Dave Chappelle

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guinastasia said:

Neurochick, to be fair, it doesn't matter who you are, or how lucky, depression and/or stress and anxiety can hit you hard. Look at poor Howard Hughes. A bloody genius who ended his life wearing kleenex boxes on his feet, hadn't had a hair cut or cut his nails in years, keeping jars of urine in his closet.

Exactly. And it depends on how long stress or anxiety or depression goes on. All of these things change the brain pattern and then it becomes a more serious problem.

That's why I see him as recovering from trauma. The shock of realizing people around you are not what you thought can do that, depending on the relationship dynamic. As well, if you've had a life full of stress already, handling it when you're an adult can become particularly difficult. The way he was speaking really made me think this guy was, unfortunately, severely shocked and then had no way to understand it or deal with it.

It's not about who has a harder life and is fine etc. It's about the individual in every situation. Whatever is too much for them to handle, is too much for them to handle. Comparing their life to someone else's is pointless.

[Deleted]

Very well said Guinastasia and caribou

As shocking as it may seem, money really doesn't fix everything. Crazy world, huh?

[Neurochick]

It's not about who has a harder life and is fine etc. It's about the individual in every situation. Whatever is too much for them to handle, is too much for them to handle. Comparing their life to someone else's is pointless.

Perhaps, but I still have NO sympathy for him, especially when I see people every day of my life with real honest to God problems, real stress is 'can I feed my family?'

Whenever I think I'm stressed out over some bullshit, I have to tell myself that it's a fucking high class problem, that I could be on the streets or drinking again, believe me, I know what real hell is like. Right now I'm sober and alive, everything else is gravy.

[Deleted]

I think at least some of the people on his show were really worried about him.

And the most common way to approach someone you thought was having a nervous breakdown, would be by urging them to get help, which of course adds to that person's paranoia.

I wonder how funny Oprah really thought that skit about Dave marrying her was.

[ladymadonna]

Perhaps, but I still have NO sympathy for him, especially when I see people every day of my life with real honest to God problems, real stress is 'can I feed my family?'

Whenever I think I'm stressed out over some bullshit, I have to tell myself that it's a fucking high class problem, that I could be on the streets or drinking again, believe me, I know what real hell is like. Right now I'm sober and alive, everything else is gravy.

Stress is stress, whether you are a celebrity or not. I deal with low-income, low-functioning people everyday. Do I think their stress and problems are any more important than my own? No. I may not be at a level (anymore) where I am wondering where the next meal or rent payment is coming from, but that doesn't mean that I don't stress just as much at whatever may be going on in my life. I'm not any better than a person living on the streets, Dave Chappelle is no better than I am, and the homeless person is not dealing with more "noble" issues of stress than either of us.

When you go through Hell, you apparently come out the other side with A.) a desire to help others through their shit, or B.) a mindset of: "Don't piss and moan. Things could always be worse. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps."

I feel for the guy. Money doesn't mean shit in the big scheme of things, if you don't have self-esteem and self-respect. I hope he finds his zen.

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diane63 said:

Very well said Guinastasia and caribou

As shocking as it may seem, money really doesn't fix everything. Crazy world, huh?

Exactly! And word.

I feel for the guy. Money doesn't mean shit in the big scheme of things, if you don't have self-esteem and self-respect. I hope he finds his zen.

Same goes if you have money but not the respect of other people. Which is what I think he was saying at some point...that he thought his collaborators were on his side but it turn out he was the butt of their joke and their dimwitted fool/court jester. And he realized he was just being used and he didn't have the power or control over anything he thought he had.

In any job situation that causes stress because you lose all faith in what you are doing. It becomes pointless to continue. Right?

[jenhavins]

Does anyone know if Dave and Neal Brennan are still friends? I know they go way back, but I didn't know if they were still close after the Time article, and the fallout from all this.

I did not get to see the Oprah interview, so I don't know if Dave mentioned Neal or not.

[loulou]

The whole Oprah episode is on Youtube.

[Mutagen]

Dave mentioned Neal all right... if it's the same guy I'm thinking of, he went on for at least five minutes about how Neal had never called him during his hiatus in Africa and was basically a crappy friend. I have to be honest, I was squirming through that whole discussion. Much as I love gossip, and much as Dave may have a legitimate grievance, that smacked of airing dirty laundry. I would never do that to a friend unless I were damn certain I didn't want to continue the friendship. Although hell, maybe that's the case here.

All in all, the interview made me uncomfortable, but it was kind of an inherently uncomfortable conversation to start with. I'm quite relieved Dave didn't come out with some super-slick bullshit, he had some self pity but wasn't in full-blown martyr mode (he's human!) and his self-examination in the face of all that money was startling. I'm kind of disappointed with him, but I also have a slight feeling of, there but for the grace of God.

[Deleted]

I would never do that to a friend unless I were damn certain I didn't want to continue the friendship.

I think Dave is pretty certain he does not consider Neal What's His Name a friend anymore.

And he said Neal has never called him since all this kicked off last year..not just didn't call while he was in Africa...didn't call ever. And he thinks Neal's comments to the press during that time were at best ill judged or at worst maybe deliberately made to make Dave look bad and weaken Dave's position. Dave was basically saying that he believed his best friend was a Judas. It was "Et tu Brutus?" as far as DC was concerned.

Dave also said all his other friends called him to touch base with him but Neal was the only one who up to the day of the Oprah interview had never even picked up the phone.