Chris Rock will address Will Smith slap in upcoming live Netflix special
US comedian and actor Chris Rock is set to address the infamous Will Smith slap incident in a new Netflix stand-up special. According to a new report, “the comedian is waiting to spill his humorous take on” the controversial Oscars moment.
The show will be broadcast live from Baltimore, where Rock will perform Chris Rock: Selective Outrage at the Hippodrome Theatre. According to the source, Rock struggled to test the material while keeping it from the media.
Speaking to Page Six, a source close to Rock said: “Most stand-ups like to test out their material in smaller clubs before they tape a special,” but Rock “relied on the help of veteran comedy writers to run his jokes by to make sure they were tweaked, solid and funny.”
It’s believed that the new material won’t dominate Rock’s show, but that “people need to tune in till the last joke” to avoid disappointment. Since the live show was announced, Netflix has added pre-and-post-show acts to the bill. The event will feature appearances by Amy Amy Schumer, Jerry Seinfeld, Arsenio Hall, Leslie Jones, David Spade, Dana Carvey, JB Smoove and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
With the Oscars set to air on March 12th (March 13th in the UK), Rock’s decision to address the slapping incident is well-timed. The comedian initially refrained from mentioning it on his Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour, though he has peppered material throughout live appearances elsewhere. “Anyone who says words hurt has never been punched in the face,” he said during one show.
After Will Smith posted an apology video on the internet, Rock also told a UK crowd: “Will did the impression of a perfect person for 30 years, and he ripped his mask off and showed us he was as ugly as the rest of us.”
You can check out the trailer for Selective Outrage below. Rock will be under the spotlight live at 10pm ET on Saturday, March 4th, or 3am BST on Sunday, March 5th for UK viewers.
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