LA Wildfires, Sean Combs, pick

During a 15-minute opening monologue, comedian Dave Chappelle tackled everything from the Los Angeles wildfires to Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration, from Sean Combs’ impeachment to a heartfelt tribute to the late Jimmy Carter.

Kick off Saturday Night Live‘s first show after Season 50’s winter hiatus, Chappelle said executive producer Lorne Michaels had tried to book him to host the post-election episode, which he vehemently refused. He finally agreed to a seat closer to January 6.

“The moment I said yes, LA burst into flames. And it’s a tough one, you know what I mean, because I’m tired of being controversial, I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. And that’s it way too early to make jokes about such a disaster,” he said, smoking a cigarette through all his material and winking.

He continued, commenting on the fact that the wildfires were the costliest natural disaster in American history: “Because people in LA have good things. I could burn 40,000 acres in Mississippi for $6 to $700.”

Regarding the various conspiracy theories floating around, Chappelle said, “There are just too many factors. If you were a rational-thinking person, you’d at least consider the possibility that God hates these people. Sodomites! But it’s right, because West Hollywood was unscathed, because how can you burn what is already burning?”

Chappelle also sampled some material on suspected UHC shooter Luigi Mangione, Trump’s racist comments about Haitian immigrants (Chappelle himself lives outside of Springfield, Ohio), and reviled and disgraced rapper Sean Combs, who faces sex-trafficking and littering charges, including for his “freak-offs,” the drug-fueled sex parties that would be filmed and last for days. The latter item didn’t strike much of a chord with the crowd, and at one point he tapped his microphone to mime checking its pitch, saying directly after the fact, eliciting a few laughs, “Thank you.”

Making a joke about freak-offs, Chappelle said he was never invited because of a damning realization: “I thought about it for a second, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m ugly. It was a hard way to find out. Can you imagine if you were me, reading the paper and finding out that everyone in Hollywood had an orgy behind your back and no one called me? Boy, that really hurts.”

He later admitted that his face has “talking energy” and made that joke when he acted like he was masturbating in the corner. “Oh, I seem to tell,” he said.

But in closing, and with a rather sharp and surprisingly heartfelt twist, Chappelle turned his attention to Carter, recounting a time in his life when he was in the Middle East at the same time the former president was visiting Palestinian territories in Israel. without security detail and after the publication of his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.

“I will never forget the images of a former US president walking with little or no security while thousands of Palestinians cheered him on, and when I saw that image, it brought tears to my eyes. I said, ‘I don’t know if that’s a good president, but right there, I’m sure, is a great man.’

He continued, turning his attention to today’s political environment and addressing Trump’s impending tenure: “The presidency is not a place for petty people, so Donald Trump — I know you watch the show — man, remember, whether people voted for you or not, they’re all counting on you; whether they like you or not, they’re all counting on you. I mean it when I say this, good luck, do better next time Please, all of us, do better next time. Don’t forget your humanity, and please have empathy for displaced people, whether they’re in the Palisades or Palestine.”

Watch the entire monologue below: