It's been 11 years since The Chappelle Show ran its last episode but, goddamn, Dave Chappelle is apparently more popular than ever.The two hour long comedy specials that Chappelle released on Netflix are, according to a letter the streaming company sent to its shareholders, its most viewed comedy specials ever. (Worth noting the company has released specials with other A-level stars like Amy Schumer and Louis C.K. as well)
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"The triumphant return of a comedy legend in Dave Chappelle: Collection 1 was our most viewed comedy special ever," the company wrote.Keeping with its secretive viewership policy, Netflix did not release the exact number of viewers for the two specials.
The last special that Chappelle had released was 2004's For What It's Worth.The first two specials in the trio which netted Chappelle $60 million big ones— Deep in the Heart of Texas and The Age of Spin—were released exclusively on Netflix on March 21. The third special in the trip hasn't dropped yet.
That's not to say that everyone who viewed the specials loved Chappelle's act. His specials proved controversial among some for jokes about the LGBTQ community—some people viewed his act as punching down and thought the comedian appeared out of touch after spending a decade out of the public eye.Follow Mack Lamoureux on Twitter