Dave Chappelle hosted SNL in 2016 on the Saturday after Donald Trump’s stunning election victory. Four years later, Chappelle is back on a milestone day, since Joe Biden’s presidential victory (and Trump’s transformation into a one-term president) was called on Saturday morning. Like the week-long wait for election results, a college football game in OT led to a delayed broadcast, but the eventual arrival of Chappelle in action smoothed some over frayed U.S. nerves.
As Chappelle put things after taking the stage, it’s a “pretty incredible day.”
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) November 8, 2020
However, the suit-and-sneakers clad comedian didn’t hold back from the biting humor for which he’s known. Nor was he afraid of “triggering” viewers by “thanking” COVID for putting mass shootings (by white gunmen on the fringe) on hold. “Remember life before COVID?” he asked. “Mass shooting every week. Thank God for COVID. Something had to lock these murderous whites up. and keep them in the house.”
Dave Chappelle just goes there for his #SNL monologue pic.twitter.com/98dfJDbJWE
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) November 8, 2020
He also made a particularly apt comparison of Trump catching the virus (and no one questioning how it happened) to a “raw-dogging” man in the 1970s. Then there was that moment when he torched Chris Christie for being so, uh, appealing to COVID.
Dave Chappelle absolutely roasting Chris Christie #SNLpic.twitter.com/FdBKRh63mj
— Brendan Duggan (@SidelineDuggs) November 8, 2020
Other choice lines included the following: (1) “I don’t know why poor whites don’t like wearing masks. You wear a mask at the Klan rally. Wear it at Walmart too!” (2) “Try wearing the mask I’ve had to wear all these years. I can’t even tell something [is] true without a punchline behind it.”
It’s good to have Chappelle back on SNL with the night still (relatively) young.
Dave Chappelle monologue has been worth the wait #SNL pic.twitter.com/GjNE7WnU9C
— Thomas Mooney (@thomas_mooney1) November 8, 2020