Chris Rock appears at the Television Critics Association Winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 9, 2020. Rock will be the first artist to perform on Netflix's first-ever live, global streaming event. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
Chris Rock has been trending since he dropped his latest comedy special, “Chris Rock: Selective Outrage,” live on Netflix and finally addressed the infamous slap he received from Will Smith during last year’s Oscars.
After noting he is “not a victim,” Rock said Smith slapping him had more to do with his wife’, Jada Pinkett Smith’s extramarital relationship with R&B singer August Alsina than his anger at him.
“Will Smith practices selective outrage,” Rock said. “Everybody that really knows, knows I had nothing to do with that sh*t. I didn’t have any ‘entanglements. … His wife was f**king her son’s friend. I normally would not talk about this sh*t but for some reason these n*ggas put that sh*t on the internet.’”
Rock also said he tried reaching out to Smith after the public found out about the affair but Smith didn’t answer his calls. He added everyone called Smith a “b*tch” after finding out about the affair. “And who’s he hit, me! A n*gga he knows he can beat. That is some b*tch a*s sh*t,” Rock continued.
The comedian was the first to headline a live-streamed event on Netflix, which was reportedly the first in a two-special deal valued at $40 million. Neither Netflix nor Rock has confirmed the amount he was paid.
In addition to his closing jokes about the Smiths, Rock covered a gamut of subjects ranging from a woman’s right to choose to Meghan Markle dealing with racism from the British Royal Family.
Viewers weighed in online with received mixed reviews about Rock’s latest comedic offering. Here are some of the things Black America had to say.
“Chris rock is not holding back about Will Smith and Jada . This is just too much,” @dijoni wrote.
“This is comedy, it’s not for the sensitive crowd and Gen Z,” @Underrated_Dom responded.
“Nigga look like somebodys momma half way house facebook picture.. Last time Chris Rock said something funny. Gerald Levert was alive,” @Chuckisdope tweeted.
“It’s a part of his healing process I’m not mad at him at all for doing this,” @Liantis replied.
“The Smiths lucky he waited a year to say this on a Netflix special cause a different nigga would’ve did it live at the Oscar’s that night,” @AyeKyle responded.
“This special was literally only funny to middle-age and boomers,” @Tephani_Rose wrote.
“Millennial here, laughed a little. He’s not that funny generally, but this made me laugh,” @quincylsb replied.
“I’ve always been a Chris Rock fan but bro saying his parents raised him to not fight in front of white people is some of the dumbest shit I’ve heard come out of his mouth,” @NototriousVIc007 tweeted.
“Chris Rock punching down on Black women AGAIN is unsurprising and the support he is getting for it is even less so. Very telling he doesn’t feel comfortable fighting in front of [white] folks, but he profits & relishes in denigrating and humiliating Black women,” @ReecieColbert weighed in.
“Remember Chris Rock punched down on Jada over her alopecia condition. All the deflecting he is doing bringing up entanglements is gaslighting. He knows that the world hates a Black woman with sexual agency, so he has to make that the topic, not how he violated and humiliated her,” @ReecieColbert doubled dwon in a follow-up tweet.
“This is the comedy version of Ja Rule trying to diss 50 back,” @806Rhy wrote.
“Man I seen better jokes on Twitter about the situation. The entire special was bad and I gave it a legit chance. This was the last ‘joke’ and it was so weak,” @NoCar_Kevin wrote.
“She hurt him way more then he hurt me” you know that hurt will cause that’s true,” @MikeBlazers chimed in.
“Will slapped Chris Rock with his hand, but Chris Rock beat Will with that mic last night. GEE-ZUS!” Torraine Walker tweeted.
An insider told People that Rock is unbothered by anyone’s opinion. “He said what he needed to say and doesn’t give a sh*t about the reaction either way. He isn’t worried,” the insider said.
