Comedian Dave Chappelle, known for his irreverent, explicative-laced stand-up routines, has made waves with the release of his latest comedy special aired on Netflix called “Sticks and Stones.” In the show, Chappelle attempts jokes at a wide range of social issues, including abortion. What Chappelle says about abortion is causing many people to stop and think, perhaps most of all to wonder what Chappelle’s position on Life issues really is.
First, a disclaimer: Chappelle is infamous for his use of foul language and jokes that subvert social expectations. As one writer warned, “If you are sensitive to vulgarity, indecency, and in-your-face offensive humor, regardless of your politics, this probably isn’t the stand-up special for you.” That being said, what Chappelle says about abortion is a point worth making.
Commenting on the increasing prevalence of strong, Pro-Life laws, Chappelle says, “I’m not for abortion.” When met with outbursts from audience members, he quickly follows with, “I’m not against it, either.” He then sets up his joke with a diatribe such over-the-top pro-abortion wording that the audience should be ready for a killer punchline; and he delivers.
He claims to think that abortion is solely a woman’s choice and “right,” telling the unsuspecting audience, “This [abortion]is theirs [women’s]; the right to choose is their unequivocal right. Not only do I believe they have the right to choose, I believe that they shouldn’t have to consult anybody, except for a physician, about how they exercise that right.”
Chappelle continues, “Gentlemen, that is fair. And ladies, to be fair to us, I also believe that if you decide to have the baby, a man should not have to pay. That’s fair. If you can kill this [EXPLETIVE], I can at least abandon him. It’s my money, my choice. And if I’m wrong, then perhaps we’re wrong. So figure that [EXPLETIVE] out for yourselves.”
Commenting on the offensive humor, Pro-Life writer Jonathan Van Maren noted that “people seem to be divided on whether his take is genius or horrific.” Chappelle lures the audience with anti-Life talking points about women’s “rights” and then pulls the rug out from under them with the claim “my money, my choice.” The shocking joke gets to the heart of the issues surrounding abortion: the dehumanization and abandonment of vulnerable preborn babies. Every child has a mother and a father, and if our society endorses the callous view that a mother can end the child’s life without the father’s consent, Chappelle points out how absurd we are to expect the father to willingly pay for the child’s upbringing if his or her mother chooses Life.
Chappelle’s humor also flies in the face of the abortion mob’s public position that abortion is “health care” and “necessary for women.” Abortion is not health care and abortion is not necessary; abortion is the deliberate killing of a defenseless human being with a beating heart. Whether the reason is that the child is viewed as an inconvenience or imperfect due to a perceived disability, the reason for the abortion is ultimately a mother’s arbitrary choice. By that same inhumane measure, society cannot expect men to take responsibility for their children.
Sadly, there is a dark reality in Chappelle’s joke. Faced with the prospect of supporting a child in difficult circumstances, some fathers attempt to coerce the mother of their child into abortion. Where the abortion industry claims abortion is about women’s “choice,” the reality is often quite the opposite. There is no telling what Chappelle’s opinion is on the issue, but his subversive Pro-Life joke has many people wondering.
The abortion mob has excluded fathers from speaking about abortion except to proclaim that killing their child was preferable to raising him or her. In response to this inhumanity, real fathers must stand up and defend innocent human Life. Whether or not you agree with Chappelle’s brand of offensive humor, he has made many people laugh and then made them uncomfortable enough to think.