The HiT List: ‘The Black 9/11’ Edition

Chappelle thought about cancelling his Friday night comedy gig after hearing of Prince’s passing. He reconsidered after realizing the singer would have wanted the show to go on.

During his four-hour! act, Chappelle talked at length about Prince and his legacy. He called the singer’s death “the black 9/11.”

Beyond the insulting comparison to an unspeakable tragedy, the comment misconstrued the singer’s legacy.

Yes, Prince was black. But his legion of fans crossed racial boundaries. He provided the music to their high school years, romances and dance club days. He fused R&B cadences with blistering rock guitars in a way that was inclusive to the core.

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Let’s not be too critical of Chappelle, In a four-hour set you’re bound to make a silly statement or two. But the notion that Prince was about race more than his musical gifts is flat-out absurd.

In other entertainment news:

• Bullet Dodged: Kristen Stewart should send her agent a cookie bouquet. Her rep didn’t squawk too loudly after learning the “Twilight” star got snipped from the sequel to her 2012 hit “Snow White and the Huntsman.” The best damage control came over the weekend when “The Huntsman: Winter’s War” flopped with a $20 million haul. “Snow White” brought in more than $56 million during its opening weekend.

  

• Twitter Venting 101: Some Prince devotees weren’t happy with “Saturday Night Live’s” tribute to the late pop star. The showcase featured some dazzling Prince performances, but it also included skits with Fred Armisen playing the eclectic star. Social media users cried foul over the latter, not the former.
• Ancient One Riddle, Solved: The upcoming “Dr. Strange” takes a classic Chinese character and turns him into … Tilda Swinton. The Hollywood whitewashing crowd erupted in fury. Swinton herself offered up some damage control. Now, we may know the truth. And it’s all about kow-towing to Chinese censors.
• No “Nuke ’em High” Sequel Here: The new Atomic Age Cinema Festival features films showing the dangers of nuclear weapons. The April event also takes a harsh look at what nuclear power leaves behind, above and beyond potentially falling into the hands of a rogue group like ISIS.
• What You’ll Netflix and Chill To ASAP: The streaming service is adding a bevy of new titles to its lineup next month, including the original Adam Sandler comedy “The Do-Over” and season 2 of “Bloodline.”
• Daltrey Disses Axl: The Who’s lead singer isn’t too keen on seeing Axl Rose lead AC/DC on tour. Roger Daltrey called the addition akin to “karaoke.”
• Prince’s Mystery Vault: Prince was nothing if not prolific. Will fans get to hear some of the music he left behind?

VIDEO SAMPLER

Your Last ‘X’ Sneak Peek

Bruce Springsteen – “Purple Rain”

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I’m … Ray Kroc

photo credit: Prince, Purple Rain via photopin (license)

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