On Dave Chappelle

Yesterday, the comedian appeared on "Oprah". Folks remember how last year, after a new $50 million contract with Comedy Central" for his show, he exhibited erratic behavior and then fled to South Africa in midproduction. This interview was his first television appearance, and he denied drug use or mental derangement. Mr. Chappelle spoke about the stress in creating "Chappelle Show", the paranoia in dealing with increased fame and money, the increased pressures that he felt from producers and others to do socially irresponsible work, and how he plans to bring his hit show back to life.

Although there were a few hilarious skits, I have long thought that Mr. Chappelle delved into coonery and avoided his show. I am glad that he recognized it too - he talked about how a white co-worker's reaction to a particular skit made him feel uneasy, and was a turning point about his feelings about his show - and I believe that was the core of his decision for a time out in South Africa. He talked about how he selected Africa because (1) he had friends there; and (2) needed time to reflect upon his show, as he felt that folks had a vested interest in controlling his show's image with the increased money and fame. He also mentioned that he wants to give a portion of the proceeds from his DVD sales - which I didn't know are the biggest-selling television DVD sales in America - to charitable groups. I await what he will next do.