> At a Glance
> – Chevy Chase, 82, told director Marina Zenovich she’s “not bright enough” to figure him out in CNN’s I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not
> – The remark ignited social-media backlash given his history of on-set controversies, including a 2012 firing for using a racial slur
> – Chase claims he’s “complex” and easily hurt, while wife Jayni says people grow; the doc is now on demand for CNN All Access subscribers
> – Why it matters**: The flare-up revives questions about where Hollywood draws the line between unfiltered honesty and outright offensiveness
Minutes into CNN’s new documentary I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, the comedian reminded viewers why he remains polarizing. After director Marina Zenovich admitted she was “trying to figure you out,” Chase shot back: “No s—. It’s not going to be easy for you.” Pressed on why, he delivered the zinger: “You’re not bright enough. How’s that?”
The On-Screen Exchange
Zenovich’s audible “Woah” punctuated the moment, yet Chase kept going.
> Chevy Chase explained:
> “I know you’re not gonna put that on the air, and I hope not. But my answer is, I’m complex, and I’m deep and I can be hurt easily… I’m not gonna let anybody figure me out, per se.”
Viewers quickly split online.
- One post: “Kind of immature, no?”
- Another: “He thinks no one has him figured out and everyone did figure him out and didn’t like what they saw.”
- A defender: “He is who he is, love him or hate him.”
Context of Past Controversies
The backlash lands against a backdrop of previous incidents:
- 2012: Fired from Community for using the N-word on set
- Chase says it was during a rant about his “bigoted character, Pierce Hawthorne”
- Director Jay Chandrasekhar labels it a “meltdown” over a proposed “blackface hand-puppet bit”
- Co-stars Donald Glover and Yvette Nicole Brown were present; the slur was “not directed at them,” per The Hollywood Reporter
Chase told News Of Los Angeles he joined the doc because stories “go through my whole history,” while wife Jayni argued, “People grow. No one is the same person they were 30 years ago.”
Where to Watch
I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not is available for CNN All Access subscribers and pay-TV customers via:
- CNN.com
- CNN connected-TV and mobile apps
- Cable operator platforms
Key Takeaways
- Chase’s “not bright enough” comment opens the documentary and fuels fresh controversy
- Critics cite his checkered past; supporters call it trademark bluntness
- The 82-year-old star says he “can be hurt easily” despite claiming he “doesn’t give a crap” about bad press
- The documentary aims to show the man behind the headlines-but may have added another headline instead
As social-media debates rage, the moment underscores how tightly Chase’s legacy is tangled with his off-hand barbs.
