Dave Chappelle

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racist person?"

My first impression of Chappelle's Show, gleaned from the continuous previews in the weeks prior to its premiere, was that this would be a repeat of Turn Ben Stein On, Stein's deadpan — and deadly — Comedy Central talk show. But I was sorely mistaken. Chappelle's raunchy, satirical humor, poking fun at both whites and blacks, proves that he finds humor in everything from crack addicts to the Ku Klux Klan — subjects most comics are reluctant to explore.

This D.C. native began performing stand-up comedy in area nightclubs at age fourteen. What sets him apart is his signature willingness to mock his own race — and every other. One result is a TV show that asks audiences to question their reaction to his offensive material.

And there's a lot of that.