If Chappelle Doesn’t Want to Be Associated with Lauren Boebert, He Shouldn’t Hold Such Similar Views

During his visit to Congress yesterday, poor Dave Chappelle was “blindsided.” The guy went and got “tricked!” Might as well throw in bamboozled and hoodwinked, while we’re at it. Blame that sneaky Lauren Boebert, who Chappelle claims outfoxed him with her request for an innocent selfie.

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How exactly did Boebert fool Chappelle into posing for her anti-trans message? The comic told reporters as he was leaving Congress yesterday that he was in D.C. for a show and had stopped by to see old friends. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna stopped him in the halls to say “thanks for all you do,” prompting Boebert’s request for a quick selfie. “I know you’re trying to leave,” Boebert said but the amiable Chappelle obliged.

Of course, he might not have posed if he’d known Boebert was about to throw the picture up on Twitter/X with the caption, “Just three people who understand that there’s only two genders.” For good measure, Boebert punctuated the hostility with a happy face. 

At Chappelle’s show last night at Washington’s Capital One Arena, the comic complained about Boebert’s post, according to reporting from HuffPost. Chappelle was only trying to do his part to bridge the political divide during difficult times, he told the crowd, but he was “blindsided” by Boebert’s actions.

“It’s a shame she tricked me,” Chappelle said, according to Call to Activism. “I had two tickets to Beetlejuice and I was going to give her one!” Boebert was one of several Congressional representatives who stopped him for pictures yesterday, he said, although he was surprised that she wanted one. “I saw her there rubbing her mitts together,” he reportedly told the crowd. “What was I supposed to do?” 

What was Chappelle supposed to do? Here are a couple of suggestions. First, don’t take pictures with Lauren Boebert, one of the most divisive and most ridiculed members of Congress in recent memory. Chappelle’s been around the block a few times -- it never occurred to him that opportunists post selfies on social media? If you don’t want to be associated with Boebert, politely say “no” and continue your exit.

Second, none of this happens if Chappelle didn’t continually double down on transphobic material in his act. If Chris Rock or Ali Wong or Taylor Tomlinson happened to be strolling the Congressional halls, there would be no ground for Boebert to claim they’re all on the same team. Chappelle doesn’t want to be used for Boebert’s ugly messages, but where’s the lie here? If you don’t want to be associated with the hate-mongers, Mr. Chappelle, then rethink the transphobic ‘jokes’ you continue to insist on telling.