Dave Chappelle Catches Heat for “Disturbing” ‘SNL’ Monologue Accused of Normalizing Antisemitism

NBC is being accused of normalizing antisemitism after the network aired an episode of Saturday Night Live hosted by Dave Chappelle this past weekend. The Anti-Defamation League slammed NBC on Twitter Sunday (Nov. 13) after the comedian delivered a monologue about Kanye West and antisemitism on Saturday’s show.

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt objected to Chappelle’s appearance on SNL, describing his jokes as “disturbing” and calling out the studio audience for their applause.

“We shouldn’t expect @DaveChappelle to serve as society’s moral compass, but disturbing to see @nbcsnl not just normalize but popularize #antisemitism,” Greenblatt wrote on Twitter. “Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?”

Greenblatt did not point to any specific comments in Chappelle’s monologue, which included plenty of commentary about West’s rapid public downfall, as well as the growing concerns over antisemitism in the U.S.

Chappelle — who avoided discussing his own controversies, including recent uproar over his special The Closer — opened his monologue with a prepared statement, which he unfolded from a piece of paper and read aloud to the audience.

“‘I denounce antisemitism in all its forms. And I stand with my friends in the Jewish community.’ And that, Kanye, is how you buy yourself some time,” he said.

Chappelle also added, “Early in my career, I learned there are two words you should never say together. Those words are…’the’ and ‘Jews.’ Never heard someone do good after they said that,” and later joked about West’s tweets in which he said he’d go “death con 3 on Jewish people.”

“I was up all night worried: What is he going to do to the Jews?” Chappelle said.

In another bit, Chappelle said he doesn’t think West is “crazy,” but said he’s “possibly not well,” before joking about the conspiracy theory of Jewish people running Hollywood, which West has supported.

Chappelle said he understands how West could “adopt the delusion that the Jews run show business,” adding, “not a crazy thing to think – but it’s a crazy thing to say out loud in a climate like this.”

He closed out his monologue by blasting cancel culture, telling the audience, “it shouldn’t be this scary to talk about anything. It makes my job incredibly difficult.”

Chappelle added, “I hope they don’t take anything away from me. Whoever ‘they’ are.”

Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30/10:30c on NBC. Watch Chappelle’s full monologue in the video above.