Selective Outrage Review by Marc Lacy
TWITTER IS SET ABLAZE BY CHRIS ROCK'S SELECTIVE OUTRAGE COMEDY SPECIAL
Twitter is on fire! Of course, this is the day after Chris Rock's Selective Outrage Comedy Special aired for first time. I checked it out last night one thing's for sure, it was VINTAGE CHRIS ROCK (whatever that may mean to the next person). Now, before I go any further, just let me say that this is not a summary of the entire special.
Please watch for yourself. Secondly, these are my thoughts and I'm not going to use my thoughts to get drawn into a senseless debate about...wait for it...MY THOUGHTS. Let me also set the stage by saying I'm a lifelong Chris Rock fan...stand up, acting, sketch, what have you. BUT LET ME ALSO SAY THAT I've NEVER agreed with everything he has said in his standup comedy specials. And for the record, I did not agree with everything he said and how he said what he said last night. Keep in mind, Chris Rock is one of those cats who says very edgy things that you may laugh at, yet snap if I were to say those same things. So keep that in mind as we focus on "Selective Outrage" and its true meaning. LASTLY, do NOT try and spin this mini-write-up as a ploy to get you to like the special and Chris Rock's brand. NOPE. Not my job to be his P/R department. You feel how you feel because that's how you feel...and I'm not trying to convince you otherwise.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GOING OFF
Twitter is exploding with folks angry about Rock's comments in part on abortion, Megan Markle, black women, fighting in front of white folks, etc. Even some political zealots who spit talking points 'til they're blue in the face, have cherry-picked certain lines to emphasize because it fits the ideology/narrative through which they can make a fortune. And Twitterheads are doing what Twitterheads do, pound the keyboard hard to see who can come up with the best insult or clapback to folks with whom they disagree. Some folks took maybe one or two lines to try and paint the whole special tainted based on those lines. Some watched it as a diametrically opposed critic so that they can churn out salvos to go after him with after the fact. Some watched it and expected to laugh all night because they don't see Chris Rock being flawed at all. And others like myself, watched and agreed and disagreed with certain segments/statements...as Chris Rock fans. Again, it was a Chris Rock stand up special, and in the end, some people are going to laugh, some will cry, others may be turned off, and some turned on. But it was the typical, edgy, partially offensive, in your face type Chris Rock deal. Nothing New.
WILL AND JADA
Some people were offended at the fact that Chris Rock mentioned certain details about Will and Jada's situation THAT EVERYBODY ALREADY KNEW IN THE FIRST PLACE. They felt he shouldn't have gone there. Maybe he shouldn't have, I cannot say what's right or wrong in this case. I will say that when somebody puts their hands on you, ALL BETS ARE OFF. They have forfeited all the power to you...and you are at liberty to use that power. Before I go any further, let me say that I've always been a Will Smith music, and acting fan. In high school when he and Jazzy Jeff first got together, I bought all those records as well as their music through the years. But that night at the Oscar's, what Will Smith did was a b!%ch move. I said it then, and I stand by my comments now. On last night, Chris Rock went in hard on both Jada and Will. Do I agree with everything he said? No I do not.
NOTE: I'm not going to give the details away. Please go watch it on Netflix. But, I will say, when he said, "I ain't gonna go crying to anybody, nope! I took that hit like Pacquiao!" Wow, as slight as Chris Rock is compared to the bigger and athletic Will Smith, for him to say that, RESPECT brother! I can't say how I would've reacted, but for him to say he took his lick like a man and kept it pushing, I've got to respect it (note, I'm not trying to market this move as a best practice...for anyone).
DO NOT EXPECT WILL AND CHRIS TO BE FRIENDS TOMORROW
Based on the energy of it all, in my opinion, their friendship will be on hiatus for a LONG WHILE...whether that is good or bad. And even though Chris' family wanted to deliver a first class fade to Will Smith on last year, I cannot say that Chris even supported that notion. I think he wanted to handle it in the most Chris Rockish fashion...and that he did.
-Marc