Comedian Dave Chappelle ripped San Francisco’s homelessness problems during his standup routine in the city on Thursday.
Chappelle, known for his irreverent and politically incorrect humor, took the stage at the Masonic where he was reportedly met with cheers. Chappelle’s standup routine focused on the city’s ongoing struggle against homelessness, according to a report from SFGATE. (RELATED: Writers Reportedly Boycott SNL After Dave Chappelle Announced As Upcoming Host)
“What the fuck happened to this place?” he asked.
The comedian then reportedly told a story about visiting a restaurant in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, in which he claimed a homeless person defecated in front of the restaurant as he made his entrance.
‘What the f—k happened to this place?’: Dave Chappelle rails on San Francisco at surprise show https://t.co/7Xvbvp6mMF via @SFGate
— Adam Mayer (@AdamNMayer) May 13, 2023
Chappelle said the city has become, “half ‘Glee,’ half zombie movie.”
“Y’all [N-words] need a Batman!” The comic then joked, claiming that the entirety of the city has come to resemble the Tenderloin.
The Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco has struggled with homelessness. The neighborhood had 1,360 drug overdoses in 2020 and 2021, according to data provided by the city’s chief medical examiner. Mayor London Breed declared a state of emergency, saying the situation in the Tenderloin had gotten “out of control.”
Chappelle came under fire in 2021 over his jokes about the transgender community. The backlash caused writers to boycott Netflix and for activists to demand the streamer take down his comedy special.