Dave Chappelle faces criticism in new Netflix special for trans jokes: "It's not funny, it's dangerous"

Michelle Buteau criticized Dave Chappelle for profiting from "unfunny" and "risky" jokes about the transgender community in his successful Netflix shows.

Michelle Buteau hosted her own comedy special "Michelle Buteau: A Buteau-ful Mind at Radio City Music Hall," which premiered on Netflix Tuesday. In her act, she made an explicit joke about her "beautiful, Black lesbian friend," which she claimed was an example of a respectful way to reference the LGBTQ community.

Buteau stated that it is possible to make jokes and stories without disparaging an entire community. He emphasized that it can be done in a humorous way, but it requires effort and dedication.

"If you encounter Dave Chappelle, kindly inform him of that information, as I believe he is unaware of it."

We won't encounter Dave because he is the GOAT, and he is the GOAT if that implies being dismissive of trans individuals.

"Dave, it's not funny. It's dangerous," she said. "I can't believe somebody would make millions and millions of dollars for making people feel unsafe. That is so wild to me, truly."

Buteau announced, "I am manifesting this success tonight. This is a Radio City Music Hall takeover, and I will declare to everyone that I aim to earn millions and millions of dollars by providing safety, security, and entertainment to people."

In an interview with USA Today, Buteau highlighted the significance of backing the community, while also mentioning Chappelle's remarks.

I'm not saying you can't say things, but can you make it funny? Because it doesn't feel funny," Buteau said. "You're hurting people and making it dangerous. And it's not just Chappelle - it's part of the culture that I don't understand.

"Slavery was once legal, so why can't we do what we used to do? We need to move forward, and I'm sorry if it's different, but let's wrap our minds around it."

In 2021, Chappelle faced criticism from the left for his transgender jokes in his Netflix special, "The Closer." As a result, trans activists called for the program to be dropped and a small group of Netflix employees staged a walkout in protest.

In 2023, he made jokes about transgender people in his special "The Dreamer," while recounting his visit to Jim Carrey on the set of "The Man on the Moon."

To portray Andy Kaufman, Carrey used a "method" approach by staying in character at all times. Meanwhile, Chappelle was instructed to refer to Carrey as "Andy" when they met.

""I wanted to meet Jim Carrey and I pretended this person was Andy Kaufman all afternoon. And he was clearly Jim Carrey. I could look at him and see he was Jim Carrey. That's how trans people make me feel," he remarked."

Planet Chronicle' Kristine Parks contributed to this report.