Commentary: A ‘Gen V’ Line Echoes Dave Chappelle
by Frank Martin
Stand up comedy is a notoriously difficult platform to navigate. There are a lot of different elements that need to be juggled at once. First and foremost: the comedian has to make jokes. But they also do this while attempting social commentary and pushing the boundaries of what’s considered acceptable and controversial. Love him or hate him, it’s difficult not to acknowledge the fact that Dave Chappelle navigates these waters with confidence. Despite his controversial jokes, his social commentary is direct. He’s very clear when he wants to get a point across, and it’s surprising that one of these points was echoed in a line from Gen V.
A spin-off of The Boys, the series centers on young individuals with powers attending a university to hone their abilities. However, the plot follows a group of students as they uncover a conspiracy within the school. One such character is named Jordan, played by two actors, London Thor and Derek Luh, as they have the ability to shift sexes at will. A romantic relationship forms between Jordan and Marie (Jaz Sinclair), who has a very powerful line. After getting into a disagreement, Marie says, “can you not change into a dude whenever you want to make a point?”
Besides being a smackdown moment, it has a powerful message. It says that certain individuals, whether it be race or sex, impose a position of power. This can either come through stereotypes or societal structure. Either way, it’s something that Chappelle comments on in his stand-up special The Closer. When discussing the LGBTQ community in contrast to African Americans, he states everyone wants to be a victim or a minority until it’s no longer convenient. It is the same sentiment as what Marie tells Jordan. They have no problem being a woman until it’s more convenient to be a man to impose dominance. Chappelle would probably agree with Marie’s criticism, and it’s very interesting to see how his stand-up message can play out in a television show about superheroes.
The Closer is now streaming on Netflix. Gen V is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
