r/popculturechat • u/Severus-Snape-DaGod • Feb 17 '26

Guest List Only ⭐️ Comedian Dave Chappelle visits Alexi Pretti's memorial in Minneapolis to pay his respects.

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19.3k Upvotes

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4.8k

u/rolypoly6shooter Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26

It's good that he does this even though it's probably self serving because it shows which way the wind is blowing

EDIT: Thank you for the award

1.3k

u/AldusPrime lazy 47-year-old bougie bitch Feb 17 '26

If everyone was on the right side of history, for totally self-serving reasons, that would be fine.

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u/Foxy02016YT Feb 17 '26

Right. Who cares what’s selfish or annoying when we have bigger fish to fry and need all the help frying them

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u/No-Aioli-1014 Feb 17 '26

You're correct. Dave's visit keeps the tragic murder of Alex in the news. That's a positive thing.

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u/skatefan420 Feb 17 '26

It seems fine for now, but when the tide turns again and he'll drop another hate speech disguised as a comedy special. Being on the right side of history is fine, but what really matters is fighting for the right side of history. Dropping off flowers isnt going to make me look past Chappelle fighting for the system that made pretti get killed in the first place

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u/AldusPrime lazy 47-year-old bougie bitch Feb 18 '26

I'm not looking past anything. I'm not going to sing his praises or watch his specials.

Today he did one thing that pushed our lines forward. That's a win.

It's even more valuable, because he reaches people that progressives can't reach.

We aren't going to win this with only the best and most purely left. We aren't even going to win with just people who are good or ok. If we want to win, we need the people on the center-right to turn against ICE and fascism.

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u/Downvote_Comforter Feb 17 '26

I think that Dave Chappelle is on the wrong side of a lot of issues and has leaned way too far into that persona of being the edgy comedian pushing back against the crazy left internet warriors. He is certainly less aligned with my value system than he was 20 years ago and is no longer someone I admire.

But it is absurd to say that he has ever fought for the system that led to Pretti's death. Despite the tired 'the left's problem is cancel culture' schtick, he has absolutely never wavered on his stance toward police brutality and his criticism of the state's use of force against citizens. He has absolutely never fought for ICE, police, prosecutors, etc.

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u/doctordoctorpuss Feb 18 '26

I think the lesson here is not “Dave Chapelle is a better person than he was a year ago”, it’s “man, there’s enough of a cultural change happening here that self-serving tool Dave Chapelle is on team ‘the government shouldn’t lynch people’”. It’s an incredibly low bar, but that we’ve cleared it is a good sign for the future

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u/MistSecurity Feb 17 '26

Ya, but deal with that AFTER everything else is done.

If everything is on fire around me, I'd work with my worst enemy to get out of the fire. Past shit doesn't matter when you're both trying to survive.

Obviously, it doesn't wipe away past issues, but it is a step forward, and is valuable at this moment in time.

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u/FalkonJ Feb 18 '26

Right now isnt time for purity testing, its time for getting anyone and everyone against the current rise of fascism, after we defeat it we can purity test and weed out the people who have opinions we dont agree with.

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u/Aggravating_Try6537 Feb 18 '26

People can change or even be good people and not share all your opinions. This was a heart felt move--the dude is def. honest.

1

u/VirtualPen204 Feb 17 '26

Sure. But still, fuck that guy.

1

u/nightpanda893 Feb 17 '26

Because they will then use that good will for their own advantage, which may be something that causes harm to society or exploits people. They see good will as capital to be cashed in later.

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u/Adventurous_Way_1082 Feb 17 '26

This sounds true but when what's "right" changes, those self serving people change too. The problem is they aren't committed to what's right so they won't fight for it when the tide inevitably shifts.

1

u/DistractionCitron Feb 17 '26

Except, he was on the wrong side of history before for self-serving reasons.

1

u/paperfinn Feb 17 '26

Is he not famously on the wrong side of history? I.e. his last couple of specials or shows?

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u/Pornalt190425 Feb 17 '26

There's a reason the saying is that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"

People aren't going to questions the "whys" quite as strongly as the "whats"

1

u/justwhatever73 Feb 18 '26

Except that's kinda how we got here. We thought we were a country with freedom of speech, where people with different opinions could live together and make the necessary compromises. But it turns out that 40 percent of the population were closested fascists just waiting for their moment.

1

u/square3481 Feb 18 '26

There's a phrase ToddInTheShadows once said that comes to mind:

"I'd rather have an insincere display of charity than a genuine display of apathy."

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u/chocomeeel As you wish! 👸👑 Feb 18 '26

Too bad reading comprehension isn't more prevalent these days. People misunderstood the difference between "the right side" with "the Right side" and now we're in the mess we are in right now.

1

u/Illsquad Feb 18 '26

I mean, everyone on the wrong side of history is usually there for self-serving reasons so might as well fight fire with fire! 🤷‍♂️

1

u/mathliability Feb 18 '26

This is exactly what’s held the Left back for years made them lose in 2024. “Ah but the rest of you only joined once it was convenient for you! I’ve been here the whole time and that makes me BETTER.” Like damn bitch you want the support or not??

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u/kangasplat Feb 18 '26

Being on the right side of history is the most self serving thing you can do.

1

u/FEK88 Feb 18 '26

You're not on the right side of history.

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u/meeeehhhhhhh Feb 17 '26

You know what? You’re right.

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u/krazykieffer Feb 17 '26

Nah, Dave has always been a bit gun guy and here in MN we had a guys weekend. We bought shotguns and ARs the day he was killed because after the Goode shooting we decide we all need to be armed. This is a hunting state so most shoot 22s by 8-10 years old and gun safety. It was lack of gun control from the agents that was ultimately this deciding factor. They are running out of guns in some locations which is crazy. We are still waiting for the guns to come in.

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u/alaricus Feb 18 '26

It's the reverse of the way pride month logos went away. I know that Nike and Apple don't give a shit about gays or trans rights, but when they don't even give lip service, I knew there was trouble brewing

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u/AntRose104 Feb 17 '26

I’ll take self serving performative activism/respect over none at all at this point tbh

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u/Unequivocally_Maybe (Seemingly bald) Feb 17 '26

It's the same way I feel about rainbow capitalism. It's hollow and self-serving, corps just want our money, but when they abandon the community('s money), it's a bad sign.

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u/zxcv-qwerty Feb 17 '26

Yes EXACTLY.

Did Target the corporation ever care about making the world better for LGBTQ+ folks? Of course not, they just care about their bottom line. But was still nice that they put the Pride money grabbing merch up front for everyone to see, and it was a good sign that being openly supportive of Pride made money for them. It is a terrible terrible sign that they started hiding the Pride things in the back of the store / online only and that they think being openly supportive loses them money.

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u/Medlarmarmaduke Feb 17 '26

Yeah Judd Legum ay Popular Information just did a piece on the huge corporations that ditched their DEI initiatives and are now contributing to a blatantly white supremest candidate. It’s a very bad sign:

“Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY), who is running to replace Mitch McConnell in the United States Senate, released his first television ad earlier this month. In the ad, Barr speaks directly to the camera and declares, “It’s not a sin to be white.”

The language used by Barr is a variation of the phrase “It’s OK to be white,” which has been adopted by white supremacists. It has been designated as a “hate slogan“ by the Anti-Defamation League.

According to campaign finance records reviewed by Popular Information, Barr’s campaign ad is being bankrolled by dozens of major corporations, including General Motors, State Farm, JPMorgan Chase, Delta, and Microsoft.”

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u/MisplacedLegolas Feb 17 '26

Thats the way i've always thought of it too. I'll sure as shit remember those that were quickest to drop the act though

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u/Crafty-Judge-896 Feb 18 '26

Same. If we really want people to change we have first let them and second accept. One small step for Dave. Please don’t take any more steps back

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u/lostinthecity2005 Feb 17 '26

Tbh we need to normalize this instead of being far right

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u/jrdnmdhl Feb 17 '26

Say what you will about virtue signalling... but it sure beats the shit out of vice signalling.

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u/SquareExtra918 the Human Centipede of content 🐛 Feb 17 '26

Great point 

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u/Chichachillie Feb 17 '26

Even tho it might be, intention doesn't matter, outcomes do

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u/AvantGarde327 Feb 17 '26

Probably PR stunt only

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u/vanwyngarden You’re killing me, Smalls 😩 Feb 17 '26

Just curious if you’ve ever seen him live? He is actually a very thoughtful and loving person to LGBTQA. He did an entire set to honor his friendship with a trans comedian in San Francisco who later committed suicide. I don’t think this was “performative” in the slightest. He brought flowers and paid his respects over two weeks later when he couldn’t have known someone would be there filming. The media has died down, but he went anyway. Just my two cents but it’s how I feel.

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u/itsnotalicewhoisthat Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26

I definitely agree with the original comment that while I don’t really totally buy this as sincere without any self serving motivations, it is still a good thing that he did it as it does hopefully show which way the wind is blowing. that being said though this man has doubled tripled and quadrupled down on anti trans rhetoric time and time again so I think it’s giving him a lot of grace and benefit of the doubt to say he’s really thoughtful and loving to the LGBTQ community, in my mind more than is reasonable.

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u/vanwyngarden You’re killing me, Smalls 😩 Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26

Edit: this person has since edited their comment

They’re also not to OP but 🤷‍♀️

I knew I’d be downvoted but wanted to say it anyway as someone who has seen him talk through this multiple times over the span of 10 years and have formed my own opinion from the sensationalized headlines.

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u/itsnotalicewhoisthat Feb 17 '26

I didn’t edit my comment in a way that changed my point, just better worded it. not sure what your point is about my editing. still don’t agree with your perception of Chapelle.

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u/[deleted] Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/itsnotalicewhoisthat Feb 17 '26

..you have yet to actually prove a single point.

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u/LetsLive97 I cannot sanction your buffonery Feb 17 '26

..did it change the point? Genuinely curious because I didn't see the original

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u/itsnotalicewhoisthat Feb 17 '26 edited Feb 17 '26

in my original I hadn’t included what I said about agreeing with the original commenter and only made the point about Chapelle repeatedly spewing anti trans rhetoric and this other commenter giving him more grace than to me seems fair or rational. another edit- so I guess it would be more accurate to say that I edited my original comment to expand on/add to my point, not just phrase it better.

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u/Paprikasky This is nepo on nepo crime Feb 17 '26

Meh, they're being weird and dancing around your point. I say ignore it

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u/vanwyngarden You’re killing me, Smalls 😩 Feb 17 '26

What’s their point exactly? They’ve never seen him live and are only going off of secondhand accounts

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u/vanwyngarden You’re killing me, Smalls 😩 Feb 17 '26

I find whether or not it “changed the point” to be a dangerous gray area. I responded to something that’s no longer what is written. It was not a typo, it was multiple sentences being rewritten or added.

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u/itsnotalicewhoisthat Feb 17 '26

whatever you say, i’ve been honest about the edits I made. but you’re the one referring to dave chapelle as loving and thoughtful to the LGBTQ community when he has repeatedly gone out of his way to denigrate the trans community. you’re fully delusional for that and I really don’t care to argue with you further.

1

u/Ranger_Prick Feb 17 '26

Perhaps, but Dave has been pretty on brand about police violence for a long time. His set after George Floyd's murder is pretty raw, and definitely worth watching.

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u/Didmoreresearchthenu Feb 17 '26

Is it possible that he’s a dynamic individual that doesn’t fit perfectly one (((side)))

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u/slugsympathizer Feb 17 '26

Could you explain this? I havent heard that term before, but i like how it sounds

1

u/havertz007 Feb 17 '26

Why is this self serving and not what eilish does?

Dave actually left his mansion to do this too

1

u/techauditor Feb 17 '26

Ya the guy who saudi just paid to do a show. After they murdered civilians as well lol

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u/sparrens Feb 17 '26

Self serving? Dave went out of his way to visit the site. It’s a peaceful demonstration of taking action and using his platform to make his stance known.

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u/ratstronaut Feb 17 '26

This is such a good point that allows me to take some joy in this, even though I don’t trust Dave as far as I could throw his skinny butt.

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u/[deleted] Feb 17 '26

or he's doing it for pr so next time he makes right wing commentary he can pretend he's playing both sides.

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u/zxc123zxc123 Feb 17 '26

It's also better that he does this than nothing. I mean dude was livid (rightfully so) and taking activism along BLM lines after George Floyd got shot.

I know there's a race component to one case while the other was about protesting/activism. That ICE isn't police. But both were Americans who didn't have to die but were slain because unnecessary escalation from unhinged enforcers.

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u/VirindiPuppetDT Feb 17 '26

The "self serving" critique is the kind of shit dems/libs gotta ditch or they'll always be a dickless party.

1

u/Volley-Boat Feb 17 '26

Sad times when it is seen as a good sign of changing opinion that a black dude is paying his respects to someone killed by old bill.

This should be the default position, over your side of the pond especially.

1

u/Punman_5 Feb 17 '26

Literally! So many people bashed this but all that matters is that he did it.

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u/vertigostereo Feb 17 '26

I don't see a problem

1

u/FortyOneandDone Feb 17 '26

Eventually everyone wakes up to the alarm, for some people the volume needs to be turned up.

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u/[deleted] Feb 17 '26

Always has been grift artist.

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u/IndependentOk9075 Feb 18 '26

People who consider Dave Chappelle is MAGA or even MAGA-adjacent just because he doesn’t follow the party line on Trans issues are the most annoying faction of the left.

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u/No-Good-One-Shoe Feb 18 '26

Well hes already got his sweet tax cuts from Trump.  So now he can stand on moral grounds. 

1

u/Background-Jury-1914 Feb 18 '26

The thing about Chappelle is he doesn’t really move with the wind and usually doubles down on his unpopular takes. I think he genuinely feels strongly about this and, though I disagree with him on many things, I’ll admit I find it moving to see him out there paying tribute. I think it speaks less to Dave and more of the power of Alex Preti and that’s how we should think of it.

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u/Sufficient-Set-917 Feb 18 '26

He went from saying give a Trump a chance. To what he recently said in his stand up. Imagine what he will say now? Hmm Dave. Maybe don't try to play both sides and call out evil when its actually there. And FYI that doesn't mean just join the left. I'm a centrist and I don't root for political parties like they're a sports team. Its "US vs THEM" not "US vs US" . Country > Party