Dave Chappelle’s next stint on Saturday Night Live is getting, shall we say, closer. SNL announced last night that the comedian will host the November 12 episode, with Black Star performing as the musical guest. Chappelle sparked controversy last year with his special The Closer, which was criticized as transphobic and prompted an employee walkout at Netflix. After he was attacked at a show back in May, Chappelle joked that the assailant was trans, referencing the backlash that he has faced from the LGBTQ+ community.
November 12 will mark the first episode of SNL after this year’s midterm elections, which is in line with Chappelle’s history on the show. The comedian’s last hosting gigs, after the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, resulted in the two most-viewed monologues on SNL’s YouTube channel. Perhaps in this year of rebuilding, the sketch-comedy show is hoping to replicate that success? We saw how they brought back David S. Pumpkins.