You might have noticed that Chappelle's Show is no longer on Netflix. There's a pretty good reason for that.
In an 18-minute video posted to Instagram (one of only four posts to his account), comedian Dave Chappelle explains why the seminal comedy show was removed from Netflix. But you have to want it. The full video is very much worth watching. It starts off with Chappelle telling a story about how he lent someone a joke and dude refused to return it, telling a 15-year-old Chappelle it just wasn't going to happen.
Chappelle continues with a story about Three-Card Monte and how he lost money while everyone at the game was yelling and cheering him on. He realized those people were all the dealer's friends. And when Chappelle tried to warn the next mark about the game, the dealer grabbed Chappelle and finally told him "Young man, don't ever get between a man and his meal."
Chappelle then goes into Prince, and how the musician at one point changed his name to "the Artist" — because that's what they (entertainers) were all called in their contracts.
You get where this is going, right?
Chappelle's Show was on Comedy Central. He signed the deal when he was still a 28-year-old expectant father. And like so many in showbusiness, the contract didn't pay him what he was worth. "What else was I going to do?" he says, adding that everyone at the table said it was a good contract.
But, he continues, "What if it like that game of Three-Card Monte?"
It's a brilliant 18 minutes and very much worth a watch. And at the end you're going to think a couple things: You're going to want to know where you can stream Chappelle's Show. And then you're going to to feel bad for thinking that.
You can't stream it on Netflix — where Chappelle currently has a deal — any longer.
"I like working for Netflix because when all those bad things happened, that company didn't even exist. And when I found out they were streaming Chappelle's Show I was furious. How could they not know? So I called them and I told them that this makes me feel bad. And you want to know what they did? They agreed that they would take it off their platform, just so I can feel better."
"If you are streaming that show you're fencing stolen goods."
Chappelle continues: "I'm begging you — please don't watch that show. I'm not asking you to boycott any network. Boycott me. Boycott Chappelle's Show. Do not watch it unless they pay me."
Watch the whole thing below. And if you still want to stream Chappelle's Show? Go find it yourself.
