The episode should no longer surprise us, living as we are in a climate that sends the subtle message that causing offense is tantamount to violence.
After Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the 2022 Oscars for a joke about Smith’s wife, many comedians forewarned a new climate in which it’s ok to physically assault comedians. Just one month later, it looks like their prophecies have come true: Comedian Dave Chappelle was assaulted on stage during a live set on Tuesday night by an armed assailant. We don’t know why the assailant chose Chappelle as his target. But the incident is yet another example of the hostility and contempt that has become culturally sanctioned of late against comedians, artists and commentators who dare to step beyond the confines of prescribed liberal pieties. From a White House spokesperson urging Spotify to censor Joe Rogan’s podcast, to the public humiliation of Chris Rock and the support expressed for his assailant by celebrities with huge platforms, to the government’s new “Disinformation Governance Board,” it’s becoming more and more evident that a climate of aggression is heating up against those who demonstrate the value of comedy, free thought and expression. Tuesday night’s attack on Dave Chappelle was the result of this new and horrifying cultural precedent and arguably its most dangerous manifestation yet. The police reported that the assailant was armed with a replica gun “that can eject a knife blade” when discharged correctly. Luckily, security at the venue was able to apprehend the assailant before he was capable of inflicting serious harm or injury on Chappelle. But while horrifying, the episode should not surprise us, living as we are in a climate that sends the subtle message that causing offense or poking fun at cultural narratives—the actual job description of a comedian—is tantamount to violence.
