Art and Culture # 61
Patton Oswalt is Excoriated by Cancel Culture for Touring with Dave Chappelle
-For the Uncensored!
In the long gestating war of Cancel Culture, the world itself is at its emotional peak. People are afraid for their jobs or there livelihood. When artists and entertainers used to be the beacon of rebellion, turning inwards, exposing there inner belly to corporations, Dave Chappelle is once again the focus of media uproar. By forcing Patton Oswalt to turn on his friend, Dave Chappelle, this is now creating a circular firing squad moment.
According to CNN by Marianne Garvey on January 3rd, 2022, “Patton Oswalt shared a heartfelt letter on social media explaining his longtime friendship with fellow comic Dave Chappelle as controversy over Chappelle's jokes about trans people in his last Netflix special has continued.” He stated, “Why not? I waved good-bye to this hell-year with a genius that I started comedy with 34 years ago. He works an arena like he's talking to one person and charming their skin off. Anyway, I ended the year with a real friend and a deep laugh. can't ask for much more," Oswalt wrote.” With response to his picture with Dave Chappelle, he argued that, “we 100% disagree about transgender rights & representation. I support trans peoples' rights — ANYONE'S rights — to live safely in the world as their fullest selves.” [ii]
He also didn’t want to cut ties with his friend, Dave Chappelle, in his recent controversies either. Arguably this in turn creates such a discrepancy in the culture war. To stand up for Dave Chappelle, Oswalt’s friend, in his time of need.
It’s rough in an age when an artist can’t say what they are truly thinking. It becomes worse when the media spurn the words of artists against their fans. The contradiction is purposeful and the media want to manipulate the thoughts of their readers or viewers. The will of a friend can’t be bought. It shouldn’t be bartered with either. Friendships are hard to come by. They don’t always last but the best friends usually disagree on each other’s views and then continue to hug and hear each other’s side of the opinion.
But in his own Instagram post, he restates his position, stating, “I’m sorry, truly sorry that I didn’t consider the hurt this would cause.”
What consequence this poses is simple. His loyalty to a group of rabid cancel culture warriors who saw fit to ascribe there fixed position of identity politics onto artists is dangerous. This is part of the world current lefties live in. Nothing is sacred. Friendships must be destroyed in order to find ease in there short changed wisdom. What makes this such a defeated blow to free speech is the outcome of a forced apology. To feign an apology when the left will not forgive and forget. The quality of mercy and justice is much needed in America in 2021. The outcome is simple.
Learn to forgive and move on, or be stuck in identity politics with no friends and no life to speak of. But to consider the effects society can cause people, like Oswalt, to take back his stance on a picture, tells us what we all know in 2021. Take a picture, get blacklisted. True artists know their worth and continue on creating art without an apology attached. Because art and friendship should matter first.
But to consider Cancel Culture’s power is a frightening concept. But to move forward is what all artists have to do. I hope Patton Oswalt continues to find his balls again, but who really has any balls once you have no more speech left? Once your balls and your word are done, you have nothing left as an artist.
. 01/01/2022. Found 01/05/2022.
[ii] https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/03/entertainment/patton-oswalt-and-dave-chappelle/index.html. Found 01/05/2022.
. 01/02/2022. Found 01/05/2022.
-Louis Bruno is the author of more than 19 books, including, The Michael Project, The Michael Project: Book 2: The Lost Children of Eve, Thy Kingdom Come, The Disintegrating Bloodline (and the original text re-released in 2019), Apocalypse Soldier, The Data Chase, Selection: The First Book of the Life and Death Saga, and Blinking Eyes: The Second Book of the Life and Death Saga, Hierarchy of Dwindling Sheep, The City of Sand, To the Moon and Back, The Villain Lives and The Villain Lives: The Divided Pinpoint, Come Home, Young One. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Phoenix. His books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Lulu. He can be found on Gab, https://gab.com/thereallouistbruno, Minds https://www.minds.com/lbruno8063/. Instagram @lbrruno8063 and @louisbrunoofficialbook. Our Freedom Book https://www.ourfreedombook.com/thereallouistbruno17. He has written for the Intellectual Conservative and Ephemere. His next series, City of Sand is out now:https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/louis-bruno/city-of-sand/hardcover/product-rke9jz.html?page=1&pageSize=4. Also, if you can’t subscribe so that you can get members only content, please be sure to share the articles, as well. Subscribe as well so you can get my articles in your inbox every time. Every little bit helps in the war against Big Tech. Thanks for reading. Don’t forget to like and subscribe, and also get updates sent to your email, so you can tell substack what’s worthwile. If you share my work, this page could be, as Hyman Roth from the Godfather Part 2 said, “We could be bigger than US Steele.” You too, can make a difference as well, as you guys help me continue to write great articles and reviews.