Photo Credit: Netflix
Chris Rock's New Netflix Special, 'Selective Outrage,' is Getting a Divisive Reaction
One year after being slapped by Will Smith at the 94th Academy Awards, Chris Rock addressed the incident in his new Netflix special.
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.”
\u201cChris Rock finally addressing Will Smith and the Oscars slap during his Netflix special, says he\u2019s not a victim and took the hit like Pacquiao #ChrisRock\u201d— Eric Diep (@Eric Diep) 1677990229
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.
\u201cTouched a nerve with white folks by bashing Chris Rock. Guess he's their token negr0 who must be protected at all costs. My bad \ud83d\ude43\u201d— Tanesha, BSN RN Karen Kryptonite (@Tanesha, BSN RN Karen Kryptonite) 1678046153
\u201cchris rock really said he didn\u2019t fight back cuz he has parents lmao. so I guess it implies that will doesn\u2019t, which sounds like the fatherless black child trope which sounds like a white person.\u201d— Lawrence Burney (@Lawrence Burney) 1678029361
\u201cChris Rock chose to do his standup in my hometown of Baltimore - a city where he has absolutely no connections - when he could\u2019ve easily sold out in his hometown of NYC.\n\nBaltimore is also Jada Pinkett Smiths hometown! \n\nYa\u2019ll keep thinking it\u2019s just jokes. \ud83d\ude10#ChrisRock\u201d— Serious Black \ud83d\uddf3 (@Serious Black \ud83d\uddf3) 1677987976
\u201cIf Will Smith slap Chris Rock again for this standup special\u2026 it is what it is \ud83e\udd37\ud83c\udffe\u200d\u2642\ufe0f I can\u2019t stand you gaslighting MFs that throw rocks and then hide your hands when folks come looking for you.\u201d— Conscious Lee (@Conscious Lee) 1678030910
Read more reactions below.
\u201cNetflix 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.\u201d— Uju Anya (@Uju Anya) 1678043979
\u201cI caught a clip of Chris Rock saying he prefers neighborhoods where women aren\u2019t working during the day, and if it\u2019s an area where men aren\u2019t working mid-day, it\u2019s dangerous. \n\nHe said this to white people. \n\nIn Baltimore, where there\u2019s a 20% poverty rate. \n\nY\u2019all got it.\u201d— Nah, for real, Im FJ (@Nah, for real, Im FJ) 1678019331
\u201cChris 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.\u201d— Tour\u00e9 (@Tour\u00e9) 1678039026
\u201cThe most Chris Rock thing about all of this is him screaming that you don\u2019t 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\u201d— David Dennis Jr. (@David Dennis Jr.) 1678023043
\u201cWhy is Chris Rock still talking about the slap?\n\nSure, he was publicly humiliated & subjected to violence, but it was A YEAR AGO. Why should Jada feel uncomfortable for something she didn\u2019t do? Will has moved on. Chris should stop dwelling in the past\n\nThis tweet is about Florida\u201d— Michael Harriot (@Michael Harriot) 1678027139
\u201cchris 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\u2019s clutching of pearls to paint yourself as a victim while continuing your tirade.\u201d— CHIKA (allegedly)\ud83c\udf2a (@CHIKA (allegedly)\ud83c\udf2a) 1678042859
\u201cChris Rock said \u201cyou don\u2019t fight in front of white people\u201d, but had no issue calling a black woman a bitch in front of white people, negatively commenting on black women\u2019s hair in front of white people, or letting white people use the N-word around him smh yo\u201d— TYE (@TYE) 1678030579
\u201cGood 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\u2019re black & applauding this, get help.\u201d— Sons of Killmonger & Disciple of Dark Brandon (@Sons of Killmonger & Disciple of Dark Brandon) 1678023670
