# Did the facts about Dave Chappelles blowout ever come to light? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932 "2005-12-16T16:46:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/1 "2005-12-16T16:46:55Z")
[He signed a huge deal](http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/7097) then bailed on his commitment to deliver additional shows and kissed off a 50 million dollar deal. Did the facts ever come to light about what exactly the reasons were for his leaving the show so abruptly? ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/2 "2005-12-16T16:57:30Z")
I don’t know, but Comedy Central’s year end show was playing clips from “The new season” of Chappelle’s show. Does that mean there is a new season on the way? Did CC simply throw together the bits that were already taped? Is Dave coming back? I’d love to find out that his falling off the face of the Earth is part of some madcap crazy Andy Kaufamn-esque prank on Dave’s part. But I doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/3 "2005-12-16T17:29:49Z")
> [@AndyPolley](#): > > I don’t know, but Comedy Central’s year end show was playing clips from “The new season” of Chappelle’s show. Does that mean there is a new season on the way? Did CC simply throw together the bits that were already taped? Is Dave coming back? > > I’d love to find out that his falling off the face of the Earth is part of some madcap crazy Andy Kaufamn-esque prank on Dave’s part. But I doubt it. The “3rd season” will consist of bits taped before Dave took off. There will be no standup intros as seen in seasons 1 & 2. They’ve got about 4 shows worth of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/4 "2005-12-16T19:06:11Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > They’ve got about 4 shows worth of stuff. That’s lame. I’ve read that he’s done a few stand-up shows in California since ditching the show, so it’s not that he’s retiring or anything, he just doesn’t want to do the show. Too bad. I thought it was a great show. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/5 "2005-12-16T19:56:32Z")
I think he liked being successful, but didn’t care for being famous, and he kind of spazzed out. I know he did one interview where he said that after he blew up, he found himself surrounded by people (not family, he emphasized) that were clearly only there to ride his coattails but claimed to be his friends. Then he ran off to South Africa to just kind of chill out for awhile. Basically, it just seems to me he took the rich person’s version of a personal day. I think the reason many think there’s something mentally wrong with him is that this type of reaction to fame is really unusual. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/6 "2005-12-16T20:07:58Z")
I think a lot of the basics of what happened are right there on the surface. If you’ve seen his standup special, _For What It’s Worth_, he talks about being bothered by people saying “Rick James, bitch!” all the time, like when he’s with his kids. Or if you’ve seen Comedy Central’s teaser for ‘season three,’ there seems to be some insight there. There’s one sketch in which Chappelle is talking to a big, Wizard of Oz-esque network suit and talking about what he’d like to do with his career. He says something about being real and staying true to himself, and the suit says “TV Guide was right! You _are_ the funniest man in America.” Later, he tells Chappelle, “You want to know the secret to being famous?” There’s a pause. “‘ **I’m Rick James, bitch!** ’” ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/7 "2005-12-16T20:19:01Z")
> [@SNenc](#): > > I think the reason many think there’s something mentally wrong with him is that this type of reaction to fame is really unusual. Could be just plain fear – he might have found his sudden super-stardom overwhelming, and suddenly realized he didn’t know which of his ever-growing entourage he could really trust to not backstab him and rob him blind. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/8 "2005-12-16T21:02:46Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > The “3rd season” will consist of bits taped before Dave took off. There will be no standup intros as seen in seasons 1 & 2. > They’ve got about 4 shows worth of stuff. Where did you get that? One of the cast memebers (Eddie Murphy’s brother?) was on Howard Stern months ago and said they had taped 8 episodes worth of the show and that the 3rd season was only supposed to be 13 episodes anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/9 "2005-12-16T21:11:53Z")
I heard he got the $50 million after he threw out that number when negotiating, not expecting them to agree. So when he was expected to do the show for that much money, he had a lot of pressure on him. ---
**Author:** ![AndyPolley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@AndyPolley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyPolley)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/10 "2005-12-16T21:12:28Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > One of the cast memebers (Eddie Murphy’s brother?) was on Howard Stern months ago and said they had taped 8 episodes worth of the show and that the 3rd season was only supposed to be 13 episodes anyway. Both statements could be true. The sketches, minus the intros & musical guests make up about half the episode anyway. [rumor] I heard that he didn’t want to do the show at all so he made an outrageous salary demand ($50 mil) never expecting Comedy Central to come close with a counter-offer. They didn’t. They simply said OK to the 50 million. That blew his mind. [/rumor] ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/11 "2005-12-16T21:17:46Z")
> [@Push You Down](#): > > Where did you get that? I thought four episodes was the official number as well. It’s been quoted around here before. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/12 "2005-12-16T22:37:35Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I thought four episodes was the official number as well. It’s been quoted around here before. I got it from [CNN](http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/12/05/tv.chappelle.returns.ap/index.html). ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/13 "2005-12-16T22:59:29Z")
> [@SNenc](#): > > I think the reason many think there’s something mentally wrong with him is that this type of reaction to fame is really unusual. I don’t know about this. If Dave Chappelle was feeling really pressured, and it was making it hard for him to live his life, then stepping away was the right thing, and the brave thing, to do. Many other stars have flamed out from the pressures of fame-- Kurt Cobain comes to mind immediately. At least Chappelle was able to walk away while the walking was good, not waiting until he can’t take it anymore and then doing something really outrageous. That said, I hope he comes back to do the show, but if it’s not good for him, then I’m glad he didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/14 "2005-12-18T03:36:30Z")
Apparently, there is a conspiracy involving Oprah, Sharpton, and Cosby. :eek: [The Cite](http://www.chappelletheory.com/index.html) Is it true? Doubtful, but I love the idea of Sharpton stalking theaters. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/15 "2005-12-18T05:01:51Z")
Wow. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/16 "2005-12-18T05:10:28Z")
> [@Dark Side of the Floyd](#): > > Wow. Yeeesss… Of course! It’s so clear now! That makes much more sense than the more mundane explanation that the stress of producing the show and his own personal issues had spiraled a low level drug habit to out control proportions. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/17 "2005-12-18T05:21:17Z")
That is one hilarious site, \*\*DiosaBellissima. \*\* I was particularly amused by the idea of Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Louis Farrakhan, Oprah Winfrey and Bill freaking Cosby forming a cabal called “the dark crusaders.” Makes you wonder why the hell “Girlfriends,” “Half and Half,” “The Wayans Show” are still on, why Foxxy Love’s character is still on “Drawn Together,” and how “Boondocks” ever made in on the air. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/18 "2005-12-18T05:33:25Z")
I’m wondering if that’s what Chapelle believes and if he suffers from some kind of mental illness. Paranoid schizophrenia? And can’t untreated bipolar disorder lead to paranoia? ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/19 "2005-12-18T05:34:13Z")
> [@Dark Side of the Floyd](#): > > Wow. Basically. Its’ like a real life “Van Patten Project.” **Askia** , only Black people know about the first three. The Boondocks has only been on for half a season. Foxxy Love doesn’t carry as much weight as Chapelle mostly because she’s animated and everyone on that show acts like a moron. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932/20 "2005-12-18T05:44:02Z")
> [@](#): > > **Askia** , only Black people know about the first three. The Boondocks has only been on for half a season. Foxxy Love doesn’t carry as much weight as Chapelle mostly because she’s animated and everyone on that show acts like a moron. Well, I’m black and I’m embarassed by the first three! Boondocks is at least as savage as Chappelle’s show, and the so-dark crusaders could have nipped it in the bud if they wanted. Animated or not, Foxxy Love is a shameless hussy voiced by Cree Summer, who appeared on “A Different World,” produced by the Cos. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-facts-about-dave-chappelles-blowout-ever-come-to-light/335932.md?page=2)