Dave Chappelle says San Francisco 'needs a Batman' during standup show

Dave Chappelle took aim at San Francisco during a surprise show on Thursday.

"What the (expletive) happened to this place?" Chappelle asked the crowd at the city's Masonic auditorium while discussing the homeless population, according to a review by SFGATE.

The comedian and Ohio resident told a story, alleging that someone defecated in front of a restaurant as he entered the establishment.

Chappelle called San Francisco "half 'Glee,' half zombie movie," and told the audience that the city "needs a Batman."

SFGATE noted that Chappelle stayed away from addressing his controversial past comments surrounding transgender topics. The comedian has faced continued backlash for his 2021 Netflix special "The Closer," due to his remarks about the LGBTQ+ community, in particular his focus on the transgender community.

Chappelle's standup special "The Closer" led to a walkout from Netflix employees in protest when co-CEO Ted Sarandos doubled down on his defense of it despite accusations of transphobia.

Related: Is California at a turning point over crime, homelessness?

San Francisco's housing crisis response rose to the courts in 2022

San Francisco's housing crisis and response from the city became the topic of a lawsuit last year.

A federal judge temporarily banned San Francisco from clearing homeless encampments, saying the city violated its own policies by failing to offer other shelter.

Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu in U.S. District Court in Oakland granted an emergency order on Dec. 23 that bars the city from taking away tents and confiscating the belongings of encampment dwellers, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The move came in a lawsuit filed on behalf of homeless plaintiffs that sought to stop San Francisco from dismantling homeless encampments until it has thousands of additional shelter beds.

Ryu cited evidence presented by the plaintiffs that the city regularly and illegally failed to offer shelter to inhabitants before clearing the encampments and improperly seized or threw out their belongings, including cellphones, medication, identification and even prosthetic limbs.

San Francisco's homeless population (combining sheltered and unsheltered people) has actually decreased from 8,035 people in 2019 to 7,754 people in 2022, according to a report from the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.

'Good luck Florida': Scott Baio divides the internet with departure from California

Scott Baio moved out of California, citing the homeless population

Chappelle's comments on Thursday echo the frustration felt by others in Hollywood over the issue that is impacting all of California.

Scott Baio, a longtime California resident, announced on Twitter on May 3 that he was moving out of California due to what he described as the state’s homelessness issue. Baio confirmed his family's move to Florida to Fox News' Jesse Watters on May 9.

“After 45 years, I’m making my way to finally ‘exit stage right’ from California,” the “Happy Days” and “Charles in Charge” star wrote on May 3, citing statistics from a 2022 report by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. “The most recent survey…found approximately 69,000 people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County and 41,000 in the city in 2022.”

Baio’s move divided social media, as fans chimed in with words of support and critics skewer the actor’s departure from California.

Dave Chappelle show swaps locations after original venue hit with backlash: 'We hear you'

Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY; The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dave Chappelle: San Francisco 'needs a Batman,' he says at show