Most people will know Patton Oswalt as the lovable nerd Spence Olchin from the famous US sitcom "King Of Queens". After the series, Oswalt enjoyed many more offers and a correspondingly successful career. Since then, he has been taking gigs all over the world and has managed to prove to people that he can do more than "just" nerdy.
Among other things, the 52-year-old comedian uses his enormous reach to actively advocate for the rights of the LGBTQI+ community. That's precisely why a joint photo with fellow comedian Dave Chapelle has caused an enormous stir.
Dave Chapelle is a self-confessed trans opponent
At the turn of the year, Dave Chapelle asked his decades-long colleague and actor Patton Oswalt to perform with him. Due to the long-lasting friendship that connects the two comedians, Patton Oswalt finally agreed. What at first looks like a successful end of the year and a special cooperation between two artists, caused a lot of negative criticism on the Internet,... Especially from the LGBTQI+ community.
This is actually not surprising. Because: Dave Chapelle is now known for making jokes about transsexuals, among other things. The comedian even calls himself "TERF" ("Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminism"). This grouping consists of feminists who only accept cis women and also only fight for their rights.
Trans women are deliberately excluded from the concept and even discriminated against. A clear statement towards the community, which Chapelle picks up in some of his jokes.
Detailed Apology from Patton Oswalt
But how does it fit when an LGBTQI+ activist poses arm in arm with a transphobe for the camera? Patton Oswalt was apparently unaware that this photo could cause such a stir.
Although the two men's opinions differ when it comes to the LGBTQI+ community, they both have a history together. They have been friends since their teenage years. This apparently made it all the more important for Oswalt now to make it clear that there are also issues on which they clearly differ.
In his long apology or statement, he emphasizes that he had hoped that his colleague's opinion might change at some point. Dave Chapelle, however, does not seem to be ready to reflect on the issue from a different perspective.
Controversy on the Internet - when an apology somehow does not necessarily make everything better...
Even days after the post, the comments surrounding the picture are not diminishing. While some keep emphasizing that it was fundamentally wrong to post the photo in the first place, others feel it is wrong to apologize.
Accordingly, there is heated discussion on the social networks. Some praise Oswalt for not breaking off contact - despite his friend's transphobic attitude - but instead apparently believe that he might change at some point. After all, hardened fronts have never helped two parties make peace with each other.
If the disputes surrounding the picture, as well as the discussions surrounding Dave Chapelle's comedy program, have achieved one thing, it is that more visibility has been ensured on their basis. And who knows? Maybe one day Chapelle will really understand that a "joke" that excludes others might not be as funny as the reactions of his own fanbase might lead one to believe?
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