University of Memphis students shared an intimate evening of toilet humor, sex jokes and stories about getting wasted with comedian Dave Chapelle when he visited the packed Rose Theatre on Feb. 7.
Chapelle cracked jokes at the audience like he was just hanging out with friends.
“I get a lot of inspiration from just talking to my buddies,” he said in an interview after the show. “But my favorite way to tell jokes is to just stand in front of an audience and feed off of them.”
Chapelle’s technique went over well with the raucous audience.
“He was hilarious,” said junior Bryan Padawar. “The only thing I regret is not bringing my Half Baked DVD to get autographed.”
Although most people know Chapelle from his lead role in the stoner comedy Half Baked, he has quite a few movies under his belt.
Many people first discovered this funny man as one of Robin Hood’s merry men in the spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Other film credits include Blue Streak, Nutty Professor, Screwed and 200 Cigarettes.
“Right now I’m finishing up a movie called Undercover Brother, with Chris Katan and Eddie Griffin,” Chapelle said. “It’s set to come out on May 31.”
With movie roles and a national comedy tour, Chapelle has come a long way since his beginnings in Washington D.C.
“I started doing routines in comedy clubs after school when I was 14,” Chapelle said. “By the time I graduated from high school, I decided that I didn’t want to go to college, so I moved to New York, and that’s where things really started happening. I’ve been chipping away at this for a long time.”
Chapelle doesn’t let his fame get in the way of his life, though. He said that he really just enjoys sitting around his farm, playing Play Station and playing with his new baby.
“When I go out, people recognize me,” Chapelle said. “I don’t mind it too much. There’s nothing wrong with people being happy to see you.”
“The trick is to always keep your life simple,” he said. “No matter how busy your work gets, just keep your life simple.”
