Chris Rock, the unfunny “comedian” with the strangely long fingers has been tapped to host this year’s Oscars, which clinched my decision not to watch. I generally only watch for the host, because I don’t really need to see a bunch of privileged people get up on stage and be lauded more.
Then, Chris Rock opened his mouth a bit wider:
“I never watched the Oscars. Come on, it’s a fashion show,” Rock recently said. “No one performs; it’s not like a music show. What straight black man sits there and watches the Oscars? Show me one!”
Rock added: “Awards for art are f—ing idiotic.”
… And how was Rock chosen by the producer?
“Billy [Crystal] is doing a show in New York,” Cates said, “Steve Martin is doing a movie. …”
Rock interrupted the producer to continue, saying, “Ellen DeGeneres has crabs. Jay Leno’s got a gig. They got to the R’s. Burt Reynolds said no.”
I guess he thinks he’s funny.
Well, this is one gay guy who will not be watching Chris Rock, and I never have. Because Chris Rock is f—ing idiotic.
(Hey, do you think this is a new psychological marketing technique? Like Eisner badmouthing Pixar films, this new technique depends on people making disparaging comments about projects that they want to succeed?)
So sorry that you don’t like Chris Rock. Maybe it’s a gay thing. I will admit that I haven’t seen any of his standup performances in years so his skills may have deteriorated. Before he became a household name in the ’90s, he did some of the most hilarious, outrageous, and smart routines I have ever heard.
I’m still trying to locate a tape of a performance he put on in Takoma Park right before Clinton’s re-election in 1998. His riff on the white business class’s support of Colin Powell’s candidacy was so hilarious my sides hurt from laughing. He also savaged the drug-dealing, layabout “niggah” class from the perspective of a black person (again, with outraged hilarity) in a way that no non-black could. There were also in that performance some other very smart and funny, non-racial riffs about the perennial male-female issues that hit their targets in a memorable way.
Perhaps, like many celebrities, he lost his edge once he became part of the inner circle.
Years ago, when Chris Rock was on Saturday Night Live, I could see potential in him; but he seems to have turned his schtick into such negative attacks on anyone and everyone. While I myself tend to skewer people on a regular basis, I just don’t find it entertaining, and it’s so hard to get past his personal attacks to find the social commentary underneath.
Chris Rock is falling into the same trap that Eddie Murphy is in. If you remove all racial, ethnic shit and the swear words there simply isn’t anything remotely funny.
Richard Pryor cursed all the time but if you removed those words there was still a joke in there.
It’s not the use of bad language IN a joke its the use of bad language AS the joke that leaves me cold. And for that reason I don’t find Eddie Murphy or Chris Rock the least bit funny.
I will not be watching.
I’ll have to agree with some of the above. Rock’s ‘Bring in the Pain’ stand-up special is one of the funniest, smartest things I’ve ever seen. I can pick and choose a few quotes from just about anyone and turn them into something they are not, but the bottom line is- he’s still funny. I think it’s a nice change and it’ll be interesting to see how he punches at the recent (deserved) uprise in minority nominees.
If there is anyone that just isn’t funny anymore, it’s Billy Crystal. Oh, and Robin Williams, we loved you so much more when you were a coke head.
I’ll watch just ’cause I’m a whore for awards shows.