MINNEAPOLIS VENUE CANCELS DAVE CHAPPELLE PERFORMANCE, VOWS TO BECOME ‘THE SAFEST SPACE.’

First Avenue can invite and disinvite whomever it wants, of course. But it’s hard to see this move as anything other than cowardly and counterproductive.

For one thing, canceling the performance does not even accomplish the narrow goal of stopping Chappelle from speaking. As the statement noted, the performance was merely being transferred to an alternative location—and all ticket holders will be able to watch him there. If ever there was an example of virtue signaling, this is it.

Then again, is it really virtuous to punish a comedian for engaging in transgressive artistic expression? First Avenue never used to think so. The venue is featured heavily in Prince’s film, Purple Rain, and was known for promoting artists who defied boundaries and flouted social conventions. Today, First Avenue is afraid of offending a small number of hypersensitive progressives.

And given that it’s Minneapolis, getting its building torched.

Literally, that is. It was metaphorically torched by Chappelle at the venue that stepped up to host him: “So, Chappelle performed at the Variety Theater, where he laughed off the controversy like he was always going to do. No cellphones were allowed. But Chappelle was said to have called his critics a ‘small group of transgender lunatics’ and slammed First Avenue for not having more courage. ‘I can see a transgender hit squad from a mile off.’”