Netflix Releases Dave Chappelle Special Addressing Murder of George Floyd
Titled ‘8:46,’ the amount of time it took police to suffocate Floyd to death.
Stand-up comedian Dave Chappelle performed an impromptu set responding to the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and the wave of Black Lives Matter protests continuing to take place across the United States. Titled 8:46, the amount of time ex-officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on Floyd’s neck, suffocating him, as well as the time of Chappelle’s birth, the 27-minute long special was released on Netflix’s comedy-specific YouTube channel.
Chappelle details how painful it was to watch bystander videos of Floyd’s death, and thanks young protestors for pushing for change (“You all are excellent drivers — I am comfortable in the back seat”). Despite the special’s deeply serious subject matter, comedian elicits laughs with jokes about political commentators Candace Owens, rapper Azealia Banks and more.
The description section of Chappelle’s special includes a note from the comedian himself: “I normally I wouldn’t show you something so unrefined, I hope you understand.” The video links out to the donation page for the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit working to end mass incarceration and racial inequality.
Watch Dave Chappelle’s 8:46 above.
