It has been more than a week since Will Smith slapped Chris Rock while the latter was presenting an Oscar during the 94th Academy Awards. While most of the noise has slowly died down, especially after Smith released a heartfelt apology, there are still some who think that Rock went too far with his jokes.
For someone of Rock's reputation, there are bound to be several jokes that may have hit the wrong tone as his career went on over the years. We take a look at some of those that left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.
Chris Rock's joke about mass shooting
Back in 2019, the comedian posted a meme with Betty White's picture on it and the caption “The first thing people say when a mass shooting is announced.”
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When examined closely, the caption mentioned above can be interpreted as “Bet he white.” As the meme went viral during that time, Rock was accused of racism against white people. At the same time, the Grown Ups actor was heavily criticized for making jokes about a serious issue in America, days after a man killed 23 people in Texas and another shot nine more in Ohio.
Complaints about today's Cancel Culture
For a comedian, making jokes about the big issues in our society today is more of a risk than it was years before. With this in mind, Chris Rock blasted today's Cancel Culture as he presented an award during the 2019 New York Film Critics Circle. He would go on to say that those in his industry are in fear of this culture, which is now leading to boring and unfunny content.
“If it was five years ago I could say something real offensive and funny right now but I can't do that anymore, so hey!” Rock said.
Rock would go on the Breakfast Club Radio years after to explain his views on Cancel Culture more. He said that it's weird as a comedian when his jokes are not received well by the audience. Rock adds that he gets the message and people really don't have to cancel him.
“Some people need to be looked out for. I definitely understand that. What happens is everybody gets safe and when everybody gets safe and nobody tries anything, things get boring,” Rock said.
While there are those who sided with the actor's views, there are some who didn't as Rock's jokes over the years merited a lot of criticism. The funny thing here is that after being slapped by Will Smith, Chris Rock isn't the one being targeted that much by the said culture. Meanwhile, the King Richard Actor is on the receiving end of being canceled after being suspended from the Academy and being criticized by a lot of personalities in Hollywood.
The 2016 Oscars
The recent Oscars wasn't the first one Rock was criticized for. Back in 2016 when he hosted the Academy Awards, the comedian introduced three Asian children wearing suits as accountants. Rock would go on to dub these kids as ‘Ming Zhu, Bao Ling, and David Moskowitz' right before the audience.
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This skit didn't sit well, especially for those of Asian descent, as Rock was accused of racism. For his part, the comedian added more fuel to the flames when it came to this issue.
“If anyone is upset about that joke you can tweet about it on your phone, which was also made by these kids,' referring to devices being produced in China's factories,” Rock added. George Takei and Sandra Oh, Hollywood personalities of Asian descent, signed a letter criticizing the Academy for allowing Rock to make jokes about racial stereotypes.
Making fun of the late Whitney Houston
It isn't just on stage where Rock is often criticized for his jokes. Back in 2016, the comedian posted an image of the late Whitney Houston wearing shades and looking impatient in an interview with a caption “Me sitting in a meeting that could've been an email”.
Chris Rock Under Fire After Making Controversial Joke About Whitney Houston. Did He Go Too Far?#gstatus #art #artist #media #entertainment #jokes #comedian #whitneyhuston #chrisrock@chrisrock pic.twitter.com/WK5fg9ipll
— Global Status Inc (@GlobalStatusMus) April 28, 2019
The real kicker here is the comment Rock made below that said “Hurry up I got crack to smoke”. As expected, the comedian came under a lot of fire as social media blasted him for joking about the late singer. Houston's ex-husband, Bobby Brown defended Houston by blasting the comedian on social media.
“During this time of women empowerment, you chose to use your time to try and humiliate our QUEEN!!! I thought you was a friend of the family,” Brown said.
At that time, Rock stayed silent until the issue died down.
Jada Pinkett-Smith and G.I. Jane 2
At the end of this list is Rock's most recent infraction against Jada Pinkett-Smith, one that caused Will Smith to slap him on live television. Right before he presented the nominees for Best Documentary, Rock joked about Jada's bald hairstyle by saying he is looking forward to G.I. Jane 2. The said movie starred Demi Moore as a soldier with her hair shaven off.
For her part, Jada rolled her eyes in annoyance. Smith then walked up to Rock and slapped him while the Oscars were ongoing. Unknown to Rock, Jada was suffering from Alopecia, a condition that causes hair loss.
As of now, Smith has released an apology for his actions while the Academy has suspended him from its ranks. Nevertheless, Rock's jokes all throughout his career are certainly not for the faint-hearted. As evidenced by the recent debacle during the Oscars, the comedian is definitely not for everyone's tastes.
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