In defense of Dave Chappelle

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Chapelle's controversial new Netflix comedy special Sticks & Stones takes aim at the power of outrage mobs, says Meghan Daum. "Today, when we spend so much more time dissecting our arts and entertainment than we do actually taking it in, we’re not just killing the frogs but altering their ecosystem to the point where only the most primitive species can survive," she says. "That’s because we’ve traded the laugh-o-meter for something like a moral yardstick. The concept of punching up versus punching down has long been a fundamental tenet of comedy, the idea being that ridiculing those in power is a classier, and ultimately funnier, gambit than belittling those lower down on the ladder. Traditionally, the great comedians have managed to harmonize their barbs by doing a bit of both at the same time. Back in the 1960s, Lenny Bruce used the n-word to make a statement about civil rights. As recently as 2005, Sarah Silverman observed that rape was a heinous crime but rape jokes were 'great.' But today’s literal minded culture can increasingly hear only one note at a time." ALSO: Chappelle's Sticks & Stones is not for fans of comedy or Chappelle, so who is for?