‘Was that Will Smith?’
This was Chris Rock’s characteristically quick and hilarious reaction when his friend, comedian Dave Chappelle, was tackled by an audience member on Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl.
Comedy venues need to be a sacred space, free from the threat of violence
We don’t yet know the motive, we don’t yet know the man’s name, but this is the second high-profile attack on a comedian in two months. Luckily for Dave, he has great security, including Django himself, Jamie Foxx, who helped subdue the attacker, who some reported as being armed with a gun and a knife.
Video footage of the man being loaded into an ambulance has already started circulating on social media. Sadly, for most comics, we don’t have the privilege of having a Quentin Tarantino action star waiting in the wings.
The majority of the reaction to this has been encouraging.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in