There seems to be unrest among the staff of US broadcaster NBC following the announcement of comedian Dave Chappelle hosting Saturday Night Live (SNL) this weekend.
Here is everything you need to know.
SNL writers walk out after Dave Chappelle’s announcement as the upcoming host
Page Six recently reported that the staff writers of SNL are furious with the producer’s decision to rope in Dave Chappelle as their upcoming host.
Moreover, the staff members are allegedly sitting out on the episode in retaliation.
An insider reported, ‘They’re not going to do the show. But none of the actors are boycotting.’
Chappelle’s rep on the contrary claimed that there was no indication of a boycott when the 49-year-old attended the writer’s meeting earlier this week.
The rep noted, ‘The room was full of writers. They all pitched ideas and they seemed very excited about it…. Dave is looking to have some fun.’
In addition, the upcoming gig will mark the third time Chappelle will take the stage as host for the long-running US late-night comedy sketch.
If you didn’t know, the staff are pushing back against the transphobic jokes Chappelle shared during his 2021 Netflix special The Closer. For instance, he deliberately delivered a misgendered remark towards a fellow comedian only for laughs.
Besides that, Chappelle’s hosting announcement comes shortly after SNL made history when they announced Molly Kearney as their first non-binary cast member.
However, Kearney is yet to publicly address Chappelle’s upcoming gig on SNL.
Meanwhile, many celebrities have spoken against Chappelle following his comments aimed at the trans community.
Terra Field, the former executive of Netflix, tweeted, ‘Wait I thought I canceled him. Is it possible to cancel a culture that isn’t a real thing?’
Additionally, SNL writer Celeste Yim took to her Instagram stories to express her feelings over the announcement.
She wrote, ‘I’m trans and non-binary. I use they/them pronouns. Transphobia is murder and it should be condemned.’
Netizens react to Dave Chappelle hosting SNL Advertisement
Many social media users have called out Saturday Night Live creators for allowing Dave Chappelle to host the show.
One user said, ‘cool and normal that Chappelle’s hosting SNL this weekend and we’re all just fine with that.’
While another chimed in saying, ‘Dave Chappelle is being given a massive platform again on SNL, time for people that aren’t trans to tell me that he isn’t a transphobe and defend him.’
Someone else added, ‘I love SNL. I’ve been a fan all my life. But having Dave Chappelle on as host is not the move. What a disappointment.’