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On Wednesday, July 20, comedian Dave Chappelle's show at Minneapolis' First Avenue was canceled by the historic nightclub following online backlash. However, the announcement was made by First Avenue mere hours before the show's original starting time at the venue.
The announcement was made over Twitter, which sparked much controversy and divisive reactions over the decision to cancel Chappelle's show. To mitigate the issue, First Avenue announced that the show would be shifted to the Varsity Theater, located around three miles away from the initial venue.
Later, the Varsity Theater announced that the show would take place at their venue at 8:00 pm. They also mentioned that tickets bought at First Avenue would be entertained at the new venue.
What did Minneapolis' First Avenue say about Dave Chappelle's show cancelation?
In their tweet, First Avenue insinuated that the decision to cancel Dave Chappelle's show was likely based on online backlash. Their statement mentioned:
"The Dave Chappelle show tonight at First Avenue has been canceled and is moving to the Varsity Theater. To staff, artists, and our community, we hear you, and we are sorry. We know we must hold ourselves to the highest standards, and we know we let you down. We are not just a black box with people in it, and we understand that First Ave is not just a room, but meaningful beyond our walls."
The First Avenue team further elaborated on how they supported "diverse voices and the freedom of artistic expression." However, they said that the team should have understood the impact of hosting Chappelle amid the controversy surrounding transphobic jokes. At the same time, First Avenue acknowledged those who might have an issue with the decision. The team's statement encouraged people who disagreed with the decision to share their feedback.
It appears that the reason behind the cancelation of Dave Chappelle's show stems from the controversy surrounding his transphobic jokes in recent comedy sets and his Netflix special The Closer.
However, it is unclear as to why the decision to cancel the show and then coordinate a shift in the venue with the Varsity Theater was rushed. It is possible that there might have been some pushback from the staff of the venue, as insinuated by the team addressing the "staff" amongst others in their statement.
Furthermore, a recent Change.org petition, which was started on July 19, demanded that First Venue not provide a platform for the comedian. The petition mentioned:
"Dave Chappelle has a record of being dangerous to trans people, and First Avenue has a duty to protect the community."
The aforementioned petition, which has garnered over 128 signatures, also referred to the firm's code of conduct. It read:
"Acting or speaking in a discriminatory manner or using racist, sexist, ableist, transphobic, homophobic, xenophobic, or other biased language, including intentional misgendering."
Netizens left polarized over Dave Chappelle's show cancelation at Minneapolis' First Venue
While some individuals in the trans community approved of the decision, a few others politicized the issue. Some stated that the cancelation of Chappelle's show would cause Republicans to garner more votes.
Meanwhile, a few mocked the situation as Chappelle still performed in the city just around three miles away from Minneapolis' First Venue.
