A year after Will Smith smacked him on the Academy Awards stage, Chris Rock finally gave his rebuttal in a forceful stand-up special, streamed live on Netflix, in which the comedian bragged that he 害羞草研究所渢ook that hit like Pacquiao.害羞草研究所�

The 58-year-old comedian on Saturday night performed his first stand-up special since last year害羞草研究所檚 Oscars. 害羞草研究所淐hris Rock: Selective Outrage,害羞草研究所� streamed live from the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, marked Netflix害羞草研究所檚 first foray into live streaming.

Rock, performing in all white and with a Prince medallion around his neck, immediately touched on last year害羞草研究所檚 Oscars while riffing on 害羞草研究所渨okeness,害羞草研究所� hypersensitivity and what he called 害羞草研究所渟elective outrage.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淵ou never know who might get triggered,害羞草研究所� said Rock. 害羞草研究所淎nybody who says words hurt hasn害羞草研究所檛 been punched in the face.害羞草研究所�

But Rock then launched into a series of wide-ranging topics examining contemporary issues, including virtue signaling, high-priced yoga pants, the Duchess of Sussex, the Kardashians, abortion rights, the Capitol riot and what he called America害羞草研究所檚 biggest addition: Attention.

害羞草研究所淲e used to want love, now we just want likes,害羞草研究所� said Rock.

Rock, who also riffed on how he害羞草研究所檇 respond if his father transitioned to a woman (he would support him, Rock said), made his clear 害羞草研究所淪elective Outrage害羞草研究所� was not going to be just a Will Smith show. Only occasionally did Rock害羞草研究所檚 material dovetail with the 2022 Oscars, like it did when Rock joked about the oddity of Snoop Dogg becoming such a venerated pitch man for advertisers.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not dissing Snoop,害羞草研究所� said Rock. 害羞草研究所淭he last thing I need is another mad rapper.害羞草研究所�

But an hour into his set, Rock closed the special with a torrent of material about the infamous Academy Awards moment.

害羞草研究所淵ou all know what happened to me, getting smacked by Suge Smith. Everybody knows,害羞草研究所� Rock said. 害羞草研究所淚t still hurts. I got `Summertime害羞草研究所� ringing in my ears.害羞草研究所�

While Smith has apologized and repeatedly spoken about the incident since last March, Rock has avoided all the usual platforms where celebrities often go to air their feelings. He never sat down with Oprah Winfrey, and turned away the many media outlets that would have loved to land an exclusive in-depth interview.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 a not a victim, baby,害羞草研究所� said Rock. 害羞草研究所淵ou will never see me on Oprah or Gale crying. You will never see it. Never going to happen.害羞草研究所�

But Rock did use his encounter with Smith to shape and enliven his second stand-up special for Netflix. Some of his best material was on their physical differences.

害羞草研究所淲e are not the same size. This guy does movies with my shirt off,害羞草研究所� said Rock. 害羞草研究所淵ou will never see me do a movie with my shirt off. If I害羞草研究所檓 in a movie getting open-heart surgery, I got on a sweater.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淗e played Muhammed Ali,害羞草研究所� added Rock. 害羞草研究所淚 played Pookie in `New Jack City.害羞草研究所澓π卟菅芯克鶛

Ultimately, Rock suggested he was just caught in the crossfire in Smith害羞草研究所檚 relationship with his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. It was a joke that Rock told about Pinkett Smith that prompted Smith to stride on stage and strike Rock. The comedian on Saturday referenced Pinkett Smith害羞草研究所檚 earlier confessions of having an 害羞草研究所渆ntanglement害羞草研究所� with another man while married.

害羞草研究所淚 did not have any entanglements,害羞草研究所� said Rock. 害羞草研究所淪he hurt him way more than he hurt me.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚 love Will Smith,害羞草研究所� added Rock. 害羞草研究所淣ow I watch `Emancipation害羞草研究所� just to see him get whooped.害羞草研究所�

Before dropping his microphone and holding his arms up triumphantly, Rock left the crowd with one last zinger. Rock said the reason why he didn害羞草研究所檛 physically retaliate at the Oscars was because 害羞草研究所淚 got parents.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淎nd you know what my parents taught me?害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淒on害羞草研究所檛 fight in front of white people.害羞草研究所�

Netflix added pre- and post-show bookends of star-studded live programming with, as host comedian Ronny Chieng said, 害羞草研究所渆very comedy legend who owes Netflix a favor.害羞草研究所� Bono lent a opening introduction. Dana Carvey and David Spade hosted the after-show. Paul McCartney, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jerry Seinfeld and one of last year害羞草研究所檚 Oscar hosts, Wanda Sykes, all added pre-taped messages. Arsenio Hall guaranteed Rock害羞草研究所檚 set would cause Smith to smack his television set.

For much of the past year, Rock has been touring new material in a long string of performances as part of his Ego Death tour. The shows, which had been announced before the 2022 Oscars, have featured performances with Dave Chappelle and Kevin Hart.

On the road, Rock has often worked in jokes and reflections on the slap. Rock first broke his public silence about the slap three nights after the Oscar ceremony, last year in Boston. 害羞草研究所淗ow was your weekend?害羞草研究所� he asked the crowd. He added that he was 害羞草研究所渟till kind of processing what happened.害羞草研究所�

After plenty of processing, Rock retook the cultural spotlight just a week before the March 12 Oscars, where the slap is sure to revisited by this year害羞草研究所檚 host, Jimmy Kimmel. In the aftermath of last year害羞草研究所檚 events, Smith resigned his membership to the film academy. The academy board of governors banned Smith from the Oscars and all other academy events for a decade.

At the annual luncheon for nominees held last month, motion picture academy president Janet Yang voiced regret about how the incident was handled, calling the academy害羞草研究所檚 response 害羞草研究所渋nadequate.害羞草研究所� Bill Kramer, the academy害羞草研究所檚 chief executive, has said the academy has since instituted a crisis communications team to prepare for and more rapidly respond to the unexpected.

害羞草研究所淪elective Outrage害羞草研究所� is Rock害羞草研究所檚 second special for Netflix, following 2018害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淭amborine.害羞草研究所� They害羞草研究所檙e part of a two-special $40 million deal Rock signed with the streamer in 2016.

As new as the live 害羞草研究所淪elective Outrage害羞草研究所� was for Netflix, it was hard not to notice a few familiar things about it.

害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檝e got to give it to the tech companies for inventing something that existed for decades,害羞草研究所� said Chieng. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e doing a comedy show on Saturday night 害羞草研究所� live. Genius.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所斺赌斺赌�

By Jake Coyle

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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