Things got awkward during John Mayer’s Instagram TV show Current Mood with Dave Chappelle when the comedian, who appeared pretty inebriated, called singer Daniel Caesar “very gay” and the conversation quickly turned toward a discussion of modern society’s reception to off-color jokes. While Chappelle seemed pretty contrite, he continued to try to defend himself while a mortified looking Mayer did his best to defuse the situation.
It all started when Mayer tried to introduce the segment by noting that Dave had just seen Daniel perform for the first time, when Dave interjected with a joking, “Yeah, very gay.” When John appeared taken aback by the dig, Dave backpedaled, saying, “Huh? Oh, I’m sorry, did I say that out loud? I’m just kidding.” However, Daniel himself issues an aggrieved “What the f*ck was that?” from off-camera, prompting the comedian to take a more serious, complimentary tone, calling the singer “amazing.” He did continue to assert his right to make tasteless jokes because of his job as John tried to mediate.
By the end of the video, however, it was all smiles as Daniel sits with Dave and the pair hug it out, as Caesar remarks, “I was being hella sensitive.” It’s an odd little microcosm of the online discourse, and a reminder of exactly the sort of thing that got Chappelle’s last few comedy specials on Netflix critically panned.
