Comedian Dan Soder appeared on the Durag & The Deer Tag podcast and opened up about his complicated feelings toward Dave Chappelle, sharing a firsthand account of what it was like to be in his orbit.
Soder began by addressing Chappelle’s most recent Netflix special, making clear that his criticism was not about the subject matter but the execution. Reflecting on the performance, he said, “It just felt like a rich friend that didn’t want to be funny.”
He also suggested that the environment around Chappelle may be contributing to the issue, pointing to what he described as an insulated inner circle. When a co-host questioned how such creative missteps could happen, Soder replied “because no one around him” will say otherwise.
To explain why the situation felt so personal, Soder provided context about his long-standing admiration for the comedy icon. “Chappelle’s my favorite comic of all time… I’ve seen Dave Chappelle live on my own money nine times before I became a comic at 21,” he said, saying how deeply he respected Chappelle before entering the industry himself.
That admiration made a particular experience in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2016 especially frustrating.
At the time, Soder was performing at Comedy on State on the same night Chappelle was appearing next door at the Orpheum Theatre. According to Soder, he was invited backstage twice but was turned away both times. After the second rejection, he recalled thinking, “You might be my favorite comic, but this is d**k riding in a way where I feel like I’ve came here twice. Also, that’s touching on stuff from my childhood, where like waiting for my dad.”
Despite the awkward encounters, Soder later decided to attend Chappelle’s after-party. Once there, he said the atmosphere only reinforced his concerns about the culture surrounding the comedian. Describing the scene, he said it was “just everybody d**k riding, just trying to get closer to Chappelle.”
When Chappelle eventually passed by him during the event, Soder said the moment felt anticlimactic. Noting that Chappelle appeared heavily intoxicated, he recalled his own reaction succinctly: “Yeah, forget this,” and walked out.
According to Soder, the experience permanently shaped how he viewed Chappelle’s social circle. He claimed that similar dynamics continued in later gatherings, particularly among comedians hoping to gain favor.
“Ever since, he’s had a ton of comedians… he’ll have like a comics ball here in New York. And I’ve heard it’s always the same thing. It’s just everyone d**k riding him. It’s disgusting. And then he gives his speech at the end where he talks about how he makes comics more important than we are,” he said.
Host Na’im Ali also described a separate moment when Chappelle showed him the planned introduction to a Netflix special, a montage featuring award ceremonies and accolades. Recalling the interaction, he said, “He pulled the phone out, bro, for like an hour he was just talking about himself. Then he pulls the phone out and he’s showing me the… him receiving awards at different places.”
Ali said he decided to respond honestly, even though it meant confronting one of his heroes directly. He remembered telling Chappelle, “You don’t think that’s just a bit much though, bro? Like, that’s a little bit too much.”
He then added a comparison to emphasize his point: “This looks like the video they would show at your janazah. Everybody thinks you’re great already.”
Comedian Shane Gillis, who was present during the exchange, was reportedly surprised by Ali’s willingness to speak so candidly. Reacting in the moment, Gillis said, “Yo, you are nuts. You just told Dave Chappelle he was doing too much.”
Soder ultimately summed up his perspective with a pointed metaphor about where he believes Chappelle is in his career trajectory. “I keep joking around and saying that Chappelle is in his fat Elvis stage right now,” he said.
Offering what sounded like both a joke and a genuine proposal, he concluded, “Bring me in. Let me have an intervention.”
