3. Black Bush. Proof that a very simple topic...about a very simple man...can be funny by just repeating most of it. The thought here is that the current president changes his course and says the most outlandish things that it's hard to believe anyone with a brain would believe him. So how seriously would these things be taken if the President was black? Interesting premise and a lot of ad-libbing helps this sketch elevate. It's also what most minorities see when they see the real President Bush and how incompotent the administration looks in their eyes. There are also some good cameos and Chappelle stretches the presidents oft-antagonistic relationship with the media to another level. Best line(s): "What? Huh? Oil? Who said something about oil, Bitch, you cooking?" or "UN you have a problem with that? You know what you should do? You should sanction me. Sanction me with your army. Oh wait a minute, you don't have an army. I guess that means you should shut the fuck up!"

Sorry I was on the road for work yesterday and I even had an interesting situation with the Sunshine Skyway bridge, which is probably the only bridge that I don't like going over.

Anyway, I knew the Final Four but it was tough to place them because they are all funny yet all (but one) have little drawbacks that keep it from being a definitive No. 2. Also I think I underrated the "People Can't Dance" sketch, but no looking back now.

4. Charlie Murphy's Hollywood Stories: Rick James. Many people would have this No. 1, but I have two drawbacks:

-- It's more of a Charlie Murphy/Rick James sketch than a Dave Chappelle sketch. Yes I know Chappelle plays the young Rick James and has the classic line, but the sketch is carried by Charlie Murphy's ability to tell the story as a straight man in spite of funny dialogue and James' occasional cut-ins.

-- "I'm Rick James, bitch" was the beginning of the end for the show. The line was so memorable and became such a part of pop culture that it haunted Dave during his following stand-up tour and I feel like it contributed to the end of the show. In the end Chappelle couldn't allow his show (which he liked) to ruin his stand up (which he loves).

Still, it's a great sketch and one of the funniest things you'll see. I had to break this into three parts because it's the only uncensored one I could find on YouTube.

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Moving on, it's become tougher to rate the next five. I know which one No. 1 is and hell anyone who's ever watched the show knows the one that sticks out like a sore thumb. Getting there, however, is the hard part.

6. Wayne Brady's Wild Ride. Smart observers will notice that this is an obvious spoof on the movie "Training Day" even going as far as using Brady who, like Denzel Washington, was known as quite the good, "clean" actor before doing the sketch. There are some great lines and very funny scenes in the nine-minute sketch which are all made funny considering Brady is the prepetraitor. Best line: "Is Wayne Brady gonna have to choke a bitch?"



5. Frontline: Gay America. This was part of an Season 2 episode where Chappelle reviewed the sketches that didn't make the "cut" so I'm not sure if this was a Season 1 original or a Season 2 original. It's funny because that episode was as good as any and a lot of those sketches were funny in spite of some strange topics (i.e. the Haters go back in time). Anyway, this sketch was a profile into what life would be like if gay people held a stronger hold on the work force and cultural advancement of America. Best line: There really isn't one best line (although the gay Klansman had some zingers), but the gay landscaper clip might've been one of the funniest things I've seen.

Ok, the countdown continues.

In case your wondering why I'm using the word "sketch" instead of the word "skit" it's simple -- Chappelle hates the word skit. Not sure why, he explained it in the extras on the Season 1 DVD but I forgot. So out of honor to him I use sketch or sketch comedy instead of skit.

Moving on.

8. WacArnolds. I hate going with so many spoofs early, but it proves my theory on commercial spoofs -- they rarely fail. It's fair to say SNL sucks these days, but their music and/on commercial spoofs are still funny because a) they are pre-taped and edited and b) Horatio Sanz is rarely in them. Case in point "Lazy Sunday". Total spoof, funny as hell. Anyway, this was a spoof on a popular McDonald's commercial that was especially featured on BET (or Black Entertainment Television) and considering half of the people that read this blog probably never watched or heard of BET, some of the humor could get lost in the translation. The original commercial is fucking priceless, however, as McDonald's brags about how some inner-city kid (Calvin) brings pride to his community by working at a fast-food joint. We all know this is total bullshit because unless he's working at Popeye's, he still has a good probability to get robbed, shot or both after coming home from any shift. (Popeye's is the exception, no one kills a potential Popeye's hook up) Nonetheless Chappelle revises the role of "Calvin" and goes deeper into his life to prove that the fast-food industry can tear apart a community as well. Best line(s): "Hey Calvin, it's a thin line between fries and shakes" or "Nigga you smell like french fries".




7. People Can't Dance. I adore this sketch for the truth that is inside of it. This is the sort of slap in the face to the "White people can't dance" or "I hate rap but I love the Beastie Boys" crowd by saying that anyone can do anything as long as they are comfortable in their surroundings...or drunk. I also like this sketch because I can imagine Mudge (or Chris as his contemporaries call him) in the board room part of the sketch dancing on a table and busting out into some Slaughter or Twisted Sister. Basically the sketch proves the point that people of all races can dance to the music they most relate to. White people love electric guitar, black people love drum beats and hispanics love electric piano with someone shouting gibberish in a megaphone. As for the Asian population...I have no clue...This sketch features the popular "Oops POW Surprise" freestyle rap and the "Robot man", the latter appeared in several episodes of season two. Best line: "Ay yo....SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Hmm, not really sure how to go about these countdowns. I guess I just list the number, the sketch comedy piece, why I liked it...and videos...yeah videos are nice too.

10. Pop Copy. This is the one that started it all. The first Chappelle skit (actually the second, the first was a Nissan spoof) was a training video spoof off of a famous national copier joint, a.k.a. Kinkos. He enlisted the help of his friends Michael Rappaport and Guillermo Diaz for this one and it was the best intro to the some of comedy Dave Chappelle brings to the table. I liked it because...well because it was ridiculously funny and I could see myself working for PopCopy one of these days if my current gig runs out. Best Line: "A lot of people ask why, why treat the customer this way? Why? 'Cause fuck 'em, that's why!"



9. Trading Spouses. Another season one sketch profiled the spousal switch of black couple 'The Washingtons' and 'The Jacobsons'. Leonard Washington, played by Chappelle is the definite star of the sketch with his highly demanding character. Chappelle also plays the "white" guy Todd Jacobson and this is one of those times where his white guy act didn't blow me away. Still Leonard Washington is funny enough to carry this thing by himself. I believe Washington made another appearance in the "World Series of Dice" sketch in Season two, but I'll have to check. Best Line(s): "Anyone try to touch your mother, punch him in his dick!" or "What the fuck is a parsnip" or "Damn now I done heard of trimming the hedges, but you done scorched the earth!"

...This is part of my theraphy to help me get over the Mets.

It's been a while, I've been busy with work but that's not an excuse because it's not like your jobs are any less stressful or anything.

There are a lot of things I have to get off my chest. I missed my friend's wedding. Not just any friend but my best friend throughout my childhood. I didn't even try to go because I didn't think I'd care or he'd care that I didn't make it.

He cared.

And I REALLY cared that I missed it. I missed the most important day of his life and I could've went if I wanted to. I really don't want to go into that today, but maybe this week. I can't even bring myself to email him and apologize. I'm afraid it would sound shallow. When did I become this work-before-everything person. Hell it's just a job. Granted if I didn't do it, it wouldn't get done, but at the same thing who would notice anyway. I'm tired of not having time for my friends. Sometimes it seems like I don't even have time for my friends that live here.

I also really miss my father. He's not dead or anything, thankfully, but I haven't seen him since Mother's Day (how's that for irony) and I miss the guy. If you told me five months had past since I saw him I'd tell you to stop lying, but it's the truth.

And there are some good things happening. My friend Brew just got a columnist job at the Seattle Times and my friend Kellie just got a job at ESPN.com. I'm proud of both of them. I miss both of them. I've known Kellie for years and I felt like Brew and I were becoming really good friends when he left.

Let's see. I'm also going to do a list. Why? Because Mudge does them and it's a cheap way to post something almost daily. However no top 100 or top 50s...that's too much reading and frankly you don't care that my 34th favorite guilty pleasure song is "Poison" by Bell Biv Devoe. Matter of fact here's the video:



That's four minutes of your life you'll never get back. :) Remember never trust a big butt and a smile.

Anyway my list is simple. My top 10 David Chappelle skits, all of which are from his now-defunct show "Chappelle's Show" which will be remembered 20 years from now as completely relevant and brilliant television. I bet Bill Hicks and Richard Pryor can't wait until Chappelle joins them in the comedy afterlife so they could make each other laugh endlessly.

Until the next time.