally I wouldn't show you something so unrefined, I hope you understand"
From the pandemic-compliant live audience sitting meters apart of each other and with masks, to the use of a notebook to the keep the comedian on track, 8:46 is definitely raw. That helps to make it much closer to a podcast or a personal essay than to a fully rehearsed stand-up routine.
But 8:46 is a captivating watch.
Chappelle's takes you on a journey by narrating through many events in his life that are tied to violence against or involving the African-American community.
It is true, the laughs are few and far in between. The distance between audience members also makes each joke harder to land. But you still get glimpses of quintessential Chappelle in this 30-minute long "special", including a reference to the famous "Where's Ja Rule?" joke.
In fact, what makes 8:46 bewitching is Chappelle's command of his own tone and enunciation.
8:46 is not a hilarious watch, no.
But if you are at all interested in the current social unrest in the US and the (latest) events that triggered it, watching a personal essay by Dave Chappelle - an African-American comedy legend who always spoke on the issue of race - should be very high up on your list.
