David Spade recently released his comedy special Nothing Personal and he spoke about how he feels about a lot of things. His hatred for crabs, his thoughts on pubic hair, the pandemic, clickbait and Dave Chappelle.
The funnyman also said he included some jokes that might raise a few eyebrows.
"These aren’t my hardcore beliefs,This is me saying something to shock or surprise you to elicit a laugh. If I say the five jokes we’re all allowed to say that have been approved by the world, then who’s laughing"
He also spoke about his thoughts on the infamous Oscar incident with his friend Chris Rock.
David Spade Talks About The Will Smith Slap
David Spade has a lot to say about the current state of comedy. He believes that a lot has shifted since Chris Rock was slapped at the Oscars.
"Since the Will Smith incident, I feel there’s a change in the air. The invisible barrier between audience and stage has been broken. But clearly, the grace period is over. I think all performers will hit first and ask questions later if someone comes at them. Even if it’s a juggler, you might get a bowling pin across the temple."
When asked about how he selected the topics that he wanted to cover in the modern age of comedy, Spade answered that he wanted to stay true to himself and his craft.
"I’m from an era of comedy when you were supposed to push things. Everyone was — that was the whole idea. And people would go and sort of escape to hear comics and laugh, and it’s all in good fun. And I would poke fun at people and move on, but it’s gotten very tricky business in general, and then one more wave was after the Oscars, so everyone has an opinion."
He continues, "With the invention of Twitter, you don’t just hear general opinions — you hear one at a time from everyone on the planet. You realize you’re never gonna please everyone, and they’re gonna let you know. Overall, I wanted to stay true to what I did, and I have people that know what I do. People that don’t like me, I don’t know if I can flip them with this."
How Does David Spade Feel About Dave Chapelle?
Dave Chappelle has been the subject of controversy following his Netflix special where he made some off-color jokes about trans people. The Nothing Special comedy special had some jokes about Caitlyn Jenner, so fans wondered if she struggled with coming up with ways to handle the sensitive topic. When asked about it Spade ended up sharing his thoughts about Chappelle.
"There’s something to say for everyone wanting to be treated equal, and it’s a fine line between being able to make fun of everyone and having to stay away from people. Some people, some religions, some places would be like, “Hey, treat me like everyone else, make fun of me like everyone else and respect me like everyone else.” It’s all just a level playing field — ideally.
Spade continues, "Now, it is not, in reality, and everyone shies away from everything. I think with someone like Sylvester Stallone, who I poke fun at but actually really like in real life, there’s no malice or anger or vitriol. Caitlyn Jenner, I’ve met, and perfectly cool. So my angle was more the names and also making fun of myself."
He also spoke about his respect for Chapelle.
"I respect Chappelle, and I respect most comedians. I think we’re all friends until proven otherwise. It’s a nice little community. And if you like comedy, and you go to comedy clubs, there’s people saying shit you wouldn’t believe, but they’re not famous enough to get canceled."
What's Next For David Spade?
Nothing Special was well received by fans, but there's still the question of what's next. It's the same question that fans asked after his comedy special, Lights Out with David Spade was canceled. Spade revealed that he was unsure if he wanted another project like it.
"I don’t know. I like Lights Out, and I hear so much about it after the fact. But I don’t think the people that were in place at Comedy Central would have ever canceled it. And then, it switched over — a lot of things happened, and they just had a different vision, which is like a new coach coming in.
He continues, "I understand how that works, but it was a bummer. And then you just brush off and figure out what to do next. But it is hard to do that every night. That was a little harder than it looks, and I’m trying to write bits for the ending, and I’m trying to do monologue jokes. I see why it’s hard for regular talk show hosts — they’re very good at it."
Spade also revealed that he may have a reboot or sequel in the works, and that he's unsure about hosting the bachelor again.
