Mae Martin brilliantly explains why they call out Dave Chappelle in new Netflix special Sap
Mae Martin is not here for Dave Chapelle’s comedy that punches down on trans people. (Getty/Steve Granitz/Kristy Sparow)
Mae Martin’s new Netflix comedy special SAP is finally out in the world, and they’re pulling no punches when it comes to fellow comics who make trans people the butt of the joke.
In the special, Martin, 35, name drops the likes of Dave Chappelle, who has routinely been slammed for his use of trans “jokes” in his own Netflix specials.
Chapelle has claimed that he is a victim of “cancel culture” despite recently winning a Grammy, performing to sell-out crowds, hosting Saturday Night Live and enjoying the promise of even more Netflix specials.
Ricky Gervais is another comic to be condemned for his cheap shots at trans people in his 2022 Netflix special, SuperNature.
Speaking to Rolling Stone, Martin, who is non-binary, discussed why they felt the need to address the comics’ history of joking at trans people’s expense.
“When you’re someone who’s part of the trans community, it can feel like a lose-lose,” Martin said, explaining that they didn’t want to feel as though they were “constantly whining”.
“But it’s also a very crucial time to present a counterargument to the very loud people with huge platforms who are weighing in in bad faith about things that have real-life consequences,” they continued.
Legislation targeting the trans community is snowballing across the US, while trans people in the UK, too, feel they are regularly being used as a “political football”.
Mae Martin hopes by bringing up those who punch down in their comedy special, they can cut through the “endless debate”.
“It’s a very difficult tone to hit because I do care about it so deeply, and could so easily rant for hours about how annoyed I am,” the Feel Good star said.
“So if it’s in any way helpful for people to see someone speaking about their lived experience and cutting through the endless debate about whether trans people deserve to be happy, then hopefully it’s worth it.”
Martin shared that at first, they tried tackling the topic while on tour without naming comedians like Chapelle, but felt they were being too “coy”. During SAP, they are being explicit.
“I feel confident about what I’m saying, so I might as well just name them,” Martin said, adding that they wish straight allies would be as direct.
“It’s easy to dismiss queer people as being constantly up in arms about something. But with the legislation, we’re seeing such terrifying real-life consequences.
“They’re things that affect everybody – there’s such a parallel between trans rights and bodily autonomy for women and all kinds of things that I think it’s time we all got involved a little bit.”
SAP is available to watch now on Netflix now.
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