3.5/5
Between a Slap and a Hard Place.
One year after a pitch for a 'G.I. Jane' sequel was met with a thunderclap that took the air out of the theatre, Chris Rock is back on Netflix for the 'Selective Outrage' of a live-streamed stand-up special. One that left many late subscribers on the outside looking in for a few days like the Fresh Prince who has been Jazzy Jeff'd from the Oscars for the next decade. The punishment doesn't fit the slap...even if he was wearing his Bel-Air ring. And as a huge, remaining fan of both mega-talents, we just want to be done with this thing. It was a bad joke from Chris Rock in bad taste. But like any comedian in that hit-and-miss game, he's made many before and he'll make even more. Then came an even worse reaction from Will Smith, who yes, was defending his wife, but had an opportunity to take the high-road and dress Rock down in his 'King Richard' Best Actor Oscar acceptance speech minutes later. The rapper slash actor has jokes too (we saw the stand-up set with Dave Chappelle).
Rock's reaction was perfect. He took it like a man. A Manny Pacquiao grand champ. Shook it off like it as nothing. And this is Muhammad Ali and Pookie that we're talking about. Will has show humility since and deserves our forgiveness (but not necessarily Chris Rock's. That's up to him). Everyone makes mistakes and this hugely famous face has been pushed and prodded for years, by people questioning his toughness, manliness and blackness. But that doesn't mean he should have taken it out on a friend whose been rooting for him ever since he showed up at his home in Bel-Air's door in drag. Smith's 'Emancipation' comeback was a valiant return that wasn't exactly the definition of the word for his career, but was a movie with much more meaning. Chris' closing joke about this isn't for a man like me to judge (still, it feels too far). But the dividing lines between both men are still being crossed. What's of real concern is what's being going on between Chris Rock and Jada ever since Pinkett-Smith called for Chris to step down from the 2016 Oscars after Will wasn't nominated for 'Concussion' (cue a classic jab that is more than low-hanging fruit).
Guaranteed to stir up as much controversy as friend Dave Chappelle's 'The Closer' (who survived a stabbing threat at a show shortly after the Oscars thanks in part to friend of everyone (in a good way) Jamie Foxx "wearing a sheriff's hat") a week before this weekend's Oscars, where everything will happen, everywhere, all at once, as host Jimmy Kimmel really needs his Guillermo security to not schmooze with the stars on the red carpet and have his back. Rock saves what was everyone's best bet for last, as he starts in on the Smith's with less than ten minutes to go in his one hour and six minute 'Tambourine' affair follow-up in Baltimore. Never Scared, he plays everything down after some previous "mad rapper" teases. And then he lets Jada have it as well as some shots at Mr. Smith, having his way with Will. After what happened, he has his rights. And he makes some punctuated points too. But like both sides of a coin. Each side's argument holds more weight than the one-sided mainstream media and social ones in the court of online opinion do. And that's where 'Selective Outrage' makes its point in practice.
You can't get Simpsons flaming torch mad at one thing and let another slide like he once said about Michael Jackson's first kid. Or as he puts it, you can't listen to Jacko and turn the ignition down on R. Kelly. It's just ignorance, Martin. And hypocrites. He really does make more sense than the common people for what most will label as divisive when it's really being incisive a year later. Hating on him isn't going to make what Will did right. Loving Smith isn't going to take away from that either. You should call out the ones you care about when they've made a mistake, which the man himself is clearly taking ownership of. Also in beefs like Biggie and Tupac, Jay-Z and Nas, or 50 and Ja, blindly siding with Rock won't garner you his respect. Like someone perfectly put it on social media, "hating on DC Comics isn't going to make Captain America shag you". But let's digress. This is getting ludicrous now. Like those who said the Oscars and their ten-year ban didn't do enough to punish Smith. What were they supposed to do?! Kill him?! Besides, Chris Rock's 'Selective Outrage' is much more than all this.
As we say the first hour focuses on more. Like holding up the mirror to all of us who choose likes over love in this world as shallow as a passive scroll through our not so smart phones. Meghan Markle comes in for some 'South Park' like scrutiny. Elon Musk also gets trolled in the best way, before the photo of the pair sizing each other up playfully plays out over the closing credits. The Kardashians come in for some original jokes and refreshing respect. And Golden State Warrior Draymond Green gets it in the face worse than Patrick Ewing when Chris dunked the rock over him like Scottie Pippen. But it's all jokes to be taken as read. Besides legendary comedians are supposed to toe the line.
Chris Rock is a G.O.A.T. Especially in New York lore like Spike Lee or M.J. It's time to put aside the Jada feud before it smacks of Eminem and Mariah, and misogyny has no place on the stage (or any arena) like those trying to bum-rush the show. All of this may have turned Will into public enemy number one in a hot take, but don't believe the hype. It's time to fight an even more outrageous power. The selective one. Decked out in a Prince love symbol necklace and the white attire of a P. Diddy party, and with friends like Arsenio Hall, Yasiin Bey, Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea and Paul McCartney in the audience for this first of its kind show on Netflix, Chris Rock had his support. But more importantly, closing the curtain after a calendar of Hollywood drama, he had the mic dropping last laugh. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Laugh Longer: 'Chris Rock-Tambourine', 'Chris Rock-Never Scared', 'Dave Chappelle-The Closer'.
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