Being a comedian has to be one of the toughest jobs out there. You live and die by the crowd, something that no ordinary person could or should survive. Anything that isn’t real or genuine will fade away, like they say “what is real will prosper”. Unlike other entertainers such as musicians, athletes, or actors, the greats don’t bother themselves with gaudy Netflix specials or grandiose venues but will frequent underground, even seedy spots. This is where household names such as Kevin Hart come in. He’s a funny guy, I don’t think anyone questions that, he’s just too….bland. Hart’s acting career, persona, and the numerous sponsorship deals make him an archetype comedian but not a true expressionist who can purely say whatever he wants. The problem is that there are plenty of good comedians but very few great ones.
Patrice O’Neal and Dave Chapelle. It’s not even a debate, their goat status can be felt just by walking into a room. Two of my personal heroes. I don’t look up to a lot, if any, people but they remain truly some of the greatest human beings and philosophers to walk the earth. Dave Chapelle doesn’t need to do anything: he rarely publicizes himself, doesn’t book large events, and performs very few specials at all. He’s reached a LeBron status where his reputation literally precedes him. People come just to be in his presence and catch secondhand smoke from the billions of cigarettes he goes through every year.
Patrice O’Neal was so special, he deserves his own paragraph. He is the only person I’ve ever seen who truly did not give a fuck. He…
