When ‘words are violence’ turns to actual violence

In the wake of comedian Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special The Closer, activists both online and off warned that Chappelle’s jokes about the trans community would lead to real-world harm, even murder. Instead the trans community has struck first by attacking Chappelle onstage.

In his special, Chappelle tells the story of a trans person and friend who defended his stand-up material. Chappelle offered his friend career help by having her open for him on stage. Yet after being bullied by the trans mob for supporting Chappelle, his friend committed suicide.

Earlier this week, Chappelle himself was physically attacked at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, during a comedy set that saw many famous faces, including Elon Musk and Chris Rock, in the audience. A 23-year-old man stormed the stage with a replica weapon, and was quickly subdued by security.

The attacker was identified as a young man attempting a rap career who had written a song about Chappelle. According to Rolling Stone, the assailant has links to the trans community and has been staying in and out of homeless shelters. We don’t know if the attacker himself identifies as trans, and no one is pointing fingers at the trans community. But his links to the community and their outrage at Chappelle certainly can’t be ignored.

A pop star named Brandon Hilton with a healthy online following tweeted:

“It was a Trans man”

THE CONSTANT ATTACKS ON THE TRANS COMMUNITY NEED TO STOP!!!

this was clearly a biological male that attacked him, but if he keeps pushing and pushing and poking the Trans community, who knows what’s next….

— Brandon Hilton ⭐️ (@BRANDONHILTON) May 4, 2022

That sure sounds like a tacit threat to me.

The attack on Chappelle follows Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, which was hailed by some Democratic politicians. Comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted after that incident:

Let me tell you something, it’s a very bad practice to walk up on stage and physically assault a Comedian.
Now we all have to worry about who wants to be the next Will Smith in comedy clubs and theaters.

— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) March 28, 2022

Looks like Griffin was onto something.

This is, of course, the natural conclusion to the “words are violence” narrative that’s taken hold in politically left ideology (and especially on college campuses), because if words themselves are actual violence, then physical violence in return is justified.

There isn’t any available data to suggest Chappelle’s Netflix special or his stories and jokes have resulted in actual physical attacks against anyone other than Chappelle himself. There hasn’t been a reported murder or suicide that has implicated Chappelle or his material.

But the activist side of the trans community has decided that resorting to violence against comedy is justified. This will not be the last time the media chooses to ignore this trend, too busy trying to remove Chappelle from the public discourse.

Words are not violence. Only violence is violence, and the only person to suffer actual violence has been Dave Chappelle.