Bananas are racist: Chappelle.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: A man accused of throwing a banana peel at comedian Dave Chappelle during a New Mexico stand-up performance is slated to head to court for his offense.
Christian Englander, 31, the self-described eccentric and performance artist who threw the peel during a March performance by Chappelle at the Lensic Performing Arts Center, is charged with battery and disturbing the peace — petty misdemeanors that each carry a jail sentence of up to six months and a possible fine of $500, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper.
Englander admitted to throwing a peel from a banana he had eaten earlier because he took offense to jokes that Chappelle made about his companion, according to police.
The friend reportedly was drawing in a sketchbook during the show when Chappelle noticed and asked the man his name, which he gave as “Johnny Appleseed.” Chappelle then made jokes about the moniker, and police say that’s why Englander acted out, reported the Associated Press.
“If I can, I would like to avoid a trial,” Englander said Monday following a brief hearing before Judge Donita Sena in Magistrate Court. “I’m not afraid of the end result, but it’s a waste of human resources.”
Derogatory monkey references have long been used to insult black people, and sports spectators have been known to throw bananas and banana peels at black athletes during competitions, especially in Europe.
Englander, who is white, said Monday that after the police apprehended him on March 30, Chappelle came to the police station to speak to him. Chappelle reportedly asked him, “Don’t you know bananas are racist?”
However, Englander said he told Chappelle, 41, that he did not agree and that Chappelle then responded with profanity-laced insults about Englander and his mother.
Lieutenant Andrea Dobyns of the Santa Fe Police Department confirmed that Chappelle visited the police station to talk to Englander, reported the AP.
Englander claimed he meant no harm toward Chappelle and that he doesn’t find bananas racist. “It was the first time I heckled an African-American comedian. It got misconstrued,” he told the Santa Fe New Mexican. “To me, it wasn’t a violent act, and I never meant to hurt anyone,” Englander continued. “In comedy, you get heckled. It seems to me that comes with the job. You heckle to engage. It puts the comedian on the edge. It puts them on their toes.”
3 Comments
If that’s true for black people then what are the fruits of other minority classes?
Rushing Guyovitch I don’t know, you’re of Aryan decent…. You tell me. You’re better equipped to answer this question than I.
I am just curious… Dave Chappelle is very funny man. His comedy style breaks through all racial barriers and you have interesting choice of word: “Aryan”. Dave has written entire bits on racism and he gets very angry when man throws a banana peel at him. This must be serious gesture for Dave to take offense. I want to know if other fruit invokes this type of response for my own personal curiosity. I am not “Aryan” I am Россия (Russian). My friend, many peoples, of who are of very pale skin colour, have been devastatingly discriminated against also. This is not about race for me. Just curious.