Dave Chappelle interview

This month's Blender, with the hot pictures of Kristin Cavallari, also has a nice feature on mental case Dave Chappelle. From what I understand, the five episodes of "Chappelle's Show" he taped before he took off for Africa will air this June, but he's urging people to not watch them.

The piece had a quote from Matt Stone, that political revolutionary from "South Park," that I found interesting. To wit:

"I can understand how [he] probably thought he was becoming the minstrel he was making fun of," Stone recently told a magazine. "But you know, he's honestly kind of troubled. It's like, 'Dude, everyone wants to fucking walk away. But you don't, because that's lame.'"

In other words, no matter how much the TIs at Viacom force you to compromise yourself and your art, still show up the next day and get your check. Let that serve as a lesson to today's youth.

Speaking of which, Toure's interview with Dave Chappelle airs this Sunday at noon on BET. You might want to check that out. After the jump is a brief excerpt.

TOURE: Now that you're back, quote, unquote, are audiences responding to you differently when you get on stage than before?

DAVE CHAPPELLE: Yes, they are. Something about this situation has been real positive between me and the audience is people have less of the rock star idolatry.  Somehow I feel like they kinda recognize my humanity.  I used to come on and they'd just scream out television catch phrases at me.  "I'm Rick James, bitches! I'm Tyrone, bitch!"  And, you know, that's real distracting when you're just talking.  But that stuff's gone away.  Now, if I'm setting up a joke, I can set up a joke that's a minute long and sometimes I can hear a pin drop in these auditoriums. And then when I hit the punch line it's like thunderclap. Everybody laughing.  It's just cool, man.

TOURE: Because they see you as more human?

DAVE CHAPPELLE: So much of our culture's based on celebrity worship that it's hard to remember that celebrities are just people, I think.

TOURE: What do you think about Comedy Central airing season three?

DAVE CHAPPELLE: I didn't want it to be aired, obviously, or I wouldn't have left in the first place. I feel like I'm being disciplined or perhaps bullied.  And if people don't watch it, I¹d be more than happy.  I¹m not gonna say to boycott it.  But if people don¹t watch it, I¹d be more than happy.