It's been almost a year since the infamous Oscar slap incident involving Will Smith and Chris Rock. Therefore, it is about time that the latter, the recipient of said slap, shared his point of view on this unprecedented moment.
We now have that perspective, albeit wrapped in Rock's trademark unapologetic and abrasive comedic style. In his new Netflix comedy special, Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, the comedian quickly shed some light on the situation.
Rock made several references to the incident in question in the early parts of his show, the first comedy special to air live on Netflix, before devoting an entire section to the event later in his routine. Not content with roasting Will Smith during the brief skirmish, Rock also made fun of Smith's wife Jada, which included the couple's infamous Red Table Talk episode which featured the couple discussing the Jada affair.
With Rock breaking his silence with a joke-laden verdict on Oscar slap in Targeted Outrage, his fans and more casual viewers alike couldn't wait for his latest Netflix comedy special to arrive. And, following Selective Outrage's debut on the world's best streaming service on March 5, viewers took to social media to offer their thoughts on Rock's version of events and the special in general.
For someone as divisive as Rock, it won't be surprising whether or not viewers liked what was on offer. Michael Oti Adjei was one of the first, comparing Rock's funny take on the Oscars slap and more to "flying saucers":
Chris Rock Came In With Flying Tackles In This Netflix Special March 5, 2023
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Twitter user Saltpond Tigerwood was equally enthusiastic, claiming that Rock went berserk throughout the 60-minute run of the special:
Chris Rock's Netflix special was absolutely ruthless. He went crazy, he was crazy March 5, 2023
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Gary Walters (opens in a new tab) agreed with his fellow fans, saying he was "crushed" by the rock, while Twitter user Fatherof4Lunas (opens in a new tab) praised the performance as "old school Chris Rock" before giving it an overly enthusiastic 15/10.
BombShezzy (opens in a new tab) also summed up the Selective Outrage with a simple "I'm dying" tweet, complete with crying and laughing emoji, before social media user malahkhai dropped the proverbial mic by saying that Rock had won the Oscar war. against Smith:
#SelectiveOutrage is 💯... Will Smith may have won the battle, but today Chris Rock won the war. #ChrisRockLive #ChrisRock #NetflixMarch 5, 2023
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Yet for every positive reaction on social media, there was an equally lukewarm or downright negative one.
Kenny Hamilton was one of the first to express his disappointment with the show, saying that it was funny at times but didn't hit the high notes he had hoped for, a sentiment also posted by Twitter user TeddieBae(Opens in a new tab).
I've always liked Chris Rock in movies. I've never been a big fan of his stand up. Last night's special was funny at times, but still not what I thought... March 5, 2023
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Twitter user Totalbetchmove suggested that viewers under the age of 40 would miss out on Selective Outrage. Well, aside from the obvious references and material regarding the 2022 Oscars slapstick, anyway:
Everyone under 40 is watching the Chris Rock Special on Netflix right now #crickets #ChrisRock pic.twitter.com/wrWpv3EQWOMMarch 5, 2023
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Douglass Sloan (opens in a new tab) was also unimpressed, suggesting that Rock had "lost his fastball" in the way he throws his spikes. John M Becker went even wilder in his social media review, calling Chris Rock's new comedy special "painful" and "embarrassing to watch." Oh.
Oh. This Chris Rock Netflix special is painful... and embarrassing 🫠 wow March 5, 2023
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Aside from the talk about Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, some viewers had other thoughts about the comedy special.
Larry Chiang (opens in a new tab) humorously observed that no one went out on a Saturday night because everyone stayed home to watch the Netflix special of Rock. Meanwhile, Teri McClain (opens in new tab) said she was "outraged" by Smith and Rock's desire to cash in on the Oscars slapstick, saying the duo were only using it to keep themselves under wraps.
Elsewhere, Heath Corson chose to reflect on the "seismic" shift in how Netflix will deliver its in-house content to its 220+ million subscriber base in the coming years.
Chris Rock's live special was seismic for Netflix. Not because of the content, but because of the live feature that now opens them up to sports, events, political debates, or award ceremonies. It's a shot across the arc on broadcast. I think they will announce a night lock down any minute. March 5, 2023
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Netflix isn't the only big streamer trying to bring live shows into homes around the world. Disney Plus propelled its streaming rival into post with its live broadcast of Elton John's Farewell From Dodger Stadium concert in November 2022, while Peacock was able to show English Premier League games live each week as part of the package. . NBC company. for years now.
So it's clear that Netflix is catching up on this front. Whether or not fans liked Chris Rock: Selective Outrage, however, one thing is clear: Netflix streaming is here to stay. How long will it be before one of the latest episodes of Netflix's best shows, like Stranger Things season 5, premieres worldwide live? We'll have to wait and see.
For more Netflix coverage, read the best Netflix movies and the best Netflix documentaries.