The Block Party That Everyone Should Revisit.

“Dave Chappelle's Block Party” is a music doc featuring a star studded musical line up (The Fugees, Mos Def, Kanye West, The Roots, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott), Dave Chappelle, some kookie artists in a “floating” house, and even a fun crew that Chappelle invited from his town in Ohio. I already like music docs, so I didn't need much pushing—but “Block Party” was fantastic. It wasn't what people would expect when they hear his name—in fact, everyone that I asked about it had never seen it. These were people that not only had access but also interest in the craft, the man, the music, and the city. I wonder if the huge blow up over his last minute escape to South Africa made the film just a tiny blip on the radar. The film was made before this stint, in 2004, and it's easy to see why Chapelle would have been overwhelmed: this project was like nothing else he had put out (he hosted and wrote “Block Party”) and the second season of the Chappelle show was about to start—and probably bring on all kinds of the wrong attention. Because his work on the Chappelle show is so loud and over the top, it attracts a certain crowd that doesn’t really see it for what it is. They could very well watch the clips where he poses as all the different racial stereotypes(Pixie Videos) and think it's hilarious because it's portrayed in that way—and not even get the bit of sadness that's behind it. Dave Chappelle is a smart man, he knows what he's doing, but the frat boys who just want to yell/regurgitate offensive one liner quotes from the show don't and it loses the point.

Before studying Chappelle in this class I hadn't really cared for him. I had only seen clips of the “Chappelle Show” and got was he was doing, but felt like he was getting the wrong kind of attention, it almost made me uncomfortable with how far he was taking it. It wasn't even uncomfortable in the way you'd imagine, because my ideas of race are so different from many—but more on that later. However, upon watching the interview with him and James Lipton on "Inside The Actors Studios", I connected with him so much. Just the way he spoke in everyday language is reminiscent of how I speak (though not academically) and reminds me of where I come from. I wonder a lot if Ohio is the same as Pennsylvania. In many ways it is (I live at the border) and I'm always wondering about the whole nature vs. nurture thing. Not only did I love the way he conversed, but so much of what he was saying was easy going and real. It's easy to see that he never really wanted the attention he got. He just wanted to do what he loved and stay where he was (which is why he still lives in Ohio, even though he's rich bitch.). “Block Party” was simultaneously a comment on and precursor for the events that took place regarding the second season of his show.

I realize that the main point I'm supposed to be hitting in this review is the bigger picture of race. I understand how it's often revolting to see many of the viewers repeat Dave Chappelle's work back at him and miss the point of what he's trying to say (even though he's saying it in a funny way). I get that, because a little pit in my stomach forms like someone is being made fun of when I hear/see it. It's not cool to mock anyone and that's sort of how I look at it. I know right now you're thinking that this girl's just crazy. She's taken the whole point and widdled it down to Kindergarten principles. She doesn't get race. You know what? That's half of it. I don't believe in race. I think it's a completely fake construct created to further separate us and started as a means to differentiate class. A squirrel from Pennsylvania to a squirrel from Michigan to a squirrel from Illinois. As is a man. A squirrel is still a squirrel whether it's gray, brown, black, spotted. A human is a human, ain't no different. To differentiate us by “white man” or “black man” is just adding unnecessary qualifiers. NO QUALIFIERS!!! Even when it came to listening/reading Michael Eric Dyson talk about hip hop was difficult for me because I can't focus about difference when I feel like it's all just the same. Even “white people's” music and pop culture has always been dirty, we just hid it in lengthy wordiness and metaphors. Most of our songs are about pussy and drugs too, people just don't see it that way 'cause it's said different. Just as both genres/cultures have music that is touching and real. I'm really just sayin' that practically everything is the same thing just said/done a little different. People think it means wholey different—it doesn't.

Even though I don't believe race exists, I still can obviously see where the problems lie in Chappelle's everyday work and mission. It's been so long that people have been fed this bullshit and looking at the world wrong. Though I'm sure Dave knows that—it's obvious that he's smart, and how could you not be with both parents being professors? It's asking questions that help us grow and further as individuals.

Michel Gondry directed “Block Party”, which is one of the most confusing things about the doc. I associate him with movies like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “The Science of Sleep”. I wonder if Chappelle's ever seen them? It's an interesting thing to ponder on about. Gondry also directed the White Stripes' (otherwise known as my favorite band of all time) music videos. The musical tie to his work was probably what led to his being the director. He's got movie and music video experience, which is exactly what the film was (but live). The man is as white as white gets though. The couple Chappelle also interacts with and throws his block party in front of their home are also very white. That is, if we're taking as “white” as meaning anything at all—stupid qualifiers. Chappelle also comments on the crowd while on stage (eg. Moslty black, 19 white, no Mexicans) but why? Is it because it's the elephant in the room? It makes me also wonder if showing all (and the only?) white people he invited and then also worked with to put it on were somehow trying to level the playing field when it came to the crowd. Was the projected viewer audience a “black audience” or did he try to put it exactly in the middle to actually (though artistically/metaphorically) make a comment on the whole thing. Perhaps that should be left up to you—to me it really doesn't matter much. I only look forward to see what Dave Chappelle will do next.