Comedian Chris Rock performs a live stand-up special in Baltimore, Maryland.Comedian Chris Rock performs a live stand-up special in Baltimore, Maryland.Comedian Chris Rock performs a live stand-up special in Baltimore, Maryland.
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This is not funny. It is similar in many ways to the last Marlon Wayans special. Its all on making the punchlines based on lots of yelling and physicality and being extremely vulgar, often telling long stories or his political commentary without a "joke" or any attempts of funny in sight. Only yelling and ranting. You can see people in the crowd being uncomfortable, barely anyone truly laughing.
Perhaps this works with drunken college crowds unable to understand anything more complicated but in general its just plain lame. None of his "jokes" are even close to the likes of Hedberg, Bo, Burr, Black etc... where theyre written smart, witty and structured intelligently to catch you unprepared. Jokes work best with contrasts, with original observations, with surprise.
This special is nothing but on the nose quasi-jokes, lots of vulgarity without being funny, lots of unnecessary yelling and him trying to provoke people into laughing by going into various extremes.
But there is nothing intelligent, quality funny or original here. Sad lame special for which he'll be payed millions while there are so many better comics out there being overlooked for promoters easy pay days of this nonsense.
Slightly over an hour in length, there are some slow drawn out moments not worth the payoff and face it, Rock is no longer the sassy kid on stage, his delivery a touch slowed down from the past but he does re-energize when dealing with Will and wife, deftly proving the pen is mightier than the sword as his career soars and Will's wounded one looks to a nebulous future.
Selective outrage touches on the current issues of "attention seeking" behaviour and smartly approaches sensitive topics using references to popular culture. I don't want to reveal too much and leave it to your own judgement upon viewing!
Just a heads up that there are comments that aren't politically correct, vulgarities and moments gasp worthy- so if you don't like content as such, please give this a miss. I don't want another good comedian to be cancelled so do stay away. But for those looking for someone to tell it like it is, honesty (even if you don't agree) and a good laugh, then this is for you!
And of course, the others who just want to hear about the will smith incident, you can stay till the very end. It's worth it!
Thank you Chris rock for not victimising yourself and coming out stronger by using humour to deal with your difficult experience and fuel it for your career!
Did you know
- TriviaThis is the first live event for Netflix.
- GoofsWhen Chris Rock is delivering a routine about Will Smith, at one point he accidentally mentions Emancipation (2022) (which he talks about later) instead of Concussion (2015). As the broadcast is live, he admits his mistake, saying: "No, not Emancipation; I fucked up the joke. Concussion."
- Quotes
Chris Rock: Four easy ways to get attention.
[one]
Chris Rock: Number one easiest way to get attention, show your ass. Show your ass! You will get attention, even if you don't got ass! That's the world we live in. It's why Blac Chyna has more followers than Gayle King. 'Cause Chyna is showing that ass.
[two]
Chris Rock: Number two easiest way to get attention is to be infamous. Yeah. Do some fucked up shit. Shoot up a school. Try to stab Dave Chappelle at a show. That's right, infamy. You will get attention.
[three]
Chris Rock: Number three easiest way to get attention, to be excellent. That's right. Like Serena Williams, greatest tennis player to ever play the game. Absolutely excellent! Being excellent will get you attention, but it's hard being excellent. You gotta get up in the morning. You gotta work out. You gotta practice. It is much easier to show your ass.
[four]
Chris Rock: And the number four easiest way to get attention is to be a victim. It's like "Where he going with this?" Don't get me wrong, there's no victim-shaming going on. No. No, no, no, no. There are real victims in this world. There are people that have gone through unspeakable trauma, and they need your love, your support, and they need your care. But if everybody claims to be a victim when the real victims need help, ain't nobody gonna be there to help them, okay? Right now, we live in a world where the emergency room is filled up with motherfuckers with paper cuts.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards (2024)