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This isn’t the first time “Saturday Night Live” having Dave Chappelle has sparked outrage. When the performer last hosted the sketch comedy show in 2022, there were reports some “SNL” writers were boycotting the episode, although Chappelle’s reps disputed this. Either way, it makes sense that there are people who want to keep their distance from Chappelle, particularly those in the “SNL” cast who would be most impacted by his offensive remarks regarding the LGBTQ+ community.
X user @thegoodetymes posted a video of the newer episode’s curtain call, focusing on Bowen Yang, who’s as far from Chappelle as he possibly could be onstage. He interacts with Sarah Sherman, and neither looks happy about the situation. @thegoodetymes wrote, “It’s disgusting that you allowed that homophobe @DaveChappelle on stage. He stands for everything I thought snl stood against. I stand with Bowen, you obviously made him uncomfortable allowing that transphobe there.”
Reading body language can be tough, but many are interpreting Yang’s standoffish demeanor to mean he wasn’t happy the comedian was there. It became a bitter note to end the show on, with @ThatWeekInSNL stating, “This moment of Bowen and Sarah realizing that Chappelle has randomly gotten on stage for the goodnights is really just a bummer to watch.”
During the curtain call of the episode Chappelle hosted in 2022, something similar happened when Yang, Sherman, and Molly Kearney were nowhere to be found. And with the 2024 episode boasting appearances from big names like the aforementioned Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon and “Shark Tank” mainstays Mark Cuban and Barbara Corcoran, Chappelle’s presence was unnecessary, disheartening, and confusing all in one.
