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Apparently, this is my 1,000th post. You know these things when you pay people to help you with your site. Otherwise, I’d have been on post 1,002, wishing I’d come up with some clever conceit to mark the occasion. Instead, I’m on post 1,000…with no idea of anything clever to do.
Instead, I’ll give this post to Dave Chappelle and the possibility that maybe, just maybe, he may have a show coming. No, for real. I wouldn’t tease you like that.
Of course, this excites me. Much of “The Morning Jones” is taken from what I learned from watching Chappelle. I got a great glimpse for how much people can actually handle, how to code messages on multiple levels for a broad audience, and how a product can be intelligent without that being its selling point. It was genius, and it was liberating for someone like me. Yeah, we saw how it ended, but let’s get this straight: he got two years and change of what he wanted to do, stated largely how he wanted, made a boatload of cash, and he walked on his terms. That, unequivocally, is success. People outside of entertainment tend to think the guys that fell off failed. In reality, those whose names you know hit at least five outta six numbers.
But there’s always been something about Chappelle walking away that’s understated: he didn’t spend the money before he got it.
Of course, spending $50 million would take some time. But, as Mike Tyson would tell you, persistence can make that time go by so quickly. So many people get large, get raises, and get the lives they think they wanted. Next thing you know, they’re stuck to their mortgages just like regular people, slaves to the first of the month. And when you are? Well, that’s when you wind up hosting a home video show or something. But what good’s the money if you don’t spend it?
Well, I’ll tell you what I’ve picked up: it comes in really handy when you get fired. Or, if you decide it’s time to walk.
By most indications, Dave never wanted to be a star. Wannabe stars don’t live in farms in southwest Ohio, after all. Doesn’t sound like he was that concerned with being rich, either. After all, all the bravado in my “revolutionary” soul says I’d walk away from the money…but it’s not in my face. He literally walked away from more money than I can imagine. Doesn’t matter how much money he had stacked already. Dude stepped away in the name of principle.
If that doesn’t inspire, you’ve got a malfunction. The game is overrun with people who need stardom to fill their hearts, to give them something to be when who they are simply isn’t good enough for them. They’ll do anything to stay in the light because, once they’re gone, it’s all gone.
I once saw Ric Flair work a room. It was amazing to watch how courteous he was to everyone and how personable he was, as he sucked down glass after glass of red wine. It was obvious after five minutes: Flair knows that the moment he stops being so gracious, he stops being “Ric Flair.” And when that stops, what is he? Whomever that is, it’s probably not as cool as being Ric Flair.
How many people can just go back to being whom they are? That’s a great question. Chappelle’s made, certainly, but it takes a certain confidence to go back to being the guy at the comedy club. It takes a real self-confidence to get to the pot of gold and be able to tell that it’s not worth it.
The irony of it all is that most folks who do work like comedy get into it because they love it. Then they figure out how to make decent money and see the chance to make big money and go with it…before they realize that’s for something they don’t love. Next thing you know, you’re no different than the chick in human resources or data entry: just somebody else that’s in it for the check. Nothing winning about that.
So I applaud Chappelle for everything. And I really, really root for his new television project. If he continues to show you can do great, entertaining work without the fear that others can’t handle respectful jokes and confrontation, we all win. We’ll see greater opportunities for diverse properties in media. We’ll see more people who were inspired by him like I was, presumably making for more stuff we can all use.
And it will show people that, if you want to, you can do what you want in the game. It might not make you rich, and it probably won’t leave you filthy rich. And while some of Dave’s comedy looking back is depressing, it’s hard for me to look at it like that. He “made it,” then realized it wasn’t that big of a deal. Maybe he didn’t get out in time to get his head all the way up. But it seems he got out while he could still live with himself.
The job won’t make you whole, but it sure can tear you apart. Dave got himself out for one big reason: he could.
That’s something not everyone can say.