A year after Will Smith smacked him on the Academy Awards stage, Chris Rock finally gave his rebuttal in a forceful stand-up special, streamed live on Netflix, in which the comedian bragged that he 含羞草研究社渢ook that hit like Pacquiao.含羞草研究社�
The 58-year-old comedian on Saturday night performed his first stand-up special since last year含羞草研究社檚 Oscars. 含羞草研究社淐hris Rock: Selective Outrage,含羞草研究社� streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, marked Netflix含羞草研究社檚 first foray into live streaming.
Rock, performing in all white and with a Prince medallion around his neck, immediately touched on last year含羞草研究社檚 Oscars while riffing on 含羞草研究社渨okeness,含羞草研究社� hypersensitivity and what he called 含羞草研究社渟elective outrage.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淵ou never know who might get triggered,含羞草研究社� said Rock. 含羞草研究社淎nybody who says words hurt hasn含羞草研究社檛 been punched in the face.含羞草研究社�
But Rock then launched into a series of wide-ranging topics examining contemporary issues, including virtue signaling, high-priced yoga pants, the Duchess of Sussex, the Kardashians, abortion rights, the Capitol riot and what he called America含羞草研究社檚 biggest addition: Attention.
含羞草研究社淲e used to want love, now we just want likes,含羞草研究社� said Rock.
Rock, who also riffed on how he含羞草研究社檇 respond if his father transitioned to a woman (he would support him, Rock said), made his clear 含羞草研究社淪elective Outrage含羞草研究社� was not going to be just a Will Smith show. Only occasionally did Rock含羞草研究社檚 material dovetail with the 2022 Oscars, like it did when Rock joked about the oddity of Snoop Dogg becoming such a venerated pitch man for advertisers.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 not dissing Snoop,含羞草研究社� said Rock. 含羞草研究社淭he last thing I need is another mad rapper.含羞草研究社�
But an hour into his set, Rock closed the special with a torrent of material about the infamous Academy Awards moment.
含羞草研究社淵ou all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows,含羞草研究社� Rock said. 含羞草研究社淚t still hurts. I got `Summertime含羞草研究社� ringing in my ears.含羞草研究社�
While Smith has apologized and repeatedly spoken about the incident since last March, Rock has avoided all the usual platforms where celebrities often go to air their feelings. He never sat down with Oprah Winfrey, and turned away the many media outlets that would have loved to land an exclusive in-depth interview.
含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 a not a victim, baby,含羞草研究社� said Rock. 含羞草研究社淵ou will never see me on Oprah or Gale crying. You will never see it. Never going to happen.含羞草研究社�
But Rock did use his encounter with Smith to shape and enliven his second stand-up special for Netflix. Some of his best material was on their physical differences.
含羞草研究社淲e are not the same size. This guy does movies with my shirt off,含羞草研究社� said Rock. 含羞草研究社淵ou will never see me do a movie with my shirt off. If I含羞草研究社檓 in a movie getting open-heart surgery, I got on a sweater.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淗e played Muhammed Ali,含羞草研究社� added Rock. 含羞草研究社淚 played Pookie in `New Jack City.含羞草研究社澓卟菅芯可鐧
Ultimately, Rock suggested he was just caught in the crossfire in Smith含羞草研究社檚 relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. It was a joke that Rock told about Pinkett Smith that prompted Smith to stride on stage and strike Rock. The comedian on Saturday referenced Pinkett Smith含羞草研究社檚 earlier confessions of having an 含羞草研究社渆ntanglement含羞草研究社� with another man while married.
含羞草研究社淚 did not have any entanglements,含羞草研究社� said Rock. 含羞草研究社淪he hurt him way more than he hurt me.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚 love Will Smith,含羞草研究社� added Rock. 含羞草研究社淣ow I watch `Emancipation含羞草研究社� just to see him get whooped.含羞草研究社�
Before dropping his microphone and holding his arms up triumphantly, Rock left the crowd with one last zinger. Rock said the reason why he didn含羞草研究社檛 physically retaliate at the Oscars was because 含羞草研究社淚 got parents.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淎nd you know what my parents taught me?含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淒on含羞草研究社檛 fight in front of white people.含羞草研究社�
Netflix added pre- and post-show bookends of star-studded live programming with, as host comedian Ronny Chieng said, 含羞草研究社渆very comedy legend who owes Netflix a favor.含羞草研究社� Bono lent a opening introduction. Dana Carvey and David Spade hosted the after-show. Paul McCartney, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld and one of last year含羞草研究社檚 Oscar hosts, Wanda Sykes, all added pre-taped messages. Arsenio Hall guaranteed Rock含羞草研究社檚 set would cause Smith to smack his television set.
For much of the past year, Rock has been touring new material in a long string of performances as part of his Ego Death tour. The shows, which had been announced before the 2022 Oscars, have featured performances with Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart.
On the road, Rock has often worked in jokes and reflections on the slap. Rock first broke his public silence about the slap three nights after the Oscar ceremony, last year in Boston. 含羞草研究社淗ow was your weekend?含羞草研究社� he asked the crowd. He added that he was 含羞草研究社渟till kind of processing what happened.含羞草研究社�
After plenty of processing, Rock retook the cultural spotlight just a week before the March 12 Oscars, where the slap is sure to revisited by this year含羞草研究社檚 host, Jimmy Kimmel. In the aftermath of last year含羞草研究社檚 events, Smith resigned his membership to the film academy. The academy board of governors banned Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for a decade.
At the annual luncheon for nominees held last month, motion picture academy president Janet Yang voiced regret about how the incident was handled, calling the academy含羞草研究社檚 response 含羞草研究社渋nadequate.含羞草研究社� Bill Kramer, the academy含羞草研究社檚 chief executive, has said the academy has since instituted a crisis communications team to prepare for and more rapidly respond to the unexpected.
含羞草研究社淪elective Outrage含羞草研究社� is Rock含羞草研究社檚 second special for Netflix, following 2018含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淭amborine.含羞草研究社� They含羞草研究社檙e part of a two-special $40 million deal Rock signed with the streamer in 2016.
As new as the live 含羞草研究社淪elective Outrage含羞草研究社� was for Netflix, it was hard not to notice a few familiar things about it.
含羞草研究社淵ou含羞草研究社檝e got to give it to the tech companies for inventing something that existed for decades,含羞草研究社� said Chieng. 含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檙e doing a comedy show on Saturday night 含羞草研究社� live. Genius.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社斺赌斺赌�
By Jake Coyle
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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