Unfiltered Dave Chappelle Roasts San Francisco in an Explosive Stand-Up Performance
Comedian Dave Chappelle has always been real and unfiltered. And this time, he’s not afraid to slam San Francisco on its existing problems. You’ll almost never believe his solution. He’s asking for Batman.
The Netflix star has been famous for his sharp tongue and quick wit. Onstage, he does what he does best — challenge, provoke, and entertain.
On Thursday night’s surprise show at the San Francisco Masonic Auditorium, he called out the Golden City for its rampant homeless problems.
During the show, the 49-year-old comedian referred to the city as his “second home,” as the SFgate reported. Chappelle asked, “What the f— happened to this place?”
HE WENT THERE: Dave Chappelle recounts graphic experience he had with homeless man in San Francisco. https://t.co/44eCvoFOgJ pic.twitter.com/0IKHzigSJs
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 15, 2023
The comedian recalled an encounter that he had a few nights before his trip to the city. He told the crowd that he was eating at an Indian restaurant in the Tenderloin district.
Then, he recounted how a homeless person defecated on the street right in front of the restaurant where he was about to eat. He said San Francisco is now like a “half Glee, half zombie movie.”
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Chappelle also added that the city has now transformed into the Tenderloin. San Francisco’s Tenderloin community is well-known for its drug and homelessness crisis.
San Francisco’s Growing Population of Homeless People
The stand-up comedian added, “Y’all [expletive] need a Batman!” His criticisms of the city are very timely and on-point, as SF has been dealing with increasing crime and homelessness these past few years.
According to a Fox News report, there are roughly 38,000 individuals living on the sidewalks of San Francisco. This number shows a 35% growth since 2019.
The shortage of police staff has heightened homelessness and crime issues in Golden City. In addition, the department observed a 12% decline in the number of full-time police officers from 2019-2022.
Overview of Changes in People Experiencing Homelessness by Population and Sheltered Status (2020-2022) Photo Credit: huduser.gov
Moreover, Dave Chappelle witnessing public defecation wasn’t new. A newcomer in the city, Sean Miller, has created a free app named “Snapcrap,”
It is an app where people can report any sightings of used needles and human waste on the city’s streets. This app’s description says that if you “see something gross, just snap a photo,” then hit submit.
San Francisco’s Public Works department will receive these photos. In addition, they already have their own 311 apps for reporting trash, human waste, graffiti, and potholes.
The city is just one of the states in the US with a growing problem with homelessness. It is prevalent in other states too. A recent study showed that 1/3 of the US are homeless, and half live in California.
In January 2022, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development conducted the “Point in Time” survey. It was released at the end of last year, implying that at least 30% of America’s homeless people live in the Golden State. Homeless encampments and tents are present in most of the urban centers.
Furthermore, California’s homeless population has grown by an estimated 6% since 2020 compared to just 0.4% in the whole country. This significant change happened in the “homeless but sheltered” community.
It surged by 17% in 2020, while the “unsheltered” population increased by almost 2%. The PPIC wrote in the study that the rest of the US homeless population grew faster than California at 4%.
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California is the shelter of most of the country’s Continuums of Care. The organization arranges and renders its services to homeless people. They have 44 centers, while Florida has 27.
Moreover, the Bay Area Council conducted the survey and published it. They interviewed 1,000 travelers to San Francisco via the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) from Mar.30 – Apr.9. They arranged the interview via email and text-to-web polls.
The study shows that 17% of the participants feel safe, while 45% who do not use BART feel unsafe using the public transportation. In addition, one of the reasons that 22% of the participants said why they don’t use BART is due to fear and security concerns.
