Apr182007
Dave Chappelle Performs for Six Hours, Ten Hours Shy of World Record
Filed Under Stand-Up Comedy
Probably heard by now, but Dave Chappelle performed for more than six hours straight at the Laugh Factory this past Sunday. Chappelle broke the previous club record of three hours and fifty minutes set by Dane Cook set only days before. Cook has broken Richard Pryor’s record of two hours and forty minutes set in 1980.
Though sadly I don’t think anybody whipped out their cellphone to catch the six hour and seven minutes performance it sounds like an impressive feat. I’d would have loved to hear his thoughts on Carlos Mencia filling his shoes at Comedy Central. What are they collecting them now after the Michael Richards fiasco?
Speaking of Richards, Chappelle apparently also used the N-word 110 times, which at the Factory’s current $20 fine per use, means Chappelle owes the club $2,200. Damon Wayans previously used the word 16 times, costing him $320 and a three month ban. There’s no mention of a ban for Chappelle in any article I can find. I don’t want Chappelle banned but this is stupid. If the only penalty for the N-word is money, what’s to stop the use of the N-word from being a competition so a comic can brag they flouted the rules the most? It shows how silly the fine is. And how silly it is to keep comedy clubs from being free speech zones.
A Shecky reader pointed out that Chappelle is still nine plus hours shy of the record for the longest stand-up performance. That record is held by Florida comic G. David Howard, who did the Guinness Book of World Records verified performance of sixteen hours. If the comic has a response to Chappelle’s non-feat, you can find him at the Brewmaster Steakhouse in Tampa, Florida. Try the ve..., er, Hawaiian Delmonico Ribeye.
Long performances are a great curiosity but I hope it’s not a trend. Chappelle’s comedy is a lot more conversational these days - the man’s senses are honed enough that he can find the funny while just talking off the top of his head. But from almost any other performer this would be a Bataan Death March. I’m sort of disappointed that I haven’t been able to find one attendees account of what it was like to be at the show. You’d think one of them would want to say, “Hey! I was there!” If there was ever a show that needed recapping, this might be it.
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Have you heard of Mark Watson in the UK? He’s done 24 hour and 36 hour stand-up stints respectively at the last two Edinburgh Fringes… but possibly they’re not Guinness verified? Although, I think in this case you know you’re going in for 36 hours, not a 45 minute set emerging six hours later.
Loving your blog, Todd, it’s nice to read about American comedy over the pond!