August 17, 2006

Chappelle\'s back

Alicia Nails, director of Wayne State's Journalism Institute for Minorities, commented about controversial comedian Mike Chappelle who opted out of his highly successful show and a $50 million contract with Comedy Central last year. He recently discussed his reasons for dropping out of the limelight to Oprah Winfrey saying that some of his comedy began to seem "socially irresponsible" to him. Nails said it\'s a cautionary tale that Chappelle is telling himself. \"For a culture that\'s into bling and name brands and labels, this is a person who made another choice. It\'s \'I don\'t want to be a sellout to this huge dollar figure.\' That\'s a powerful, powerful commentary on....the power of personal integrity.\" Nails added that she hopes he stays in tune with the hip-hop generation, to share what he's learned so far. "By quitting his show at his peak, Chappelle decided some things are more important than money."

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