Dave Chappelle and Man Ray

Wow, I find it remarkably interesting that you thought the same way as I. I first saw the movie about 2 years ago, and noticed very quickly the similarities between Mantan and "The Chappelle Show". It seems to me that Chappelle may have had the original intention that Pierre did (To heighten our awareness and show how ridiculous our world of stereotypes still is). Then just as Pierre, he was taken aback by the absolute love for the show. He was then caught up in the rage and money he was making just as Delacroix, but then he came to his senses. Delecroix wound up dying before he came back to the realization of how horrible it had become. It seemed as though he had his two shoulder fairies with him the whole time. His Evil fairy played by the part of Dunwitty, and the understanding and rightful fairy as personified by Sloan. Delacroix was still siding with Dunwitty at the time of his death, because money, power and fame became his friends more than his family and those who cared for him. On the other hand, Chappelle realized how foolishly accepted the show had become, and realized he had to get out. His intentions were great, but it got out of his hands and he didn't want to play out that crime any longer than he already had.

Personally I think that the n**ger family skit is one that is more about exploring something, than just getting cheap laughs. Chapelle got the idea for it after the black white supremacist skit and the controversery over that use of the N-word, which was justified in a skit about KKK members. The things I like about the N**er family skit include Chapelle as the milk man who keeps saying it because in the 50s repressive America he loves being able to call white folks the word that no-doubt been used aginst him. I also like the the white people of that era are so consumed with racist ideas that when the mom tells her husband that their daughter is "dating that n**er boy for down the street" he not only reacts in horror at the idea of his daughter dating a black guy, but doesn't even question the idea that his wife would refer to a black kid from down the street as "that n**er boy."

"In man ray case racism was definitely being exploited.

but Dave's a smart man. He was just exploring the disempowerment of the word nlgger. I believe before the skit he asks the audience if black people just identify themselves with the word nlgger, but what if they just used the word for other people? Would it be so bad? "


Yes that's true. I just can't help thinking that maybe there was some internal struggle there in some way. Kind of like when Richard Pryor recalled going to Africa and having this epiphany and how he vowed to never to use the word *beep* again. I forget exactly how he phrased it but anyway it reminded me of that. Being white I never truly understood. I only knew racism from my point of view. But this amazing film delve deep inside. It's hard to articulate. I do think Chapelle is a genius. The film made me think though that to be black and use the word *beep* or stereotypes, one must have to go through internal conflict. And to question oneself when they see white people laughing. I know after watching this I questioned myself for laughing.

Cousin Cheryl, I don't think the family REALLY knows you.

Back when the Dave Chappelle "meltdown" or whatever they were calling it happened, I IMMEDIATELY thought of this movie. It was Bamboozled playing out publicly in one entertainer's life/career. But I'm sure it has happened and is happening just as Spike said to many more black entertainers past and present as the norm of how they have to operate and succeed (and then ultimately fall) in Show Biz.

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