Chris Rock is no stranger to controversies. Being a comedian in Hollywood, he belongs in the same park as Bill Burr and Norm McDonald. This entails that his jokes- at times- offend. But why is he in the news now? Well, after being smacked in the face by Will Smith at the 2022 Oscars, this seems like the perfect moment to talk about it.
To be fair, we won’t really be judging his jokes subjectively. Rather, this would be an objective deduction as to when he offended his audience. Regardless, Rock is a legend in the comedy industry- and while offensive- he does drive his point home. Even if that makes him quite a PR nightmare.
Let’s Talk About The Instances When Chris Rock Managed To Offend His Audience
1. Oscars 2016
The first instance took place at the 2016 Oscars. This time again, the target was Jada Pinkett Smith. Chris Rock went on to mention that her boycotting the Oscars was quite insignificant. Before the Oscars took place that year, Smith had uploaded a video on her Facebook page. The video showcased her disappointment at the Oscars with regard to the #OscarsSoWhite controversy.
“Have we now come to a new time and place where we recognize that we can no longer beg for the love, acknowledgement, or respect of any group. That maybe it’s time that we recognize that if we love and respect and acknowledge ourselves in a way that we are asking others to do, that that is the place of true power? I’m simply asking the question.”
To this, Rock replied, “Jada said she’s not coming. I was like, ‘Isn’t she on a TV show?’ Jada’s gonna boycott the Oscars? Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s parties. I wasn’t invited!” Remember, this doesn’t truly represent Rock’s opinion. He later stated that “It’s not about boycotting anything, it’s just we want opportunity. We want the Black actors to get the same opportunities as white actors. That’s it.“
2. Tamborine 2018
In 2018, Chris Rock went unfiltered in his standup comedy- Tamborine. Here he cracked jokes about his addiction to pornography and his penchant for adultery. “I was addicted to p-rn. When you watch too much, you know what happens? You become, like sexually autistic. You develop sexual autism.”
He also mentioned how he cheated on his wife with three women. To be fair, while he did crack such tasteless jokes, he admitted he was in the wrong. He also went on to admit that he was a changed person now. “It’s my fault… I didn’t listen...I thought, ‘I pay for everything, I can do what I want.’” Later, he mentioned in an interview with CBS that he was in therapy to get ahead of his issues.
Read: Jim Carrey Calls Hollywood ‘Spineless’ For Giving Will Smith A Standing Ovation At The Oscars
3. Whitney Houston 2019
The next instance came in 2019. Chris Rock had shared a meme about the late Whitney Houston which was in poor taste. Yahoo mentions that the meme was about a picture of Houston where she seemed uninterested. Rock went on to add, “Hurry up I got crack to smoke.” What makes this a joke in poor taste is that Whitney Houston’s drug problems are pretty well known.
Goes without saying, most of Rock’s audience didn’t like it. Bobby Brown, the husband of the singer, later stated, “During this time of women empowerment you choose to use your time to try and humiliate our QUEEN!”
Rock’s fans on Twitter were also not pleased with his joke.
“Chris you know better… you shouldn’t speak ill of the dead or make fun of someone’s addiction.”
Yet another user commented, “This is how you speak on the dead? Make better content.”
Bobby Brown later forgave Rock, commenting, “He’s still my boy… He just made a mistake with the joke, um, and it just didn’t work too well for him or how I was feeling at the time.”
4. Louis CK, 2011
The fourth instance can’t be considered a joke, but it still landed Chris Rock in trouble. A video from 2011 with Louis CK, Jerry Seinfeld, Rock, and Ricky Gervais ought to be an illuminating moment. But it was not so. As mentioned by HuffPost, both CK and Rock were heard using the n-word. Rock had first referred to CK as “the blackest white guy I f—-ng know.”
After this, CK replied, “You’re saying I’m a n—–?” Here, Jerry Seinfeld seemed pretty uncomfortable with the entire situation. He also stated that “I wouldn’t use it anywhere.” Needless to say, this video received a lot of backlash on social media. A user on Twitter commented, “Chris Rock lost his credibility to me when he allowed Louis CK to say the n word in front of him with no push back.”
5. Oscars 2022
The latest instance would be the fifth instance where Chris Rock found himself in trouble. Only this time around, the other party seems to be in greater trouble. With Rock being the host of the Oscars, it was a rite of passage to roast the audience. While most took it humorously, the Smiths didn’t. Commenting on Jada Smith’s alopecia, he stated, “Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can’t wait to see you.” This was in reference to the recently-shaved head of Jada. Her husband, Will, wasn’t able to control his anger.
Interestingly, Will’s actions have also made him a PR nightmare. No production company seems interested in working with Will. But we can’t deny that Chris was also out of line.
Before the Oscars, Jada Smith had also posted a TikTok where she spoke of her hair loss. “Being a Black woman and dealing with hair in Hollywood… that was really challenging.” Interestingly, she also stated that she didn’t care what people thought of her hair anymore. “I don’t give two craps what people think about this bald head of mine, because guess what? I love it.”
Will Smith’s slapping of Chris Rock also had repercussions. While Rock didn’t press any assault charges, Smith had to resign from the Academy. Now, it would be stupid to think that Chris Rock’s jokes were just taken poorly. No, his jokes- at times- crossed the boundaries.
We won’t be debating the skills of Rock as a comedian- for he is of par excellence. But sometimes, he did seem to be skirting the lines of what’s okay, and what’s not. Even when Will Smith slapped him, most of his own fans have called him out as the aggressor- and not the victim. After all, he was the one roasting someone with a disease that has no cure. So- regardless of how he must have approached his joke- it did come out insulting.
Keep Reading: Will Smith to face disciplinary action, refused to leave Oscars after Chris Rock slap, Academy says
Sources
- “How Will and Jada Pinkett Smith Reacted to Chris Rock’s Jokes at 2016 Oscars.” ET Online. Miguel A. Melendez. March 27, 2022.
- “Chris Rock talks porn addiction, cheating on his wife in candid Netflix special.” EW. Derek Lawrence. February 14, 2018.
- “Chris Rock’s ‘tasteless’ Whitney Houston joke slammed by Bobby Brown: ‘I thought you was a friend of the family’.” Yahoo. Suzy Byrne. April 29, 2019.
- “Outrage Erupts Over Louis C.K., Chris Rock Joking With Racial Slur In Old Video.” Huffpost. Amy Russo. December 23, 2018.