Chris Rock’s New Netflix Special is Getting Mixed Reviews
Photo Credit: Netflix
All eyes were on Chris Rock over the weekend. One year after being infamously slapped by Oscar-winner Will Smith at the 94th Academy Awards last March, Rock was the star of new Netflix standup special Selective Outrage, where he addressed the incident towards the end of his hour-long set.
“You all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows. Everybody fucking knows,” the 58-year-old said. “I got smacked like a year ago… and people are like, ‘Did it hurt?’ It still hurts. I got ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”
Chris Rock finally addressing Will Smith and the Oscars slap during his Netflix special, says he’s not a victim and took the hit like Pacquiao #ChrisRock pic.twitter.com/S0QY5T7zPZ
— Eric Diep (@E_Diep) March 5, 2023
The Brooklyn-raised comic went on to say that he won’t further speak about Slapgate on any talk shows.
“I’m not a victim, baby. You will never see me on Oprah or Gayle [King] crying. You will never see it… It’s never going to happen. Fuck that shit, I took that shit like [Manny] Pacquiao,” he said.
Rock went on to say that the title of his Netflix special was partially inspired by Smith, also referencing the actor’s open marriage with wife Jada Pinkett Smith.
“Will Smith practices Selective Outrage,” Rock explained. “Everybody who really knows, knows I had nothing to do with that shit. I didn’t have any ‘entanglements.’”
After claiming that he tried to contact Smith, Rock went on to poke at Pinkett Smith, last addressing the Girls Trip actress during the 2022 Oscars when he joked about her shaved head.
“His wife was fucking her son’s friend. I normally would not talk about this shit… I have no idea why two talented people would do something that fucking lowdown,” he said. “We’ve all been cheated on. Everybody in here been cheated on. None of us has ever been interviewed by the person that cheated on us… on television. She hurt him way more than he hurt me.”
Rock then backhandedly shared his “admiration” for this King Richard actor.
“I love Will Smith, my whole life… he makes great movies. I have rooted for Will Smith my whole life. I root for this muthafucka.” Rock said. “And now I watch Emancipation just to see him get whooped.”
When addressing why he didn’t fight back on the Oscars stage, Rock said: “Because I got parents. I was raised. And you know what my parents taught me? Don’t fight in front of white people.”
Rock’s jokes didn’t sit well with some viewers, a majority Black who alleged that the comedian was tokenizing himself. Social media users also acknowledged that the Selective Outrage special being filmed in Pinkett Smith’s hometown of Baltimore was a pointed choice.
Touched a nerve with white folks by bashing Chris Rock. Guess he’s their token negr0 who must be protected at all costs. My bad 🙃
— Tanesha, BSN RN drinker of white tears (@ERnurse86) March 5, 2023
chris rock really said he didn’t fight back cuz he has parents lmao. so I guess it implies that will doesn’t, which sounds like the fatherless black child trope which sounds like a white person.
— Lawrence Burney (@TrueLaurels) March 5, 2023
Chris Rock chose to do his standup in my hometown of Baltimore – a city where he has absolutely no connections – when he could’ve easily sold out in his hometown of NYC.
Baltimore is also Jada Pinkett Smiths hometown!
Ya’ll keep thinking it’s just jokes. 😐#ChrisRock
— Serious Black 🗳 (@NicsuPR) March 5, 2023
If Will Smith slap Chris Rock again for this standup special… it is what it is 🤷🏾♂️ I can’t stand you gaslighting MFs that throw rocks and then hide your hands when folks come looking for you.
— Conscious Lee (@TheConsciousLee) March 5, 2023
Read more reactions below.
Netflix keeps screwing over subscribers. They cancel hit shows people actually wanna watch and give Chris Rock millions of dollars to prove Will Smith was right to slap him.
— Uju Anya (@UjuAnya) March 5, 2023
I caught a clip of Chris Rock saying he prefers neighborhoods where women aren’t working during the day, and if it’s an area where men aren’t working mid-day, it’s dangerous.
He said this to white people.
In Baltimore, where there’s a 20% poverty rate.
Y’all got it.
— D.A.I.S.Y. Age Feminist (@FeministaJones) March 5, 2023
Chris Rock’s set featured an attack on PC culture, said everyone is too quick to be a victim, said wokeness is BS, said abortion is murder, and laughed about how dark Draymond Green is. It’s a pretty right wing outlook on the world. The set would fit on Fox News.
— Touré (@Toure) March 5, 2023
The most Chris Rock thing about all of this is him screaming that you don’t fight in front of white people but not even considering what it means to make jokes about a BW and her hair in front of white people
— David Dennis Jr. (@DavidDTSS) March 5, 2023
Why is Chris Rock still talking about the slap?
Sure, he was publicly humiliated & subjected to violence, but it was A YEAR AGO. Why should Jada feel uncomfortable for something she didn’t do? Will has moved on. Chris should stop dwelling in the past
This tweet is about Florida
— Michael Harriot (@michaelharriot) March 5, 2023
chris rock is such a bitch. you used an onstage moment to take a jab at a woman you have an off-stage grudge against, got the SHIT slapped out of you (rightfully so) and now are using white people’s clutching of pearls to paint yourself as a victim while continuing your tirade.
— CHIKA 🌪 (@oranicuhh) March 5, 2023
Chris Rock said “you don’t fight in front of white people”, but had no issue calling a black woman a bitch in front of white people, negatively commenting on black women’s hair in front of white people, or letting white people use the N-word around him smh yo
— TYE (@WhosTYE) March 5, 2023
Good morning: Chris Rock stood in front of a mostly white audience & made slavery jokes in front of them. Oh he did this in the hometown of the black woman he insulted in front of the world at the Oscars. If you’re black & applauding this, get help.
— Sons of Killmonger & Disciple of Dark Brandon (@2Strong2Silence) March 5, 2023
controversial take but I think Will Smith should slap Chris Rock again this year
— Alice Hamilton (@AliceRHamilton) February 21, 2023
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