October 19, 2004
????????????

DAVE CHAPPELLE SAYS USING THE "N" WORD IN JOKES IS AN "ACT OF FREEDOM" -- "60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY" ON CBS

Richard Pryor Passes Torch to Chappelle

Dave Chappelle has offended many with his curse-laden and racially-charged comedy. But the 31-year-old, who just signed a two-year deal with Comedy Central that's potentially worth as much as $50 million, tells correspondent Bob Simon that he simply enjoys challenging people and making them think. Chappelle's skits, like the one about a white supremacist who's both blind and black or the one about a white family in the 1950s whose last name was similar to the "n" word, push buttons and limits. "...I look at it like, that word, n-----, used to be a word of oppression, but that when I say it, it feels more like an act of freedom," an unapologetic Chappelle tells Simon during an interview to be broadcast on 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY Oct. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.? ?

Chappelle's brand of comedy is reminiscent of the trailblazing and incendiary work of Richard Pryor in the 1970s. Today, Pryor suffers from multiple sclerosis and is incapacitated, but his wife told 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY that he feels as though he has passed the torch on to Chappelle. The gesture is somewhat overwhelming for the young comedian, however. "All right, that's more pressure than $50 million," Chappelle tells Simon. "...That's a lot of pressure. He was the best, man. For him to say that is, you know, that's, you know, something I don't even know if I'll attempt to live up to that."

Between Richard Pryor's praise and Comedy Central's millions, there's more pressure on Chappelle to succeed than ever before. But, he's up for the challenge because even if he fails this time, he'll always have his farm in Ohio. "This is the kiss-my-a-- farm..." Chappelle tells Simon. "...If you take these kind of chances, it's absolutely necessary...I'm cool with failing, so long as I know that there's people around me that love me unconditionally and I got that, so...what do I got to lose?"

Josh Howard is the executive producer of 60 MINUTES WEDNESDAY and Joel Bernstein and Renée Kaplan are the producers of this report.

CBS and Comedy Central are both subsidiaries of Viacom.

*???? *???? *

Press Contact:? Kelli Edwards 212/975-6795 kee@cbsnews.com