Chappelle's Show

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Edgy, brilliant comedy that's best for adults.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that, above all else, this wildly popular sketch comedy series is uproariously funny. Adults will laugh themselves silly at Chappelle's edgy satire and knowing social commentary, but it's the kind of humor that pushes the proverbial envelope to the absolute. It's only for the fearless, and despite the fact that many teens love the show, it's really not appropriate for most kids.

  • Racism, sexism, alcoholism, affluenza, ignorance -- no stone is left unturned in the name of comedy. The intent is to mock society's foibles, but some of the messages may be too subtle for younger viewers to catch.
  • Dave Chappelle himself is an intelligent and brilliant comic with a knack for biting cultural commentary. The characters on the show are all exaggerated for humor as a means to express Chappelle's critiques. But these same characters can easily be misconstrued by casual viewers to represent negative stereotypes about everyone from African Americans to women.
  • Chappelle's biting commentary cuts like a serrated knife, and some sketches feature faux murders and gun shots.
  • Some sketches feature scantily clad women (often as strippers and prostitutes). Plenty of sex talk to go around. Skits have mocked sexual fetishes, and one character talks a lot about swapping sexual favors for drugs.
  • No holds barred. "Damn," "d--k," "bitch," etc., plus rampant bleeping that barely masks words like "motherf--ker." Plenty of derogatory racial terms as well (the N-word makes frequent appearances), though they're often used to draw laughs.
  • Not applicable.
  • Considering one bit features a funny how-to on scoring drugs, vices aren't off-limits. One of Chappelle's recurring characters is a crackhead.

What's the story?

In sketch comedy show CHAPPELLE'S SHOW, anyone is fair game: white supremacists, anti-drug programs, even PBS. The result is that you never know quite what to expect, with bits whizzing from a parody of the popular MTV show Cribs to a fiercely funny stab at Chappelle's own identity crisis (at one point, he was MIA from his own show, fleeing production for a retreat in South Africa). Recurring characters include cheerful crackhead Tyrone Biggums, clueless rapper Lil Jon, feisty Rick James, and more. Stand-out moments have included Chappelle's turn as a blind Ku Klux Klan member who doesn't realize he's black and a guest appearance by Wayne Brady (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) in which the normally squeaky-clean entertainer goes on a pimping, shooting rampage.


Is it any good?

 

Chappelle's genius is that he's able to mine the current, the political, the seamy, the gross and -- best of all -- the taboo for humor. In doing so, he makes viewers think, even when they're busy holding their sides from laughing too much. It all makes for exhilarating, thought-provoking TV -- except, of course, when kids are in the room. As appealing as Chappelle is to teenagers, his comedy is of the edgiest, adults-only sort.


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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about the issues that Chappelle chooses to satirize. What is the state of race relations in this country? What are the stereotypes the show chooses to skewer based on? Does the show reinforce or dispel those stereotypes? How? Could another comedian do the same skits and get the same response? Why do issues that are, on the face of it, not very funny, play for such great laughs?

  • What do you think about Chappelle's decision to quit doing his show?


This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Teen, 15 years old
December 15, 2009
 
16+
I haven't seen a full episode of this show, but my friends showed me a clip about him talking about sesame street and it was hilarious. He used the f-word and it's derivitives a couple of times, and it was completely uncensored. People under the age of 16 shouldn't watch shows with language like that if it's uncensored.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
it's not TV-MA
It's not TV-MA, it's TV-14, i't almost TV-MA, but it barely gets by witha TV-14. i think it can be viewed by 13+.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
i laughed a lot!!
i love this show!! chappelle is soooo funny!!! but i wouldn't say it's okay for people under 13.but if your 13 or older.watch!!!

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Parent
December 17, 2009
 
Chappelle's Show
Hilarious! Dave's impersonation of Rick James almost made me drop dead laughing. This show would make even the most emotionless people chuckle.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Very Funny show!
It was originally TV-MA, but changed to a TV-14. Very funny show for persons 13 and older.

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Parent of 11 year old
March 10, 2011
 
My kid and I love it.
Cursing and racial stuff but I love it!!!

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Brilliant
A wonderful show, but probably not for most kids. We have the shows on DVD and only allow our son to watch select skits. We also discuss why certain things are said and done on the show to make a point, but that these aren't things that you should say in real life.

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This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
TV rating:TV-MA
Network:Comedy Central
Cast:Charles Q. Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Paul Mooney
Genre:Comedy

This review was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

 

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